In the bid process

[Bpedzins]

Hello,

We are in the bid process and have narrowed it down to one company. We live near Houston, TX. We spoke with the permit department and they stated 90% of the pools in our area are built by this company. We are looking at a gunite pool, quartz plaster, cool deck, hayward equipment, chlorine with ozone light system. We would appreciate any feedback as we are new to this process. Thank you for the add, we look forward to learning as much as we can. Current dimensions are 34 x 14.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Hiya Bpedzins Looks like a very nice pool.

I would delete the overpriced, underperforming Ozone. Save the money and go for a salt system instead. Don't let your builder bad mouth them...something weird about Texas builders....but they're great! Most Texans here (and a mess of us in Georgia) who have them wouldn't ever go without!

Check out the forums and some of PoolSchool too-
Pool Care Basics

Construction Archives

www.troublefreepool.com

Pool Equipment Archives

www.troublefreepool.com

Maddie

 

[Bpedzins]

Thank you, I'm still debating between salt or chlorine. I've always heard salt is really corrosive on the equipment and plaster. The ozone is part of their basic package. I agree it is probably useless as we had one in our free standing hot tub and I never replaced the bulb when it went out and honestly never noticed a difference.

 

[chazas]

Thank you, I'm still debating between salt or chlorine. I've always heard salt is really corrosive on the equipment and plaster. The ozone is part of their basic package. I agree it is probably useless as we had one in our free standing hot tub and I never replaced the bulb when it went out and honestly never noticed a difference.

A salt pool is a chlorine pool - the SWG just makes chlorine with really low concentrations of salt. It’s not enough to corrode anything, so don’t listen to that. It’a an easy thing to blame when bad pool chemistry or materials result in damage.

 

[HermanTX]

It is always good to obtain multiple quotes. It just provides you options. However, it is critical that you research each PB to determine how they perform. Ask for references, visit those that had a pool completed by that PB and ask about their experience.
also, negotiate the payment schedule. Hold back at least 10% till final completion of your project and all punch list items have been completed. PB will push back but they are flexible if you can get them to a discussion that if they are good at communication and followup then their risk of you not paying at the end is minimal.

Couple of items most common on the forum
Have 2 skimmers and have them each independently plumbed back to the pump suction
Get the biggest cartridge filter within your budget. This makes it easier for maintenance
Place the pool lights facing away from your patio or main sitting area
Hopefully you have budget for automation - think through what you want to control and how you want it to operate - better to know that in the planning stages
Put in a saltwater chlorine generator (SWCG) now - it is by far the easiest method to maintain your pool

 

[Bpedzins]

Thank you all, we have been doing alot of research on salt and we are leaning towards that option. Did you have to seal your concrete or travertine?

 

[Bpedzins]

It is always good to obtain multiple quotes. It just provides you options. However, it is critical that you research each PB to determine how they perform. Ask for references, visit those that had a pool completed by that PB and ask about their experience.
also, negotiate the payment schedule. Hold back at least 10% till final completion of your project and all punch list items have been completed. PB will push back but they are flexible if you can get them to a discussion that if they are good at communication and followup then their risk of you not paying at the end is minimal.

Couple of items most common on the forum
Have 2 skimmers and have them each independently plumbed back to the pump suction
Get the biggest cartridge filter within your budget. This makes it easier for maintenance
Place the pool lights facing away from your patio or main sitting area
Hopefully you have budget for automation - think through what you want to control and how you want it to operate - better to know that in the planning stages
Put in a saltwater chlorine generator (SWCG) now - it is by far the easiest method to maintain your pool

Thank you, I will definitely see if they will budge on the payment schedule. I never thought about the pool light as it is in our deepend so shining towards the seating area.

 

[HermanTX]

Thank you all, we have been doing alot of research on salt and we are leaning towards that option. Did you have to seal your concrete or travertine?

You can do sealant, there are mixed reviews. It does wear off over time due to foot traffic so something you need to repeat. Also, it can cause the deck to me slightly more slippery so ask about the type of sealant. Best to do some research on this forum regarding sealants.

 

[Bpedzins]

You can do sealant, there are mixed reviews. It does wear off over time due to foot traffic so something you need to repeat. Also, it can cause the deck to me slightly more slippery so ask about the type of sealant. Best to do some research on this forum regarding sealants.

Thank you, I will do that. Most of the concrete will be spray deck, decking.