New Build in SoCal - Pebble tomorrow, Start up Saturday

[mlggator]

This one is SO easy!!! Ready???

Pavers= Monteceito (lighter) slam dunk! I just don't care for the look of the darker one. It is plain and not really "pretty".

Coping= sunset gold is a mix of golds and silvers !!!! Did you REALLY think I would pick something other than the "bling" one? LOL I LOVE how it looks with the light pavers!!!

Kim

Thanks, that was my gut too. I wish they made an even lighter paver than the Moneceito. But I think the color will fade in time and be lighter.

 

[mlggator]

Here are some 3D renderings of the current pool plan. It doesn't show the modification where we had to go around one of the palms in the back. That will change the sheer descents on the wall to the pool and we are likely to eliminate the sheer descent into the spa. Boulders in real life are not that big and are lighter in color.

Also, I need help choosing final tile and stacked stone for the walls. @kimkats
Tile #1 is Orion in peacock from NPT
Tile #2 is Aurora Borealis in mystic from Aquabella

The pics show the flagstone that we choose with one of the tile and one either the lighter or darker stacked stone.

 

[kimkats]

I REALLY like the lighter stacked stone. The darker one just does not blend as well as the lighter one. The lighter one really hits the mark!

Tile-how do you pick? They are ALL so pretty!!! I have looked, and looked, and looked some more.

See the tiles where they are all in a row? I am liking the one in the middle. Here are my reasons. It has a good mixture of light, dark, and bling. The one on the left has more dark ones that pulls your eye way from the others. The one on the right has no bling and you KNOW I want some bling! The one in the middle has it all!!!

So there are MY picks!

Kim

 

[Kahler33]

Here are some 3D renderings of the current pool plan. It doesn't show the modification where we had to go around one of the palms in the back. That will change the sheer descents on the wall to the pool and we are likely to eliminate the sheer descent into the spa. Boulders in real life are not that big and are lighter in color.

Also, I need help choosing final tile and stacked stone for the walls. @kimkats
Tile #1 is Orion in peacock from NPT
Tile #2 is Aurora Borealis in mystic from Aquabella

The pics show the flagstone that we choose with one of the tile and one either the lighter or darker stacked stone.

I like the boulder placement. Well done.

 

[Watershow]

I like the light stone with NPT Orion!

 

[Watershow]

Need help with coping. The poor is a freeform rustic feel. There are large boulders that will be placed around it. The plan is to do a quartzite flagstone coping and then belgard concrete pavers for decking with some standout areas with the flagstone.
I was informed today that my pool supplier has basically run out of quartzite flagstone. She sent me out to the rock companies to pick it out there. They also have limited supply. I am down to two colors.
With limited supply I need to decide NOW.

I need help. @kimkats
The two flagstone choices are Cordova Chocolate and Sunset Gold. The pavers are Belgard in either Monteceito (lighter) or Bella (darker). I'm leaning towards Monteceito.
Cordova Chocolate has more browns and the sunset gold is a mix of golds and silvers. My large boulders are gold.

Pic #1 are the two pavers
Pic #2 is the Cordova chocolate flagstone
pic #3 is the sunset gold (both pieces in the pic are sunset gold)
pic #4 is all the pavers and the flagstone

Love the sunset gold flagstone and chocolate paver! I think it makes a good contrast and who doesn’t love gold in their chocolate?

 

[mlggator]

Digging is Done!
There is so much rock in the soil. Out here in Cali our cheap home builders just use crappy ground up rock to grade the land to put houses on. You can see all the rock in the soil all the way down. There is also construction waste in the fill.
Unfortunately this is common here.

Steel should be later this week.

 

[kimkats]

Run out there with the plans and a tape measure. Is it wide, long, deep, etc enough? Add about 8" for the steel, shell, plaster.

 

[mlggator]

Run out there with the plans and a tape measure. Is it wide, long, deep, etc enough? Add about 8" for the steel, shell, plaster.

I've got good builders. When they were first laying it out and had the diggers on site, they were measuring it and realized that the plans had the pool 2 feet shorter than specified. They came and got me, told me what they found and asked how I wanted to move it to make it longer. I watched them take additional measurements. It looked good, but yes, I'll go out and measure again to be sure.

 

[kimkats]

they were measuring it and realized that the plans had the pool 2 feet shorter than specified.

OH you DO have some good ones!

Now get your hands on those plans and make sure the right ones are out there. The wrong plans could really mess up the plumbing and electric!

Kim

 

[mlggator]

Help I need some expert advice. In my plans you can see that the spa overflows into the pool and also into a small decretive spill pool. So the builders of my pool are having internal arguments over the size of the decretive pool.
The original plans had the pool with an 18" radius. One of my project managers agrees with this radius. The owner of the pool and another project manager think that is too small and want a radius of 30".
I obviously don't want a giant spill pool if a small volume of water is flowing off the spa. That would look ridiculous. I also don't want the flow to come off the spa and hit the back of the pool near coping where it is splashing out.
The spa is raised 18" and will have two spillovers. The first is into the pool and will be around 18" wide. The second goes into the spill pool and will be 12" wide.
What do you experts think? I'm so confused. All three guys have over 20 years building pools. I feel really nervous that this part of my pool which should be a highlight will go very wrong.
You can see pic of 3D plan below.

 

[kimkats]

Ummmmmmmmm why do you have a baby pool off the spa? I have not seen that done before. Is that a bench I see in it?

18" radius is going to be mighty small and the water from the overflow is going to splash everywhere. Even the bigger side could be a problem.

 

[mlggator]

Ummmmmmmmm why do you have a baby pool off the spa? I have not seen that done before. Is that a bench I see in it?

18" radius is going to be mighty small and the water from the overflow is going to splash everywhere. Even the bigger side could be a problem.

The seating area is off that side of the spa. From there, you can't see a lot of the features of the pool, so it was a design feature to add a little fountain like feature where you can see it. We've been a bit back and forth on whether to keep it. If it works, it will be really neat, if it doesn't, well you know.
I don't know what to do, ahhhh.
No bench. It' only a few feet deep and meant to look like a fountain/waterfall off the spa. It serves no purpose other than being pretty.

 

[Watershow]

What’s the size of your pool?

 

[kimkats]

I really don't think it will be worth it in the end. Too many things can go wrong for very little value in the end.

Can you shift the seating are some?

 

[mlggator]

I really don't think it will be worth it in the end. Too many things can go wrong for very little value in the end.

Can you shift the seating are some?

Yeah, I am beginning to see that.

 

[S S]

Yeah, I am beginning to see that.

I agree--but if you do it, I would go with the larger mini pool--also to really make it decorative and not just a baby pool, put in smooth river rocks on the bottom instead of the regular pool finish.
I would probably just ditch it though.

 

[Rich D]

Would you be able to enjoy the view of the small pool and waterfall from inside the house? Our pool is close enough that we can enjoy the waterfall from inside the house. We enjoy the aesthetics of it with or without the water going and especially at night with the waterfall lit. so the extra maintenance I need to perform on the grotto is well worth it to me.

A few other things to consider would be the maintenance of such an area. As well as the fact that most waterfalls get turned off when you have company out by the pool because they are just too noisy or distracting to carry on a conversation. Were they planning on putting some type of return in the small pool to keep it circulated when the overflow is not on?

 

[mlggator]

I agree--but if you do it, I would go with the larger mini pool--also to really make it decorative and not just a baby pool, put in smooth river rocks on the bottom instead of the regular pool finish.
I would probably just ditch it though.

We are planning to either line it in river rocks or the flagstone that we are using as coping. It would not be the pool material.

 

[mlggator]

Would you be able to enjoy the view of the small pool and waterfall from inside the house?

A few other things to consider would be the maintenance of such an area. Were they planning on putting some type of return in the small pool to keep it circulated when the overflow is not on?

Yes, that is one of the reasons for it. Our yard is so small and to fit the pool and spa in, basically from our slider and from the seating area, you really won't get the full impact of the pool. So it was a feature that you would be able to see and enjoy from that area. Yes, the builders and I are taking circulation into effect and planning for that.
I texted my team and told them my hesitation. They all called me one at a time to tell me to keep it. My designer told me "don't you dare get rid of it."
So I am now leaning back towards keeping it.