Gunite in Louisiana - Swimming!

[Staceyleah22]

The dig starts for my pool in 11 days and I am very excited! We moved to this house in 2020 after Hurricane Laura damaged our first home. A pool was always in the plans but first we had to repair and sell the damaged home. We finally finished repairs, sold, picked a builder and got on the waiting list in early 2021.

We have 4 teenagers and 2 short fat bulldogs. I really wanted a hot tub and tanning ledge. Today we finalized the design and picked coping. I’m still trying to pick tile.

Basics
- 16 ft x 33 ft 11 in
- 5 ft 6 in deep end
- 7 ft x 7 ft raised spa, 6 jets
- 7 ft x 11 ft tanning ledge

Finish
- Diamond Brite French Gray finish
- Silver Travertine coping
- Waterline tile - color TBD
- 718 sq ft broom finish decking

Equipment
- Pentair Rainbow 320 chlorinator
- Pentair 520 cartridge filter with variable speed pump
- Microbrite LED lights (2 in pool, 1 on tanning ledge, 1 in spa)
- 400 kBTU Master Temp gas heater
- S200 Dolphin robot cleaner
- EZ Touch 4 with Screen Logic iPhone controls

Any advice/input is appreciated, especially around picking waterline tile colors!

 

[Toxophilite]

Congrats!! Off the bat, from my recent build, that chlorinator will not produce when you run your variable speed pump on low circulation rpms. If you can ditch it, get a salt water chlorine generator. If you feel you want a tab fed chlorinator (not advised), get one for low flow systems.

As for us, the tanning ledge was one of the most wanted, highlighted, features before build. Now that we are using the pool, it's the one thing we wish we had not done. Useless but for taking up good swim and play area. Not trying to sway you, just for consideration and to think through, but your ledge and steps take up 25% of your pool.

 

[.ben]

What is the minimum depth?
Any reason the spa bench does not go inside the entire perimeter? It looks pretty as is, but wondering if you would ever need the extra seating.

Please strongly consider a salt water chlorine generator (SWG). The rainbow in-line chlorinator is not recommended for continuous use.

 

[Staceyleah22]

Minimum is 3’6”. The ledge will be pretty shallow because my dogs are short; 9-12 inches.

The builder recommended the change to the bench. We don’t have people over very often so I’m fine with the lack of room.

I’m very torn on the SWG. To stay within my budget I have to pick: either SWG or 2 extra feet of length to the pool. I went with the length because I can always add the SWG later if I get too frustrated with liquid chlorine.

(I’m a chemical engineer in real life & have dealt a good bit with industrial water treatment. So I have a decent understanding of testing and also what a pain in the butt adding liquid chlorine is going to be.)

 

[PoolStored]

(I’m a chemical engineer in real life & have dealt a good bit with industrial water treatment. So I have a decent understanding of testing and also what a pain in the butt adding liquid chlorine is going to be.)

I was "PoolStored." I learned quickly. I too went the chlorine route. Installed a stenner and life was good. Filled 'er up, smart plug, test, "Alexa run pool for 30 minutes."

Last fall @Newdude convinced me to buy an SWCG. (long running joke...he told me to stick with what I had as it was working, I didn't listen and installed SWCG at closing last year).

LOOOOOOOONG story short (TLR). This SWCG is ABSOLUTE MAGIC. I was fine with the chlorine last year. NOW, I can't imagine running jugs and talking to Alexa. I would fill in the pool before going back to the jugs. Right up there with SmartStir and the robot. I get budgets, but man is this thing sliiiiiiick.

As you said, you can always convert. My bet is sooner rather than later. Especially if you have to travel or want to go on vacation.

Oh, and by the third day, I actually forgot to test for FC. The transformation was that quick.

 

[Newdude]

Congrats Stacey !!!!!

I. I, um. I can't believe i am about to say this. I am going to have to vote against the SWG. But dont worry, its only for now. You can add the SWG a week or a year after the pool is built, but you'll never be able to add 2 feet. Well, not for what it costs to do it right now.

Speaking of costs, the SWG is peanuts in the grand scheme of your build. If i was entirely maxxed out, I would shave literally anything but pool size off the list if i had to, in order to fund the SWG.

Lemme call you @kimkats for tile.

 

[PoolStored]

Congrats Stacey !!!!!

I. I, um. I can't believe i am about to say this. I am going to have to vote against the SWG. But dont worry, its only for now. You can add the SWG a week or a year after the pool is built, but you'll never be able to add 2 feet. Well, not for what it costs to do it right now.

Again, with you. Talking people out of SWCG!

I agree with the economic choice.

 

[Staceyleah22]

Thanks yall!

Builders sent photos for two of my tile picks (silver travertine is our coping). My fave of these two is the Slate White.

I’m going to look at samples of these in-person Friday:
- Elements white with deco tiles as accent
- Persian Blue Azzurro
- Onyx Light Blue

 

[kimkats]

HI!!!! I LOVE your tile picks so far. Are you doing 6x6, 1x2, 1x1 size?

Will all of the ones you are thinking about ask if they have a box of each somewhere so you can see how different each tile will be. One piece will not really show the range of designs and colors.

What kind of deco tiles are you thinking of? The white with the POP of the deco tile is so pretty!

Kim

 

[Staceyleah22]

HI!!!! I LOVE your tile picks so far. Are you doing 6x6, 1x2, 1x1 size?

Will all of the ones you are thinking about ask if they have a box of each somewhere so you can see how different each tile will be. One piece will not really show the range of designs and colors.

What kind of deco tiles are you thinking of? The white with the POP of the deco tile is so pretty!

Kim

Thanks! This is the deco tile. I’m planning to use 6x6”.

 

[Staceyleah22]

They sprayed an outline of our pool today . It actually looks larger than my mental image.

Grumpy 12-year-old for scale lol. It’s hard to tell from the photo but the edge of our coping is 5ft from our slab.

 

[kimkats]

It actually looks larger than my mental image.

Many, many, man people say that quite often!! THEN say it again when the hole is dug!! Now worries as it will be just right when it is full of water and friends!

Grumpy 12-year-old for scale lol.

LOL 12yr says it all!!! She will not be as grumpy when her friends are over for a swim..............then again she might be with being 12 yrs old LOL

the edge of our coping is 5ft from our slab.

That is going to be NO fun to mow. The clipping with either go on the slab or in the pool=no win. Any way to put something other than grass there? Steppers, fake grass, more coping?

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that deco tile!!!! Oh please use the white with that deco tile!!! That will oh so pretty!!!

 

[Staceyleah22]

Many, many, man people say that quite often!! THEN say it again when the hole is dug!! Now worries as it will be just right when it is full of water and friends!

LOL 12yr says it all!!! She will not be as grumpy when her friends are over for a swim..............then again she might be with being 12 yrs old LOL

That is going to be NO fun to mow. The clipping with either go on the slab or in the pool=no win. Any way to put something other than grass there? Steppers, fake grass, more coping?

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that deco tile!!!! Oh please use the white with that deco tile!!! That will oh so pretty!!!

We are pouring concrete between the slab and the pool so I’ll mostly only have to worry about clippings on the back-fence-side.

 

[Staceyleah22]

Met with the builder again today. Decided to go with the Slate White waterline tiles.

Sticking with French Gray but adding a couple bags of blue in the mix.

We changed the shelf a bit to make the whole thing as shallow as the original top step. And also rounded the edges of the spa benches. Total volume is a bit over 14 kgal.

Dig starts Tuesday & I’m so excited! We should have all the rebar done next week and maybe even the gunite.

 

[kimkats]

Okay lets talk about the height from the shelf to the coping. That can be a dozy if it is too high.

 

[Staceyleah22]

Okay lets talk about the height from the shelf to the coping. That can be a dozy if it is too high.

The water depth will be 9” on the shelf. I don’t think it’s a huge drop off though.

He basically took the original first step and made it extend 7-ish ft into the pool. Originally we had step-shelf-step-step and now we will have shelf-step-step-step.

 

[kimkats]

now we will have shelf-step-step-step.

I like how that looks and it will be very functional as well!

So if the shelf is 9" water depth then add in about 4" from the water line to the top of the coping and you could have a 13" step.......That could be hard to get out of. A household step is 7" height. I would think about having a small step put in the corner of the shelf to help with this.

 

[Staceyleah22]

I like how that looks and it will be very functional as well!

So if the shelf is 9" water depth then add in about 4" from the water line to the top of the coping and you could have a 13" step.......That could be hard to get out of. A household step is 7" height. I would think about having a small step put in the corner of the shelf to help with this.

Ahhhh okay now I get it. I will ask about adding small step.

 

[Staceyleah22]

I’ve been trying to convince myself that I’ll be fine managing with liquid chlorine. I’ve done all the reading. I have experience doing the tests. I made peace with going the route of autochlorinator, daily testing, and liquid bleach.

But I also know myself. I’m a busy mom with a demanding career that hates going shopping. Even for groceries. There’s no way I’m gonna be okay with going to the store every week for bleach and running daily chemistry tests.

I’m going to get busy (or lazy) and forget the chlorine and end up with a green pool. And all the frustration that comes with a green pool.

So I just emailed my PB and told him to add the SWG. Guess I should update my signature.

 

[Newdude]

I’m going to get busy (or lazy) and forget the chlorine and end up with a green pool

My lazititus acts up BAD this time of year. I think it stems from so many things going on as school ends and summer starts. If I get one dang relaxed moment, you aren't getting me to do another thing. Not by a Longshot. I got 9 places to be at the same time all day tomorrow. Might as well make it 9.2.

So yeah. BRILLIANT call on the swg.