New build in Round Rock, TX...Fireplace and Plaster Completed

[KBR]

Getting very close to finalizing design. Would love some feedback before locking this up as we are newbies to pools!

Dimensions:
28'4" x 23'6" not including tanning ledge
100 perimeter feet, 508 square feet.
Tanning ledge
Depth goes from 3.5-4.5-5'. We have two younger children. Any thoughts on this?
11,814 gallons
No spa

Water Features:
1x 3' sheer descent
1x Colorvision Bubbler
Independently valved for control

1x Raised beam in tiers, 6", 12" and 18"

Koolcote decking including existing covered patio
Travertine Coping
Deco tile on raised walls

Pebble Sheen Blue Surf including tanning ledge (Any comments on the texture being too rough?)

Equipment:
Pentair Cartridge Filter 420sq
Pentair 400K BTU Heater, gas
Pentair Intelliflo 3HP VS
Pentair Booster pump for water features
Pentair PSL 4 Control Panel
Screenlogic Wi-Fi (Is this all I need for automation?)
3x Pentair Microbrites
SWCG Pentair IC 60
Inline Chlorinator
We will supply our own robot cleaner

2x Skimmers independently plumbed
5x Returns, looped
4 10" top drains

Structural:
Shell 1/2" Grade 60 rebar on 10" centers, both directions
Bond Beam 1/2" Grade 60 rebar x4
Gunite/Shotcrete 4000 psi
12" Bond Beam, 8-10" walls/floors
Decking 3/8" rebar 16" centers on top of 4" crushed base.

Here's the renderings. We are trying to save some yard for the dogs and kids hence the reason its kind of form fitting to the right side of the yard.

 

[Flying Tivo]

Pentair PSL 4 Control Panel

I would not get that model, very limited in functions and relays. Ask the builder for a combo Easytouch 4 or 8 with the IC transformer included. The IC20 is ok but the diffrence in price for the IC40 is not much.
If you can get 3 or 4 floor returns and you can get the screenlogic2 module for wired internet, wifi not needed unless your router is very far away that can not connect via ethernet.

 

[KBR]

Thank you, I had them upgrade to the Easytouch.

 

[DallasSocFan]

Good call going with a light color. If your renderings are correct, you get west exposure without too much shade. In the Texas summer, that shallow of a pool will warm up fast and I would expect your water temp to push up near 90 in the peak of the summer which for some people makes for an unpleasant experience. One guy I know just drains off a foot and refills with tap water to cool it down.

You might ask the pool company about temperature concerns.

I have an 8 foot deep pool with white plaster and I can get up to 82-84.

 

[KBR]

Good call going with a light color. If your renderings are correct, you get west exposure without too much shade. In the Texas summer, that shallow of a pool will warm up fast and I would expect your water temp to push up near 90 in the peak of the summer which for some people makes for an unpleasant experience. One guy I know just drains off a foot and refills with tap water to cool it down.

You might ask the pool company about temperature concerns.

I have an 8 foot deep pool with white plaster and I can get up to 82-84.

Not sure if the rendering is correct or not. I think the blue surf Pebble Sheen will have a little darker tint than that. I'll be honest, I've struggled with the depth stuff. We did have them increase the deeper end to 5.5', not that that is a huge difference. We have an 8 year old and 19 month old so I thought the 3.5' section would good to have. Should we consider sloping from 4-6'?

Our backyard definitely gets that west sun. Luckily that particular spot of the yard has some large cedar elms in the greenbelt behind us that throws shade over there.

 

[Mcow]

Only feedback I would have is with the depth. On my current pool we did same depths but 3.5-5-4.5. We have a 12" tall raised beam along the back and no matter how many times I yell at my kids to not jump off of it in to the pool they are constantly doing it. Makes me nervous as heck! I know you said you have little kids but they grow and quicker than you think they will! I'd consider going deeper. We are about to start a new pool at a new house and doing 3'9" (deepest my PB said he could start with the 3.5 ends up not getting used in my current pool) to 7' deep. Plus I'm in Texas as well and what DallasSocFan says is 100% true. Our pool temp gets in to the 90s by August and it is not exactly refreshing. Deeper pools help with this.

 

[DallasSocFan]

I’ll echo they grow up quicker than you think. I have a 12,10,9, and 5.
I’d say this, they aren’t in any less danger in 3 feet than they are in six. Teach them to swim and use a puddle jumper until they do.

 

[KBR]

I appreciate the responses a lot. Will talk with PB on Monday to increase depths.

They specified the SWCG is an IC60 which seems like overkill for this pool but doesn’t hurt anything.

We are doing travertine coping, deco tile on the raised wall and ledge stone on the two pillars. Any thoughts on SWCG and these choices?

 

[Indeeph2o]

I LOVE your accent tile

 

[KBR]

I LOVE your accent tile

Thanks! Can't take credit, my wife is much better at that stuff than me.

 

[Flying Tivo]

A Wise man always lets the wife choose the Bling.

 

[jark87]

Our pool temp gets in to the 90s by August and it is not exactly refreshing.

We had the same issue, except it was usually right around the July 4th holiday that water temp would start to creep into the 90s, which made the pool unusable for the most part. Sure, we could still get in, but it just wasn’t at all refreshing. I added a chiller about 5 years ago and haven’t had water temp exceed 85 since then. Even if you don’t have a chiller as part of the original design, you might want to at least plan for the space on your equipment pad. I didn’t have the room on the pad, but had space in the area and just used an AC pad for the chiller.

 

[KBR]

A Wise man always lets the wife choose the Bling.

Indeed!

 

[KBR]

We had the same issue, except it was usually right around the July 4th holiday that water temp would start to creep into the 90s, which made the pool unusable for the most part. Sure, we could still get in, but it just wasn’t at all refreshing. I added a chiller about 5 years ago and haven’t had water temp exceed 85 since then. Even if you don’t have a chiller as part of the original design, you might want to at least plan for the space on your equipment pad. I didn’t have the room on the pad, but had space in the area and just used an AC pad for the chiller.

Interesting thanks for sharing. We went ahead and made the pool deeper going from 4-4.5-5.5. Not a ton, but hopefully will help keep it a few degrees cooler.
I'll look into the chillers, maybe its work adding to the build. It wasn't too hard to add down the road?

 

[jark87]

It wasn't too hard to add down the road?

I didn’t do the work myself, but it looked to be relatively easy if you’re comfortable with pool plumbing and wiring. I didn’t have any circuits left in the equipment panel, but ended up combining pool and spa lights onto 1 circuit and then used the spa light circuit for the chiller. That allowed me to automate the chiller on/off cycles.

 

[jark87]

We went ahead and made the pool deeper going from 4-4.5-5.5.

I don’t know that depth makes as much difference as shade. Our pool is 10’ deep in the deep end and would still get to 95°. Our next door neighbor’s pool is like yours, but heavily shaded. They have the opposite issue - pool doesn’t get warm enough for them.

 

[DallasSocFan]

I don’t know that depth makes as much difference as shade. Our pool is 10’ deep in the deep end and would still get to 95°. Our next door neighbor’s pool is like yours, but heavily shaded. They have the opposite issue - pool doesn’t get warm enough for them.

I wonder if color is also a big factor? I'm 8' deep on the west side of my property with zero shade, and I've never got it above 86. Mine is plain old white plaster though. I think the inch or so I add of cold tap water every so often to account for evaporation also helps.

 

[KBR]

I don’t know that depth makes as much difference as shade. Our pool is 10’ deep in the deep end and would still get to 95°. Our next door neighbor’s pool is like yours, but heavily shaded. They have the opposite issue - pool doesn’t get warm enough for them.

Well I guess either way I'll have to just figure it out down the road. The back side of the pool will start getting shaded late afternoon. I'll have them leave space on the pad for a chiller in case I retrofit in the future. Thanks for the advice.

 

[jark87]

I wonder if color is also a big factor?

Could be. Our plaster is relatively dark. I think sun exposure is the main cause of high water temp for me. This was my first pool, and when designing it, I tracked the path of the sun in our back yard and put the pool in that path. Doh!

 

[Mcow]

Could be. Our plaster is relatively dark. I think sun exposure is the main cause of high water temp for me. This was my first pool, and when designing it, I tracked the path of the sun in our back yard and put the pool in that path. Doh!

Man there is so much conflicting info on if the plaster color really effects the water temperature. Common since would say that darker colors would but it is also under a bunch of water. I was told by the PB on our first pool that is is a negligible difference maybe 2-3 degrees and judging from my neighbors pool that is just white plaster and basically same sun/shad situation as us I think that is correct. Of course my wife has told me on the new pool we are building she wants to go lighter "so she can see if a snake is in the pool". She is deathly afraid of snakes and worried there will be more in the rural area we are moving to.