I also considered making it darker, but after a bit of research decided against it. It seems that any flaws will show up more on a darker finish. (I guess deep inside, I anticipated that I wouldn't be getting a perfect finish.)
Hi Kim,
Short of ripping up the pavers, is there any way for us to know whether the railing is bonded to the bonding wire (or if there even is one)? I could ask them directly, but at this point, I wouldn't trust their answer.
Judy
Update: No one approached us for the final check yesterday. That undoubtedly means that they know there are huge issues here. A text to remind them of these issues - footprints and uninstalled escutcheon - got us an "I'll check with the service department" response. I haven't even raised the bonding issue with them yet. I'm having our new pool maintenance guy come around to try to verify whether or not it's been done. Looks like it's going to be a long haul! I sure hope that this pool is worth it in the end!
You can connect a volt/ohm/amp meter to the handrail and then to any bonded part of the pool equipment and check for continuity (zero ohms) across those two points. If the equipment is running, you can also check for a voltage differential. Everything should be zero.
Just to be sure we are talking about the same thing, I am referring to county inspections. Your locale is undoubtedly different than mine but I had I think 5 separate inspections along the way done by county inspectors for engineering, bonding, electrical, plumbing, etc. My bonding failed 2 times and had to be remediated by my pool builder. Once was for unconnected rebar sticking out of the ground in various locations (13 pieces total were found). The inspector told me that specifically killed a 12 year old a couple of years ago. If your pool was properly permitted I would think that would require some level of county inspections.
Try to be there to watch them to make sure. Or hire someone to be there if you can't. There are special spongey things that they are supposed to wear on their feet when they plaster the bottom of the pool (which must be done last). Obviously, in my case, at least one of the guys wasn't wearing them. Look it over very well before they leave. And one more thing: They will want to start filling the pool immediately. My research says that the plaster should remain dry for about 6 hours before the water hits it. Look into that. Hope it turns out great!