Fiberglass build in NoVa

[chazas]

Things are happening so it’s time for photos. Attached are a few photos of the yard as it was this morning, then after the gas company moved my gas line. We had a little scare, both the gas company and the guy Miss Utility sent out to mark cable lines insisted that the mark through the pool area actually was the neighbors’ electric service, not cable/internet. The municipal electric company came out and dug a pit to verify that they were wrong, which thankfully they were.

 

[chazas]

If anyone is ever thinking about hiring River Pools, please PM me.

 

[chazas]

Fence has been dismantled, and all the trees that were in the way of the pool build have been moved. I took the opportunity to move a few other trees around while the guys were here with a bobcat, since the builder had just plopped things down where they made no sense. The one remaining maple in the pool zone will get rootballed later today and saved for replanting in the portion of the front yard they'll use to access the build site.

 

[Boogfj40]

Any updates?

 

[chazas]

Any updates?

Construction starts a week from Monday, with shell delivery a week from Thursday. Meeting with my landscape guy this week to make additional hardscape and landscape plans. I also need to call the gas company tomorrow about upsizing the meter - I’d got a ridiculously high estimate on connecting the heater earlier, finally got around to getting a better one from a different plumber and he was the first to mention it.

The pool builders had asked if someone else could cut in front of me in their line for December. It was fine with me, I don’t care so long as I’m done by mid spring.

 

[chazas]

Here we go, finally. They measured Monday, took Tuesday off due to rain, then started digging yesterday. Digging all day today. Hopefully first load of crushed rock comes in late afternoon but TBD. The pool shell gets delivered late tomorrow. And yes, they have a plan for it if they’re not ready to put it in the ground, I asked about it. Landscaper is coming on Friday also to take measurements.

 

[chazas]

Shell delivered today. Minor drama - they hadn’t installed a Barrier Reef pool before and they had a great deal of trouble lifting it. They said they’d had no problem with an Imagine pool last month that was ten feet longer, but this one is built like a tank. They’ll have to rent larger equipment. But everyone was calm, cool and collected, other than me. I gave up watching, too stressful.

For now the pool is just sitting in my front yard. I’m sure the neighbors are agog.

 

[Stevep2002]

We are having a BR Coral Sea 2 installed in March and many builders I spoke with noted the weight of BR pools. My PB said he had one crane operator almost tip. He never hired him again.

Luckily my PB only installs BR and knows the weight and what he’s working with. Good luck with the build.

 

[bmoreswim]

Interesting that they would overlook the weight statistic on the pool drawing when preparing for the lift. I guess it's not rocket science though.

Tell your neighbors you ran out of money and it's staying in front yard. Perfect time to install, you'll catch the early spring grass growing season and be ready to swim in May sometime. Or are you planning your polar bear plunge?

 

[chazas]

I think it just didn't occur to them. They're a new business, broke off from "the primary competition" where their experience was all with that company's product. The two owners are doing all the work themselves at this point and I'm their first non-friends-and-family build, so they regrouped quickly and rented different equipment. Kind of amusing, I noticed that Barrier Reef actually has a video up where they say that this happens routinely when installers first use one of their pools. Must be way heavier than the industry norm.

I'm definitely looking forward to being ready in the spring! I'm very lawn involved and my neighbors can't believe I started a construction project that ruined a big chunk of the perfect lawn I sweated bullets over during the fall overseeding season. I found a young-and-hungry landscape guy too, he moved my trees around in preparation for the build. We worked out a fairly simple hardscape and base landscape plan and and I'm waiting for his number. Should be all done before winter is even over.

Interesting that they would overlook the weight statistic on the pool drawing when preparing for the lift. I guess it's not rocket science though.

Tell your neighbors you ran out of money and it's staying in front yard. Perfect time to install, you'll catch the early spring grass growing season and be ready to swim in May sometime. Or are you planning your polar bear plunge?

 

[chazas]

Slow week, for multiple reasons. About all they did is get the shell pre-plumbed and finalize the gravel base in the excavation. The pool gets set next Monday, so hopefully next week’s pics will show more progress.

 

[bmoreswim]

Any progress is good. Monday should be fun for your household!

 

[chazas]

Ugh. Tons of rain last night. I have a basement sump pump outlet that was in the way of construction, so they just cut it off, they were going to extend and re-bury it later. Predictably my sump pump put most of the rainwater from under my house into the pool excavation. And the rest of the water was finding its way back under the house, vicious cycle. The pool builders are close to two hours away, so I’m on my own. I jerry-rigged 50 or so feet of black drainage pipe to stop the sump pump issue. Also bought a small submersible pump to empty out the excavation. I don’t think the damage is too terrible, other than where the sump pump flow caused erosion, and minor wall collapsing on one side. But it’s a mess.

 

[bmoreswim]

I was thinking about your empty pit during the rain. Glad you are taking matters in your own hands.

 

[jtburf]

We had a nasty storm right in the middle of the our dig and it all worked out fine.

Yours will be fine in the end!!

 

[chazas]

Thanks, folks. Makes me feel better. It rained again last night - good thing I didn't even take the pump out of the hole.

 

[chazas]

Pool is in the ground, after a very long 11 days! Minor leveling and backfill tomorrow.

 

[chazas]

Not much has happened other than I'd say 85% of the backfill and filling of the pool, due to weather and conflicting builder schedules. I got them to promise they'd be done by the end of the month, weather permitting. Good thing is, they're being very careful about levels and making sure some (as manufactured) bowing in the sides of the shell even out, and I still think I got a very fair price. I guess the old adage (price/quality/speed, pick two) holds up.

I did get a stop work order posted on my door yesterday. My house is on the corner and the street address is NOT on the same side as the front door. Apparently the inspector looked for the permit under the wrong street. Oops. Of course, while he was here he developed "other questions" about which he's supposed to call the builder.

 

[bmoreswim]

Not much has happened other than I'd say 85% of the backfill and filling of the pool, due to weather and conflicting builder schedules. I got them to promise they'd be done by the end of the month, weather permitting. Good thing is, they're being very careful about levels and making sure some (as manufactured) bowing in the sides of the shell even out, and I still think I got a very fair price. I guess the old adage (price/quality/speed, pick two) holds up.

I did get a stop work order posted on my door yesterday. My house is on the corner and the street address is NOT on the same side as the front door. Apparently the inspector looked for the permit under the wrong street. Oops. Of course, while he was here he developed "other questions" about which he's supposed to call the builder.

No worries, just change your address on every piece of paper it was ever documented on.

All sounds good on the progress/approach. Timing is perfect to be ready for spring growing season and you'll be a pro at water balancing by swim time.

 

[chazas]

Ready for the retaining wall, which is supposed to happen early next week.