Some more pictures from today.
They rocked and rolled today. The pool was dug in about 4 hours. Really efficient operation. Looks really good. Looks so level, especially the sun shelf, and there was a lot of measuring going on, so I'm thinking it probably is!. I was working on my future studio all day, so I got to see a lot of what they were doing. It was fascinating. They were running pipes in the deep end while they were still digging the shallow end. I'm very impressed. Couple of tiny snafus - the digger hit a pipe bib and broke it, but I had a plumber out within and hour and the PB covered it, even though he apparently had someone on call. The digging company who did it, told me to call a plumber so I did. And my deep end bench got run on the wrong wall, but to my enormous surprise, I'm not even bothered. It looks just as good on the side. I decided yesterday I was going to be chilled about this whole deal, and if I couldn't be chilled I'd lie, say I was and take a Xanax. LOL. I only care that its structurally sound and built well, and so far I'm impressed (and yeah, thats not easy).
The rebar going in looks really neat and is well stood off from the wall. They hammered a bunch of rebar in the walls to keep it stood off. And its all so beautifully neat the part they've finished so far. I asked them about using dobies on the bottom, because they hadn't (yet) and they said they'll put them in tomorrow - mainly because I have an enormous pile of half bricks that were left here from the previous owner - we dug them out of a berm we were leveling. If they can use them for dobies, it would be a win, because I keep forgetting to throw them in the bulk trash pick up and getting rid of them, would be awesome. About the only thing that they haven't done that I've seen on other builds on TFP is put rebar around the skimmers. I just don't think any of the builders around here normally do it. I could ask them to, but I'm wondering how really necessary it is. I'm erring on the side of to asking them to, because I'm not having any deck, and I think it will give it better support next to the grass.
We have the bonding inspection tomorrow - I think its about the only inspection we get. They are all really nervous about it, because my city is apparently the strictest in the area - about how things are done. Still just one inspection, I don't even think there is another inspection when they hook up the electrical panel. Gotta love Louisiana.
My back yard does somewhat resemble a war zone though. We had them spread quite a bit of dirt under our tree to help fill in some low spots and because you can't do too much at one time to an oak for fear of shocking it, we have a big pile of dirt we can use over the coming months to keep raising low patches. Our neighbor got to get almost all the rest of the dirt in his empty lot - he is stoked because they did a great job of filling all the low spots and spreading it out nicely, and it worked out awesome for us, because they farm that was supposed to get the dirt was pretty inaccessible because it rained so much yesterday. Plus their dump truck had to drop of the dirt next door instead, so the whole thing went so much faster.
So, its all go, and we are scheduled for Monday for gunite. They have a lot to do between then and now. There's also rain forecast for Saturday, so they are bringing in a pump tomorrow just in case, and we'll be crossing everything we have for dry weather. I'm still thoroughly impressed with my pool builder so far, and I think tomorrow I get to go shopping for coping and tile. This girl, she loves shopping, especially for bling bling. Even if its bling bling for the pool. I'm also totally fed up with playing carpenter, in the heat. It really really sucks working in my future studio, with no electricity and no a/c in August in a swamp. I'm just saying. I can put on pretty clothes that don't have paint all over them and aren't covered in sweat. I'm pretty sure my pool builder is not going to recognize me. LOL.