Just breaking ground - handful of questions ..... looking for thoughts and considerations

[Riddler0520]

have owned pools in prior homes, but this is the first time building
live in Charlotte, NC
backyard is part sun/part shade

Free form pool about 36’x27’ at widest; depth 3.5-6‘ + free form SPA 9’ wide + 2 bubblers in baha shelf
we have about a 5’ elevation change
lifting the pool out 18” to match retaining wall behind fire pit with spa about 3’ higher
doing a 5 foot wide spillover
deck round pool will be ivory travertine
face of pool walls,spa will be fieldstone that does match existing patio
pool coping is flagstone
waterline tile and materials imaged

QUESTIONS:
1. Anything we should be considering to add as we build ? Lights in walls and steps, Gas line for torches etc....

2. We have an existing flagstone patio but the flagstone we’ve choose for pool coping is brown where the patio has hues of pink.....we are torn of what to do......
a. Do nothing and leave as is seeing there is physical separation and travertine between existing patio and pool/coping
b. Pull off existing patio wall end caps and old flagstone coping and replace with new flagstone so the two walls top surface will match seeing they are eye level
c. Demo and replace full existing patio with new flagstone or travertine

3. We have settled on Pebble Sheen for finish and want a medium to darker blue color (lagoon color)
a. Since our back yard is 50/50 sun and shade should we go 1 shade lighter knowing it will show a bit darker in the shade and really look like a full sun pool 1 shade darker ?
b. We like the color Ocean Blue Pebble Sheen but the shade lighter is more like Prism ... will Prism look more like Ocean Blue is really my question in the shaded times of day

thank you for taking the time to share thoughts as it can be a bit overwhelming

 

[JimMarshall]

have owned pools in prior homes, but this is the first time building
live in Charlotte, NC
backyard is part sun/part shade

Free form pool about 36’x27’ at widest; depth 3.5-6‘ + free form SPA 9’ wide + 2 bubblers in baha shelf
we have about a 5’ elevation change
lifting the pool out 18” to match retaining wall behind fire pit with spa about 3’ higher
doing a 5 foot wide spillover
deck round pool will be ivory travertine
face of pool walls,spa will be fieldstone that does match existing patio
pool coping is flagstone
waterline tile and materials imaged

QUESTIONS:
1. Anything we should be considering to add as we build ? Lights in walls and steps, Gas line for torches etc....

2. We have an existing flagstone patio but the flagstone we’ve choose for pool coping is brown where the patio has hues of pink.....we are torn of what to do......
a. Do nothing and leave as is seeing there is physical separation and travertine between existing patio and pool/coping
b. Pull off existing patio wall end caps and old flagstone coping and replace with new flagstone so the two walls top surface will match seeing they are eye level
c. Demo and replace full existing patio with new flagstone or travertine

3. We have settled on Pebble Sheen for finish and want a medium to darker blue color (lagoon color)
a. Since our back yard is 50/50 sun and shade should we go 1 shade lighter knowing it will show a bit darker in the shade and really look like a full sun pool 1 shade darker ?
b. We like the color Ocean Blue Pebble Sheen but the shade lighter is more like Prism ... will Prism look more like Ocean Blue is really my question in the shaded times of day

thank you for taking the time to share thoughts as it can be a bit overwhelming

1: If you’re even considering these upgrades now is the time to wire/plumb for them. A few hundred dollars now to add them will be a few thousand after you’re done.

2: I’d leave your existing patio, etc. I think the travertine will create enough separation that it won’t look bad.

3: I don’t know a thing about pebble sheen

 

[Newdude]

Hey Riddler and Welcome !! I am 100% with Jim above. Each point I agree with more than the one before it.

 

[mbnc1]

Hey, we have the same builder!
Who was your designer and who’s your super?

You can check out my build thread (link in my sig) to see more pictures of their flagstone. There’s a little more variation in our coping than in the showroom sample.

If they do to you what they did to us, they will switch you away from PebbleSheen to NPT Stonescapes last minute (they switched plaster subs apparently and the new one is a NPT guy). There might not be an upgrade charge to go from regular pebble to mini pebble.
When we were quoted we had PebbleTec Level 1 included and it would’ve been a $4k upgrade to PebbleSheen Blue Granite, but when they changed to NPT we got the smaller pebbles at no charge.

 

[JimMarshall]

I will say that @bdavis466 might be able to give some insight on the pebble.

 

[jark87]

I think I have the same Pebble Sheen, at least our water color looks very much like your drawings. In terms of existing patio, we had a similar issue. We had quite a bit of dark blue/gray flagstone on 3 pathways that would now end at the pool decking. We left it and it turned out great, as the blue flagstone pulled some of the blue from the exposed aggregate decking that we have around the pool and on our main patio area. Moral of the story: you’ll be surprised at how things will end up blending together.

 

[kimkats]

Love your design! Good swim line with good seating all around inside the pool.

For the waterline tile you will want to go through every box. That is a very pretty tile BUT every once in a while there will be one or two that are extra pretty or extra ugly. You will want to use the pretty ones on the "sight lines" of the pool aka where your eyes fall when you first walk out to the pool. The ugly ones you will want to hide so they don't use them.

Another thing think about with tile is if there is any kind of "pattern" on the tiles. You will want to spread them out and make sure they are randomly placed.

Kim

 

[Riddler0520]

Hey, we have the same builder!
Who was your designer and who’s your super?

You can check out my build thread (link in my sig) to see more pictures of their flagstone. There’s a little more variation in our coping than in the showroom sample.

If they do to you what they did to us, they will switch you away from PebbleSheen to NPT Stonescapes last minute (they switched plaster subs apparently and the new one is a NPT guy). There might not be an upgrade charge to go from regular pebble to mini pebble.
When we were quoted we had PebbleTec Level 1 included and it would’ve been a $4k upgrade to PebbleSheen Blue Granite, but when they changed to NPT we got the smaller pebbles at no charge.

Not to many folks from NC on this site; lots from FL and TX

Peter J (owner) is who we’ve worked with and John in the site project manager (good guy)

looked at your pics - you have a really nice set up as we are a bit late to the game but at least started

our lot is pretty wooded so we opted for a Heat Pump as well as Gas heater to maintain pool temps and try and extend season

yard is playing a bit of an optical allusion on me as the spray outline and even start of the dig, looks smaller but John keeps telling me that it is a good size and wait until it’s fully dug out and shot

good to know about the flagstone - we’ve got to make a decision one way or another as I would want to buy any additional rock from the same run and yard if we were to address.

have a few other things I’m thinking through like light for the steps and retaining wall as well as I’ve seen some really neat gas torches online but need gas lines run around perimeter

keep me posted in your learnings and progress and thanks for responding

 

[bmoreswim]

I don’t think there’s an issue using the brown tone flagstone by the pool from a color standpoint. It would tie to the columns on the existing if not the actual patio. However, brown flavored flagstone may be hotter than what you have. Do you have any heat concerns with the existing? You could do a two-tone travertine look with a somewhat darker coping and lighter deck.

On the Pebble finish, my all-time favorite for a beautiful blue is Blue Smurf (Surf). I don’t have pebble, but that’s just from the many colors I’ve seen here over the years.