I finally get to post a thread here!! Renovating pool and yard

[clambert1273]

My CH is about 150 out of the faucet and it took quite a while to get to 250 so I don't really worry about CH very much and since once we get ready to start reno it will get drained & refilled again

 

[mknauss]

Interesting. As long as you are sure of that, great.

Take care.

 

[clambert1273]

I am sure, I just flipped through all my logs since we had it drained last year

 

[bmoreswim]

On the hot turf issue... First off, I know nothing about turf except from watching football. I asked a question about it in this thread. His reply was so interesting to me. I had never thought about the fill aspect other than keeping the blades upright. I also have no concept if this would keep it cool, or tolerable in your climate. Nor if your dry air would make it impractical to keep damp. The poster is in PA.

Pool Started 6/25/20 on a 20x40 Central PA

 

[clambert1273]

In reality the fake grass & turf isn't for us at all and even when I lived with real grass I wasn't walking on it either lol I definitely don't go anywhere in our yard without shoes just due to scorpions etc... lol mostly he wants it so he doesnt have to clean up dog poo on gravel lol we have 2 shepherd pups lol So lots of it

 

[clambert1273]

So far next week is looking promising (I hope)

have 4 appointments set so far to get estimates: 1/12/2021 10-11am arrival time; 1/13/2021 10am, 12pm, 2pm; and there could be more after today. Like I said, everyone has been pretty responsive and nice. Now my wise pool buddies here @kimkats, @Nikilyn I'm sure you are going to help me in devising questions I need to ask or tell me what I should ask for at these appointments... my husband will have the hardest time since unlike building a new pool he can't visually see anything. He doesn't have the same ability as my daughter and I to mentally envision something renovated complete. which becomes super hard when I want to paint walls lol

 

[Nikilyn]

I've never met with pool builders so I wouldn't know. But I LOLed when you said your husband can't visualize things because I'm in the same boat. Like yesterday when I was having the issue with the deck guy he really wasn't understanding what I was saying (and neither was the deck guy, which is bad when the guy doing the work can't visualize it). I finally had to pull up a picture of someone's pool shell on here to make him understand. It worked, but not before a lot of frustration. I'm sure you have a complete picture in your head. I did too. But I had to learn to let it change, like yesterday, and that can be hard.

 

[clambert1273]

I've never met with pool builders so I wouldn't know. But I LOLed when you said your husband can't visualize things because I'm in the same boat. Like yesterday when I was having the issue with the deck guy he really wasn't understanding what I was saying (and neither was the deck guy, which is bad when the guy doing the work can't visualize it). I finally had to pull up a picture of someone's pool shell on here to make him understand. It worked, but not before a lot of frustration. I'm sure you have a complete picture in your head. I did too. But I had to learn to let it change, like yesterday, and that can be hard.

my daughter and I watch enough HGTV to know how to "look through the lens of renovation" while he has to see it in his face, even if I had pictures he can't relate it to our space per se lol so this will be interesting

 

[Desert Dog]

I have fake grass and as we do not get as hot as AZ, it does get pretty hot here. I purchased a turf that claimed to be cooler than other types. In my experience, they are correct. I can comfortably walk on ours even when it is 105 degrees out. Some other turf someone else had was too hot at 80-90 degrees out. My suggestion is if you decide to go with the fake turf, get samples and leave them out in the sun and test for yourself. We have had ours for two years. and love it. The only issue is washing the urine smell off in the summer time from the fur babies. It is a once a month task in the summer. Other than that, it is virtually maintenance free. This year I'm gonna get one of those old school lawn waters and move it every ten minutes to water down the turf.

 

[clambert1273]

I have fake grass and as we do not get as hot as AZ, it does get pretty hot here. I purchased a turf that claimed to be cooler than other types. In my experience, they are correct. I can comfortably walk on ours even when it is 105 degrees out. Some other turf someone else had was too hot at 80-90 degrees out. My suggestion is if you decide to go with the fake turf, get samples and leave them out in the sun and test for yourself. We have had ours for two years. and love it. The only issue is washing the urine smell off in the summer time from the fur babies. It is a once a month task in the summer. Other than that, it is virtually maintenance free. This year I'm gonna get one of those old school lawn waters and move it every ten minutes to water down the turf.

like I said, we will NEVER be walking on it shoeless, bark scorpions here are a real thing and all over so you couldn't pay me to walk any yard here barefoot lol we actually have a service that comes to clean up after the dogs and sprays disinfectant etc... everyone honed in on the turf but it's more of we are tired of gravel everywhere and the big dead grass area lol im sure the pups would appreciate something a little better than rock lol

 

[Desert Dog]

You will never walk on it shoeless but I was thinking more for the dogs. Ya, our turf area was just dirt from a deserted lawn long long ago. The turf is prettier than bark or gravel and the dogs can run, play and sun themselves. Not to mention it really cut down on the dust making it's way inside the house. Whatever you do I'm sure it will turn out looking great.

 

[clambert1273]

Our dogs are weird and never really lay in the yard, thry either hang out on the covered patio or the ledge in the pool

 

[Nikilyn]

If you keep your house sprayed for bugs you won't have an issue with scorpions. I have lived here since I was 7. I never saw a scorpion until we moved to Power Ranch (where we built our first pool). We got them there when they started building houses behind our house. Got mice too . I got stung in our kitchen. Our friend is our bug guy and before that we weren't good about spraying regularly. He told us if you keep their food source gone then they will be gone. Ever since we have sprayed each month and haven't had them in 14 years. We have grass and my son and his friends play in it barefoot all the time. We have the San Tan Mountains and desert behind us. Coyotes and mountain lions and even cattle come into our neighborhood. Some people closer to the edge of the neighborhood even see rattlesnakes but we haven't seen any scorpions. If you want the name of a good bug guy I can give you one.

 

[clambert1273]

We have pest control but have had numeroua scorpions inside & outside, not as bad as the apartments we were in when first moved here but enough to make me never take my shoes off in or out lol I live in my flops or while its cold my slippers

 

[kimkats]

I am going to link you to some "questions to ask a PB" kind of things. It will be a lot of info. Read it slowly and pick/chose what will work for you:

Construction Best Practices - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

How to Pick a Pool Builder - Trouble Free Pool

We've tried to make that process easier for you with some Great Pool Builder tips, Advice, & Guide to follow when choosing a pool contractor for your build.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[clambert1273]

just to keep my diary here lol

Appt 1: 1/12/2021 at 10am
Appt 2: 1/13/2021 at 10am
Appt 3: 1/13/2021 at 12pm
Appt 4: 1/13/2021 at 2pm
Appt 5: 1/15/2021 at 1pm

I have my lists printed and ready and also a question list ready for each for me to make notes on. I created a binder with sleeves for each one to keep my notes, appts, estimates all together so I don't get them all mixed up

 

[kimkats]

The 13th is going to be a BUSY day for sure!

Nice job on the ahead of time set up!

Kim

 

[clambert1273]

just to keep my diary here lol

Appt 1: 1/12/2021 at 10am we really liked this guy, took his time and listened to me as well as taking the time to design something visual for my husband
Appt 2: 1/13/2021 at 10am we like this one too, we will see how it plays out in the end but so far offers less than the first
Appt 3: 1/13/2021 at 12pm this one is a hard NO from DH, dude called and changed appt to 11am which was fine but then was 30 min late and just rushed through us not listening to anything
Appt 4: 1/13/2021 at 2pm hoping this one works out like the first 2 as well
Appt 5: 1/15/2021 at 1pm
Appt 6: 1/15/2021 at 3pm

I have my lists printed and ready and also a question list ready for each for me to make notes on. I created a binder with sleeves for each one to keep my notes, appts, estimates all together so I don't get them all mixed up

just updating our thoughts so far.

 

[kimkats]

Good job jotting notes like this! gurrrrrrrrr on #3!

 

[clambert1273]

#4 is personally my fav so far, was super nice and attentive, meticulous in his notes and even considered silly things my daughter wants without dismissing her entirely which holds a lot of weight with me