Houston New IG Gunite Pool - Uneven Plaster Color - Comments are appreciated.

[tfp_fan]

Hello all! Three months after signing the contract, the project finally got started last week.
As a first-time pool owner, I do appreciate any comment or feedback you can provide.
I should note that the backyard faces west, and the pool will be mostly under the sun during the hot Texas noons/afternoons/evenings.

Pool Specs

• Pool: Freeform, 38.67’ x 14.25’
• Pool Depth: 3.5’ to 6’
• Capacity: 12,598 (pool), 450 (spa)
• Spa: 7' x 12" and 6' stacked stone spillway 6”x6” ceramic tile (instead of stacked stone to prevent calcium buildup); 2 level seating; 3cm bullnosed trav
• 3 x Benches
• Waterline/Title line: 6”x6” Ceramic Tile
• Interior: Pebble Tec, Pebble Sheen Tier 1, Blue Surf?? (still deciding on the color) NPT StoneScapes Irish Mist Mini Pebble

Raised Wall & Water Feature
19 lin ft +12" raised beam wall; 14 lin ft +6" raised beam wall; (3) 18" travertine scuppers (raised beam front & spa sides: 2x4 splitface trav; raised beam back: 6x6 trav tile)

Equipment & Electrical

• Equipment Pad: 14' x 3' (large enough to support the future equipment we may want to add to the pool in future, for example cooler/Glacier chiller and stenner pump)
• Filter: Pentair clean & clear 520 (the largest filter to increase the time between filter cleanings and reduce water used for the filter cleaning)
• Pool and Spa Pump: Pentair 3HP 230 V Intelliflo VSF (011056) with unions
• Water Feature Pump: Pentair max E pro 1 HP UR EE with unions
• Spa Blower: Silencer 1 HP
• Controller: Pentair Intellicenter i10PSIC40 with Intellichlor IC40 Salt Cell (i10PSIC40 includes the maximum amount of relays which leaves us the most flexibility to control our landscape lighting, etc.)
• Square D by Schneider Electric HEPD80 surge protector, added to the load center
• Chlorine Generator: Pentair Intellichlor IC40
• 1/2" Injection Port for Stenner Pump (after SWG)
• Heater: Pentair MasterTemp 400 natural gas (with bypass valve)
• Auto Fill: Paramount Paralevel (tied into a backflow preventer with a hose bib valve for shutoff)
• Pool Lights: 4 x Pentair MicroBrite 12V color LED (facing away from the house)
• Spa Light: 1 x Pentair MicroBrite 12V color LED spa
• Light niches attached to bond with #8 wire
• NEC compliant; GFCI breakers
• 360 loop pool perimeter bonded at min of 4 points
• schedule 40 pipe on all inground electrical
• schedule 80 pipe on all above ground electrical
• Cleaner: Pentair Warrior SE Robotic Inground Pool Cleaner
• GFCI at pad for robot cleaner
• VOLT 300 Watt Slim Line LED transformer for landscaping lighting
• VOLT landscape lighting 4-spotlight brass LED
• VOLT landscape lighting 4-pagoda light brass LED

Structural Spec

• Gunite Mix: 6-to-1 cement-to-sand ratio
• Pol Beam Gunite: 12" minimum gunite, 8" cove
• Pool Walls & Floor Gunite: 6" minimum gunite
• Steel in Beam: 4 bar box beams #4 rebar continues
• Steels in Walls & Floor: #3 - 8"x8" on center
• Steps & Benches: Reinforced with rebar

Coping & Decking

• Coping: 3cm bullnose travertine
• Decking: 145 sq. ft. existing decking to be topped (spraydeck) and 378 sq. ft. new classic spraydeck (523 sq. ft. total); #3 rebar on 16" centers
• deck o seal between coping and decking
• 200' of 4" PVC drains (for decking) run to street
• 24" 5-Step removable polymer ladder (for the deep end)

Piping

• PVC schedule 40 on all pooling piping and pump connections
• Autofill line
• Pool Main Drain: 2 x AquaStar 3 port channel drain
• Water Feature Pump Drain: (2) dual anti-vortex
• Pool Return Inlets: 2" returns to 1st 'T'
• Returns: 7 min directional
• Spa: 7 x Hydrostream spa jets
• Skimmer: 2 x Pentair Bermuda (each separately plumbed to the pad)
• Overflow drain
• Valves: Separate valves, Pentair ComPool 2-way, 3-way, and checkvalve
• 2" suction, separate lines for each skimmer & main drain; water connection via backflow preventer

 

[HermanTX]

Looks Great. You may wish to verify if you have a water softener and if so, does it connect to your hose bib that you plan to tie to the autofill. Just so you know what water is filling the pool.
Buy your test kit now as you will get busy with pool construction.

 

[tfp_fan]

Looks Great. You may wish to verify if you have a water softener and if so, does it connect to your hose bib that you plan to tie to the autofill. Just so you know what water is filling the pool.
Buy your test kit now as you will get busy with pool construction.

Thank you. We do have water softener and the hose bib in the backyard has soft water.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Fan,

Your equipment list looks pretty good to me...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[tfp_fan]

Steel, Structure Framing, and Plumbing Stubout were done. Here are the photos:

 

[HermanTX]

Steel, Structure Framing, and Plumbing Stubout were done. Here are the photos:

Are those special type of jets in the spa? Are they connected to both the top and bottom pipe rings?
Hard to see if they are connected to both rings or do they alternate - i.e. one connects to the top ring and the next one connects to the bottom ring. Thanks.

 

[ajw22]

Are those special type of jets in the spa? Are they connected to both the top and bottom pipe rings?
Hard to see if they are connected to both rings or do they alternate - i.e. one connects to the top ring and the next one connects to the bottom ring. Thanks.

One ring is for water and the other ring is for air from the spa blower. They combine in a manifold the jet is in.

 

[tfp_fan]

Are those special type of jets in the spa? Are they connected to both the top and bottom pipe rings?
Hard to see if they are connected to both rings or do they alternate - i.e. one connects to the top ring and the next one connects to the bottom ring. Thanks.

@HermanTX I just took these closer view photos (thanks to @ajw22 for clarification):

 

[tfp_fan]

Tomorrow is the gunite day and I received my pouralid skimmer covers this evening. The builder has already installed the skimmers and they are ready for gunite (please see the installed skimmers in the pool photos above, in my previous post). Do you think it is possible to install the pouralid lids (the collar) on top of the installed skimmers just before the gunite?

 

[tfp_fan]

Gunite was shot yesterday.

 

[tfp_fan]

Plumbing was done and the builder installed some equipment (except heater that will be added soon). I didn't find IC40 among my existing equipment but noticed one of the installed equipment is Pentair Chlorine Feeder Model 320. My pool is saltwater and I am not sure if the builder will add IC40, too, or he has installed the wrong equipment (chlorine feeder instead of IC40)? I would like to have some feedbacks here before talking to my builder.

 

[mknauss]

Most Texas builders insist on adding the tablet thing regardless. Only in Texas. No idea why.

I honestly do not see where in that plumbing the IC is going to go. It needs to be before the valve that splits pool and spa returns.

 

[tfp_fan]

Most Texas builders insist on adding the tablet thing regardless. Only in Texas. No idea why.

I honestly do not see where in that plumbing the IC is going to go. It needs to be before the valve that splits pool and spa returns.

@mknauss As I did guess, the SW pool doesn't need the chlorine feeder, and it is the builder mistake. Isn't it? I will go ahead and tell the builder to replace it with IC40 SWG, which is in our contract.

 

[tfp_fan]

I confirmed with the builder and as I guessed, they had installed the Chlorine Feeder by mistake. I was told that they will replace it with IC40 SWG.

 

[tfp_fan]

Coping and waterline tiles were completed. Based on the TFP family comments/recommendations, I had the builder installed 6”x6” ceramic tiles for the spa spillway (instead of stacked stone) to prevent calcium buildup. Any recommendation for sealing the tiles/grouts to prevent water from getting in between and under the tiles, particularly for the spillway / edge of spillway? How about sealing the coping?

 

[HermanTX]

Coping and waterline tiles were completed. According to the TFP peers recommendations, I had the builder installed 6”x6” ceramic tiles for the spa spillway (instead of stacked stone) to prevent calcium buildup. Any recommendation for sealing the tiles/grouts to prevent water from getting in between and under the tiles, particularly for the spillway / edge of spillway? How about sealing the coping?

This looks really great - even without the plaster. The finished product should be awesome.

 

[tfp_fan]

Plaster - done.

 

[tfp_fan]

Filling was started since last night.

 

[Aynfante]

Are you happy with your choice of Irish mist? I am considering it.

 

[tfp_fan]

Are you happy with your choice of Irish mist? I am considering it.

Yes. We love it. It does match with our waterline tiles. When we chose it and told our builder about our choice, he was not sure if our decision is the best. But, he was impressed after he saw the real color in the pool after the plaster. Also the water doesn't get too hot (the color neither is too light, nor too dark).