Jaimee's Owner Builder Pool, AZ.
- Thread starter Jaimee
- Start date
<< soon!! Good job!!!!
WOW! You go girl!
In the catch basin------------I do not see any way for the water to get out. Is there a drain I do not see?
Do I see dog kennels in the background? What kind of dogs?
kim
In the catch basin------------I do not see any way for the water to get out. Is there a drain I do not see?
Do I see dog kennels in the background? What kind of dogs?
kim
kimkats,
There is a channel drain in the basin that has a grey cover so it may be hard to see. And yes, it's dog kennel fencing to keep desert rabbits out of my garden. We have only one dog right now, Shatzi, she's the miniature dauchund starring in a few of the pics. She's one of the reasons for the basin in the front with steps to get in and out so she can cool off outside.
There is a channel drain in the basin that has a grey cover so it may be hard to see. And yes, it's dog kennel fencing to keep desert rabbits out of my garden. We have only one dog right now, Shatzi, she's the miniature dauchund starring in a few of the pics. She's one of the reasons for the basin in the front with steps to get in and out so she can cool off outside.
I see it now! I KNEW you would have one but just did not see it. Once I looked CLOSE I found it LOL.
Fencing for your garden! LOL Does it work?
I love that you made the catch basin for your dog. Sunbaby made her tanning ledge for her dogs! LOVE dogs having their pools built for them!
Kim
Fencing for your garden! LOL Does it work?
I love that you made the catch basin for your dog. Sunbaby made her tanning ledge for her dogs! LOVE dogs having their pools built for them!
Kim
Update on build. Next step: Waterproofing. I did a lot of research and got a bag of Masterseal 581 (Thoroseal) and a gallon of MasterEmaco 660 (acrylic fortifier) from Borders. These products are pricey! I used a mortar sanding block first to smooth the shotcrete, brushed the surfaces and applied the Masterseal 581 as directed. You put 1/3 Emaco with the water and mix to a pancake batter consistency. Then brush on with a roofing or wallpaper brush. Not too hard. This is what I did on the inside of pool and basin. I put 2 coats on the spillover wall. For the outside wall, which is raised and some will be exposed, I bought a few bags of quikwall from HD. I like this stuff. I added some Emaco for maximum water resistance. I may put some rock or something else on the wall later but I have to watch the bottom line for now. If I can get the walls smooth enough I will paint the quikwall.
I also have begun waterplug patching around the pipes. I bought two products, Masterseal 590 and Quickcrete Waterstop Cement. These products set FAST. I only hand mix about 16 oz at a time. The Quickcrete sets faster, but seems to be harder in the end and is cheaper than the Masterseal. I was freaking out about horror stories of it setting in the container and at first mixed too thin. This is a mistake, because you can't work with it too thin and it sets at about the same speed. It stays runny until the cure time and then all of the sudden, Pow! hard. I now mix to the proper consistency, wet the areas before I mix and work efficiently with a small spackle spatula.
I also have begun waterplug patching around the pipes. I bought two products, Masterseal 590 and Quickcrete Waterstop Cement. These products set FAST. I only hand mix about 16 oz at a time. The Quickcrete sets faster, but seems to be harder in the end and is cheaper than the Masterseal. I was freaking out about horror stories of it setting in the container and at first mixed too thin. This is a mistake, because you can't work with it too thin and it sets at about the same speed. It stays runny until the cure time and then all of the sudden, Pow! hard. I now mix to the proper consistency, wet the areas before I mix and work efficiently with a small spackle spatula.
Attachments
Last edited:
- May 16, 2011
- 1,184
- Pool Size
- 28000
- Surface
- Plaster
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Are you waterproofing the whole inside of your pool before plaster? I'm new to pools and haven't heard of that before. What is the reason you've decided to do this? It sounds like you're being very thorough!
Dear JamieP (Cool Name...),
The reason I am waterproofing is I have a negative edge spillover wall that is going to be tiled. These walls (according to my research) have both negative and positive water pressure on them, and if you don't waterproof, the wall can weep, causing tile failure and pop-off. Also, I am not waterproofing the part of the pool and spa below grade, but our pool is partially raised and I didn't want any moisture coming through these walls because it would be visable through whatever I face them with (tile, stucco, stone, etc.) There is so much information and contridicting info on products, procedures, etc. it can get overwhelming. I am definately not a pool expert so I just try to go with the suggestions that seem the most logical and the products that get the highest reviews. Also, obviously price is a factor as we are paying for this as we go. I am attaching here pics of the sanding block I've used to smooth the shotcrete and the brush I am using to apply the cement-based waterproofing. The Quik-wall can only be applied with a trowel. It is also sticky, almost like mortar mixed with wet bubblegum. Sticks well to concrete, but trickier to work with.
The reason I am waterproofing is I have a negative edge spillover wall that is going to be tiled. These walls (according to my research) have both negative and positive water pressure on them, and if you don't waterproof, the wall can weep, causing tile failure and pop-off. Also, I am not waterproofing the part of the pool and spa below grade, but our pool is partially raised and I didn't want any moisture coming through these walls because it would be visable through whatever I face them with (tile, stucco, stone, etc.) There is so much information and contridicting info on products, procedures, etc. it can get overwhelming. I am definately not a pool expert so I just try to go with the suggestions that seem the most logical and the products that get the highest reviews. Also, obviously price is a factor as we are paying for this as we go. I am attaching here pics of the sanding block I've used to smooth the shotcrete and the brush I am using to apply the cement-based waterproofing. The Quik-wall can only be applied with a trowel. It is also sticky, almost like mortar mixed with wet bubblegum. Sticks well to concrete, but trickier to work with.
I am so impressed that you are doing your own build!!! It looks amazing! Can't wait to see the rest of the project. And your puppy is so cute!
For your spillover wall, if it will be tiled or stucco, you might consider coating with a waterproof membrane. This will provide you with crack prevention and isolation membrane through the flexible elastomer seal. Redguard is commonly used and specified for this application. Mapei and Latticrete have similar products. Product can be applied by brush or roller.
Re: Started Coping on Jaimee's Owner Builder Pool, AZ.
vermaraj, thanks for the advice. I did consider an elastomer seal which would have been superior, but the only one we could kind of afford was the Redguard and I read where the red color "leaked" into the tile grout. This may have been an isolated thing, but I didn't want to take a chance.
Next up is coping. Coping is really expensive. All of ours is capping a wall and I figured maybe I could do something not conventional and get away with it. So I went on the building supply prowel. I found a couple pallets of cut stone thick tiles in different sizes at a discount hardware store's bone yard (way in the back, outside.). I need 14" wide and the sizes they had were 12", a few 8" and 6". Not ideal, but my husband negotiated $1./sq. ft. so I will find a way to make it work. I don't know exactly what it is; tannish-brown with little fossils imbedded in cream and quite dense with no holes or groves to fill. One guy called it travertine and another said limestone. It's pretty thick, about 7/8". Another issue is it is straight cut (no tumble or ease) and would be too sharp for the perimeter edges. I have considered an angle grinder, diamond router bit, leaving it sharp (unacceptable) etc. I finally decided that since I needed to borrow my father-in-law's big tile saw anyway, I would bite the bullet and 45* the tops of the edges all the way around, on the undersides of the tiles also because these are raised up in the air on top of the pool wall. So. at least 8 cuts per tile.
We brought the tile home and the girls moved it to the backyard. We're talking tons. This tile (pavers?) is HEAVY. They are troupers.
vermaraj, thanks for the advice. I did consider an elastomer seal which would have been superior, but the only one we could kind of afford was the Redguard and I read where the red color "leaked" into the tile grout. This may have been an isolated thing, but I didn't want to take a chance.
Next up is coping. Coping is really expensive. All of ours is capping a wall and I figured maybe I could do something not conventional and get away with it. So I went on the building supply prowel. I found a couple pallets of cut stone thick tiles in different sizes at a discount hardware store's bone yard (way in the back, outside.). I need 14" wide and the sizes they had were 12", a few 8" and 6". Not ideal, but my husband negotiated $1./sq. ft. so I will find a way to make it work. I don't know exactly what it is; tannish-brown with little fossils imbedded in cream and quite dense with no holes or groves to fill. One guy called it travertine and another said limestone. It's pretty thick, about 7/8". Another issue is it is straight cut (no tumble or ease) and would be too sharp for the perimeter edges. I have considered an angle grinder, diamond router bit, leaving it sharp (unacceptable) etc. I finally decided that since I needed to borrow my father-in-law's big tile saw anyway, I would bite the bullet and 45* the tops of the edges all the way around, on the undersides of the tiles also because these are raised up in the air on top of the pool wall. So. at least 8 cuts per tile.
We brought the tile home and the girls moved it to the backyard. We're talking tons. This tile (pavers?) is HEAVY. They are troupers.
Re: Coping the Basin on Jaimee's Owner Builder Pool, AZ.
I went to work on the first batch of coping and layed most of the basin east side (this wall is the only skinny one so I could use 12" tiles and get away with it). I used versabond mortar with a little admix. I detested working with this mortar. Those dumb pavers slid around for over an hour. I had to keep readjusting. I started with spacers which didn't work good anyway because the tiles are so thick. After fighting with the sliding around, I gave up and eyeballed the spacing. I've decided that the rest of the coping I will lay with a faster set mortar and no spacing because it looks better. I am sloping the tiles away from the pool very slightly for drainage (about 1/8" per foot), so I don't think water pooling or damage will be an issue.
I went to work on the first batch of coping and layed most of the basin east side (this wall is the only skinny one so I could use 12" tiles and get away with it). I used versabond mortar with a little admix. I detested working with this mortar. Those dumb pavers slid around for over an hour. I had to keep readjusting. I started with spacers which didn't work good anyway because the tiles are so thick. After fighting with the sliding around, I gave up and eyeballed the spacing. I've decided that the rest of the coping I will lay with a faster set mortar and no spacing because it looks better. I am sloping the tiles away from the pool very slightly for drainage (about 1/8" per foot), so I don't think water pooling or damage will be an issue.
Re: Staining PVC Trim on Jaimee's Owner Builder Pool, AZ.
I do goofy things. I always have a plan A, which I find on Houzz and is too expensive, on down to the hillbilly way, which just won't work. I usually end up somewhere in the middle. One issue I'm having is I have been purchasing trim fittings (the pvc you will see) from ebay, amazon, etc. for good prices. Problem is they don't match. Some are in white, the channel drain that I bought for a smokin deal is grey, etc. So. I researched painting pvc. No go. Even if you use "plastic" paint it will wear off or peel off, especially in the water.
But then I learned about a process called pvc staining. You combine solvent dye with clear pvc cleaner. I got the dye from ebay, mixed the solution and tested it on a pvc fitting. It holds the same as purple primer. I could gouge it off barely with my teeth (I know, don't use your teeth for that!!!! my daughter said) but not my fingernails. I'm going to try it. I want a deep blue pebble plaster and would like the fittings to not jump out so bad as the pool is shallow. We'll see how it goes. If the color eventually comes off, I could re-dye or buy expensive blue covers if I absolutely had to. The dye was more fun to do for now. It worked on everything so far EXCEPT the Hayward covers. Why? I don't know. I guess they have a special plastic mix. The dye sits on the top of the drain covers and rubs off a bit on my fingers, even after drying. On everything else including the channel drain cover from aquastar, it sinks into the plastic with a satin finish. **Disclaimer**: You may not want to try the things I am doing, I can't guarantee that any of this will be acceptable to your standards. Haha there. You have been warned. But I must say the normally very expensive channel drain I got for $40. looks great in homemade blue!!!
I do goofy things. I always have a plan A, which I find on Houzz and is too expensive, on down to the hillbilly way, which just won't work. I usually end up somewhere in the middle. One issue I'm having is I have been purchasing trim fittings (the pvc you will see) from ebay, amazon, etc. for good prices. Problem is they don't match. Some are in white, the channel drain that I bought for a smokin deal is grey, etc. So. I researched painting pvc. No go. Even if you use "plastic" paint it will wear off or peel off, especially in the water.
But then I learned about a process called pvc staining. You combine solvent dye with clear pvc cleaner. I got the dye from ebay, mixed the solution and tested it on a pvc fitting. It holds the same as purple primer. I could gouge it off barely with my teeth (I know, don't use your teeth for that!!!! my daughter said) but not my fingernails. I'm going to try it. I want a deep blue pebble plaster and would like the fittings to not jump out so bad as the pool is shallow. We'll see how it goes. If the color eventually comes off, I could re-dye or buy expensive blue covers if I absolutely had to. The dye was more fun to do for now. It worked on everything so far EXCEPT the Hayward covers. Why? I don't know. I guess they have a special plastic mix. The dye sits on the top of the drain covers and rubs off a bit on my fingers, even after drying. On everything else including the channel drain cover from aquastar, it sinks into the plastic with a satin finish. **Disclaimer**: You may not want to try the things I am doing, I can't guarantee that any of this will be acceptable to your standards. Haha there. You have been warned. But I must say the normally very expensive channel drain I got for $40. looks great in homemade blue!!!
Re: Homemade baja shelf jet for Jaimee's Owner Builder Pool, AZ.
I plumbed for 2 inside pool jets/fountains/bubblers. But I did it wrong. I didn't dedicate lines (they are attached to the pool return line), they don't have seperate valves and they are the standard 1 1/2" pipe. One is on the spa floor and the other is on the baja shelf of the pool. Yes, I know, I should have researched it better, but the shotcrete is in and I can't cry about it.
I noticed that most deck jets and pool bubblers are 1. expensive. Like over $100. and 2. Not adjustable. Becasuse most plumbers know to dedicate a line and valve to each one...
What to do? I'm trying something I don't know will work or not. Since the deal with my husband was that I couldn't go into debt while building the pool (no credit) and I couldn't use grocery money (have to keep the kids fed), there's no way I could justify shelf bubbler fittings. I don't think they would work anyway, because you can't adjust them (there's one from CMP I found that was semi-adjustable, but you can't turn it off without a valve hooked to the plumbing and it's too much money anyway). I found a brass hose nozzle that was short and fully adjustable at the hardware store and rigged up a Jaimee-made fitting. The worst thing was sanding the little collar off the bushing. That took about 20 minutes. It's janky, but I can take it out of the pipe and put in a floor return if it doesn't work. If it DOES work, that would be great because I could turn it completely off right there in the pool. Want to lie on the baja shelf? Water spraying in your face? Just turn the fitting while sitting there. Ha, we will see. And of course, I dyed it blue.
I plumbed for 2 inside pool jets/fountains/bubblers. But I did it wrong. I didn't dedicate lines (they are attached to the pool return line), they don't have seperate valves and they are the standard 1 1/2" pipe. One is on the spa floor and the other is on the baja shelf of the pool. Yes, I know, I should have researched it better, but the shotcrete is in and I can't cry about it.
I noticed that most deck jets and pool bubblers are 1. expensive. Like over $100. and 2. Not adjustable. Becasuse most plumbers know to dedicate a line and valve to each one...
What to do? I'm trying something I don't know will work or not. Since the deal with my husband was that I couldn't go into debt while building the pool (no credit) and I couldn't use grocery money (have to keep the kids fed), there's no way I could justify shelf bubbler fittings. I don't think they would work anyway, because you can't adjust them (there's one from CMP I found that was semi-adjustable, but you can't turn it off without a valve hooked to the plumbing and it's too much money anyway). I found a brass hose nozzle that was short and fully adjustable at the hardware store and rigged up a Jaimee-made fitting. The worst thing was sanding the little collar off the bushing. That took about 20 minutes. It's janky, but I can take it out of the pipe and put in a floor return if it doesn't work. If it DOES work, that would be great because I could turn it completely off right there in the pool. Want to lie on the baja shelf? Water spraying in your face? Just turn the fitting while sitting there. Ha, we will see. And of course, I dyed it blue.
- May 16, 2011
- 1,184
- Pool Size
- 28000
- Surface
- Plaster
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Hey, Jaimee! You're like the MacGyver of pool builders! I love thinking outside the box and figuring out workable solutions to problems, but you're the master! I hope everything works out for you, but if something doesn't, I'm sure you'll be able to find an even better solution.
Thanks for sharing your build and your problem solving. It is very inspiring.
Another Jamie
Thanks for sharing your build and your problem solving. It is very inspiring.
Another Jamie
Girl you are something else! I cannot wait to see if that bubble idea works! I can see MANY people asking for you ideas!
Is there any way you can "test" it by putting in on a line with water pressure just to see if it can hold back the pressure?
Kim
Is there any way you can "test" it by putting in on a line with water pressure just to see if it can hold back the pressure?
Kim
Kim,
Why didn't I think of testing it? I will try it the only thing I am concerned about is if it will even shoot water as the baja shelf is quite deep (18"). We'll see how it goes.
Next after coping is tile selection. This is getting exciting. Next McGyver move (haha Jaime): We purchased some turquoise/cobalt Alstrailian abalone shells to put through the hammer mill to add to the plaster when we do that. I will post pictures of the process. Now I understand not everyone happens to own a hammer mill, but since I have the tools, I might as well do it the old-fasioned way and save my man some money by sweat equity. It beats going to the gym.
Why didn't I think of testing it? I will try it the only thing I am concerned about is if it will even shoot water as the baja shelf is quite deep (18"). We'll see how it goes.
Next after coping is tile selection. This is getting exciting. Next McGyver move (haha Jaime): We purchased some turquoise/cobalt Alstrailian abalone shells to put through the hammer mill to add to the plaster when we do that. I will post pictures of the process. Now I understand not everyone happens to own a hammer mill, but since I have the tools, I might as well do it the old-fasioned way and save my man some money by sweat equity. It beats going to the gym.
Jaimee, I would hate for you to go to all of the work of putting it in and not be able to turn it off/close it.
By testing it you should be able to see how high and hard it will shoot up into the air. That could be FUN to "test" on the kids! LOL
You could even put it in a bucket of water to see how it acts when in water.
You KNOW I want video and rights to said video for AFV! LOL
Kim
By testing it you should be able to see how high and hard it will shoot up into the air. That could be FUN to "test" on the kids! LOL
You could even put it in a bucket of water to see how it acts when in water.
You KNOW I want video and rights to said video for AFV! LOL
Kim
Jamie is right! You are Macgyver!! Love the problem solving and the blue is pretty!