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CypressCajun

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Jul 25, 2018
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Cypress Texas
Hello All! First, thank you for your help so far! I definitely appreciate the responses on my prior threads.

My wife and I are narrowing down the pool builder list now. I’m attaching the layout we are looking at and would like to get some feedback if possible. I’ve been reading and reading on this site for nearly a year now and we are finally ready to get this started. The pool will be a sports pool with the deepest part at 5' in the center. We are leaning towards a 15" water depth tanning ledge. I'm also considering having a Glacier Pool Cooler installed but think we may try and do the little side sprayers first... The project so far includes a tear down and rebuild of my existing patio cover, pool and outdoor kitchen.

Pool Specifications:
Perimeter: 98
Area: 520
Size: 16 x 34
Depth 3 1/2’x 5’

Structure:
Beams: 18” Gunite beam with #4 rebar
Walls & Floor 6” Gunite with #3 rebar 8” O.C
(Gunite will be 4,000 PSI and Take 7 to 10 days to cure)
25 years on structural integrity of the pool
Spa:
Raised 12”
Jets 6
Spillway: Tile
Air blower: 1 ½ H.P
Light (1) LED low voltage
Equipment:
Pumps (1) Variable Speed HP
Filter (1) Cartridge filter
Chlorinator: (1) Inline Chlorinator with Ozonator
Lights (4) Color light Low Voltage
Controls: Aqualink with WIFI Or remote
Cleaner: Polaris 280
Heater: 400,000 BTU Gas heater
Equipment comes with a 3-year warranty
Plumbing
Skimmers: (2) Tan lid
Main Drain: (2) per pump VGB Compliance
Returns: (5) 1 ½ Pipe and wall fitting
Fill line: Yes
Overflow: 2” line to connect to Drains

Pool Finishes
Tile: 6” Waterline
Coping: Natural Stone
Trim tile: 2x2 (TBD)
Plaster: Quartz Plaster Color (Quartz Scape light color)
Moss rock beam with 5 TON water wall

Decking:
Area: 890’
Base: Concrete 4”
Overlay: Spray Deck
Patio: 333 ‘existing patio Spray deck
Drains: yes
Tanning ledge: 13 x 8
2 Bubblers with Lights
 

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Congrats on the new pool! A couple comments that you might consider:
- Confirm the size of the cartridge filter (larger means less frequency of cleaning)
- Outdoor residential pools see little to no benefit from ozone. Consider eliminating or replcing with a salt water generator (SWG) to make chlorine
- Speak of chlorine, remember that an inline dispenser (tabs/pucks) is fine for short-term use and when you know your CYA is not too high. Tabs increase CYA, so at some point you'll have to stop using those and use liquid chlorine (aka regular bleach) ..... or use an SWG.

Good luck!
 
CC,

I am not a fan of having stone as part of the waterline tile.. Maybe it is just the picture, but if you plan to have the stone touching the water, I would strongly suggest you not do that.

Just a personal preference, I like to have the ability to get to all sides of my pool. How do you plan to brush the far side of your pool or use a leaf net from that side?

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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Texas Splash said:
Congrats on the new pool! A couple comments that you might consider:
- Confirm the size of the cartridge filter (larger means less frequency of cleaning)
- Outdoor residential pools see little to no benefit from ozone. Consider eliminating or replcing with a salt water generator (SWG) to make chlorine
- Speak of chlorine, remember that an inline dispenser (tabs/pucks) is fine for short-term use and when you know your CYA is not too high. Tabs increase CYA, so at some point you'll have to stop using those and use liquid chlorine (aka regular bleach) ..... or use an SWG.

Good luck!
Click to expand...
Thanks. I failed to mention that we're leaning towards salt water. My builder is warning me that the salt + moss rock = bad situation although everything I've read on this site is the opposite. The filter is a "Cartridge Filter 580" per a separate email.
 
Jimrahbe said:
CC,

I am not a fan of having stone as part of the waterline tile.. Maybe it is just the picture, but if you plan to have the stone touching the water, I would strongly suggest you not do that.

Just a personal preference, I like to have the ability to get to all sides of my pool. How do you plan to brush the far side of your pool or use a leaf net from that side?

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
It's just the image. The rock will be above the waterline. He gave us the option but suggested above.
 
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That is so pretty! The one thing that sticks out is the far wall being all rock like that. I will ask the same question as above. How will you brush that area? Do you have any idea how high the rocks will be? Will you have plants on that side in real life?

Make sure to get model numbers for everything. I notice you do not have one for the pump and lights. VERY important to make sure you get what you are paying for.

Lets talk about the depth-Is the 5' water depth? If so then use a tape measure to see where 5' will hit you and the other adults in your family. I am 5'5" and a 5' depth would not be really walkable for me as it would be up to my face. Just something to think about.

Kim:kim:
 
kimkats said:
That is so pretty! The one thing that sticks out is the far wall being all rock like that. I will ask the same question as above. How will you brush that area? Do you have any idea how high the rocks will be? Will you have plants on that side in real life?

Make sure to get model numbers for everything. I notice you do not have one for the pump and lights. VERY important to make sure you get what you are paying for.

Lets talk about the depth-Is the 5' water depth? If so then use a tape measure to see where 5' will hit you and the other adults in your family. I am 5'5" and a 5' depth would not be really walkable for me as it would be up to my face. Just something to think about.

Kim:kim:
Click to expand...
Thanks Kim. The rocks will be 18" high or so along the back wall. Brushing will be challenging until I can get in the pool. We eventually will have plants etc. but that's an endeavor for another day. I'm going to just have a built out bed behind the rocks so that I can easily walk around the length of the pool.

The pump will be: Variable Speed Pump - E-Pump (VSSHP270AUT)
The lights are: Jandy nicheless LED (JLU4C12W100)

As far as the depth goes, my wife is 5'7" and I'm 6'. Originally, we were wanting the pool to be around 4'10" all the way across but we need some sloping for the drains. You bring up a good point though, I'll grab the tape measure and make sure we're not going to feel like we're drowning at 5' in the middle of the pool.
 
One more thing, I'm still on the fence between a SWG vs. standard chorinator. My wife and I both prefer saltwater pools. We've just received warning after warning from all the builders regarding the SWG and my moss rock. I like the way SWG feels, I like the easier maintenance, I'm just now worried I'm going to ruin my weeping waterfalls and my flagstone coping.
 
CypressCajun said:
One more thing, I'm still on the fence between a SWG vs. standard chorinator. My wife and I both prefer saltwater pools. We've just received warning after warning from all the builders regarding the SWG and my moss rock. I like the way SWG feels, I like the easier maintenance, I'm just now worried I'm going to ruin my weeping waterfalls and my flagstone coping.
Click to expand...

CC,

I have three saltwater pools and have had zero salt issues with the decking, the pools or the equipment.. Here is a story I like to tell when people talk about the damage caused by the salt...

I bought a rent house with flagstone coping and a standard chlorine pool. About half the Flagstone looked fine and the other half had very thin layers that seemed to flake off a little at a time.. the funny part was the 'good' stones and 'bad' stone were all around the pool and often right next to one another. So, we converted the pool to a saltwater pool... That was about 6 or 7 years ago.. Today the 'bad' stones are still bad and the 'good' stones are still good. I can't see any place were the 'good' stones have become 'bad' stones. It appears to me that the basic problem is the type of stone and that salt water has had zero effect on either type of stone. Now if I were a pool builder, my choice would be to blame saltwater for the damage, or admit that I put down cheap defective stones.. I know what most of them do...

Another problem with saltwater pools is that builders sold them as "set and forget" systems.. Well, this is just flat out wrong... You have to test a saltwater pool just like you do a regular pool.. You have to make adjustments to a saltwater pool like you should do to a regular pool. You have to have a basic understanding of how they work, in order to make the right adjustments. Since most pool builders have no clue how they work, how could they possibly train the new pool owner..

One thing that can often be confused with saltwater damage is scale.. It is a hard white substance that can cover tile and tile grout line. It kind of looks like salt, but it is not and comes from just not understanding the fundamentals of pool care.

So I guess that saltwater pools are so easy to take care of that it can lead to complacency and cause things to go wrong, but that is not really because of the salt or the saltwater.

If this were my pool, I would go saltwater first and then everything else next.. Assuming the dangers of salt are all true (which is just pure bull) I would select saltwater as they type of pool I wanted and then use whatever products the pool builder said were "salt proof"... To me, the feel of the water and the ease of maintenance trumps any visual aspects of buying a pool.

But, as always, it it your pool and your rules..

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.
 
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OK - my builder said as long as I seal the rock on occasion, he's got no problem w/ SWCG. Looks like that's our direction.

A new question came up. One builder was touting 3" flagstone thickness. The builder we're leaning towards said 3" is overkill. He uses 2-2.25" thickness. My question is -- does it matter? Is there a preferred thickness ( :censored: of flagstone coping)?

Thanks!
 
CypressCajun,

As long as they install the proper base the 2" thick flagstone is fine. By proper base you want crushed granite as a sub base compacted every 2"of material, proper slope, all edges must be contained. Pool edge on 1 side, a steel border along the other (where it meets the yard).

Pavingexpert and PaveStone - Flagstones for Driveways

A poor install from the base layer up will cause you major headachs in a short period of time...


John
 
jtburf said:
CypressCajun,

As long as they install the proper base the 2" thick flagstone is fine. By proper base you want crushed granite as a sub base compacted every 2"of material, proper slope, all edges must be contained. Pool edge on 1 side, a steel border along the other (where it meets the yard).

Pavingexpert and PaveStone - Flagstones for Driveways

A poor install from the base layer up will cause you major headachs in a short period of time...


John
Click to expand...
Thanks! I failed to mention that the travertine is only for the coping. we will have a concrete/cooldeck patio.
 
Mine is right outside the bedroom wall as well. It is fairly loud. Basically like another air conditioner if you ask me. I initially chill mine at night the first few times I run it then switch to day ops. I typically run mine from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. You obviously have to run the main pump at the same time as the Chiller. I have an SWG and I’m running that during the day and not at night In the summers. I’m not running my main pump 24 hours because of the Chiller. My water gets to 80-82 f with the Chiller so running it during the day is fine for me. I get some shade on that side of the house anyway.
Also its tied in to my Automation so I can set it as a schedule (add/edit) or turn it off/on from my phone if I want. This set up works great.
 
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CypressCajun said:
Awesome to hear. It's definitely in our plans now. How loud is it? Our equipment will be along our master bedroom wall...
Click to expand...

You can save funds by having a spray bar connection added to the pool, it uses evaporated cooling just the same. It is a simple T-Bar made of PVC. I would run mine in our last pool for 4-5 hours at night and it would drop the temp 5 degrees on average...
Another option is like pictured.

Discuss this with your PB

John
 

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Hello all - we're continuing our journey and trying to now pick finishes.

Does anyone have a sports pool with Stonescape Aqua Cool? We're looking at the Stonescape Aqua Cool Puerto Rico mini pebble blend with an extra bag of blue.

Thanks all! BTW here is the materials we're considering...
OK Flagstone Coping
"Tiramisu" stacked stone for hot tub surround, patio cover pillars and outdoor kitchen
Blue 6" tile for waterline
Small glass tiles for steps
Aqua White Stonescape mini pebble Puerto Rico blend w/ extra bag of blue
 

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