The rock salt finish does look awesome but unfortunately it must be a regional thing common to Texas. I don't see it in Arkansas either.
New in-ground in swampy Louisiana. Build is ON!!!
- Thread starter Beadedbiker
- Start date
It's time for an update. I think I was going crazy last week. The combination of being frustrated wanting information, no work due to rain in the forecast, four sets of muddy paw prints all over my wood floors and PMS was a very, very bad thing.
Well they've been out and formed the deck and pathway. My PB may not be the worlds best expert on bonding but his guy doing it sure is. The head guy doing the work for the sub crew is phenomenal. He told me I'm not like a normal homeowner, I don't ask questions. Well I wanted to say thanks to TFP I know how it's supposed to be done and I can't fault a thing, so what's to ask? I didn't though. I'm too high on cold medicine to think wittily at the moment. I do like watching him work though. He has great attention to detail.
There was even a sighting of the electricians today too. Came to see the lay of the land. Walked in on me snapping pics of my bonding for another thread. Told them I was taking pics to illustrate bonding for a friend online. I could see it totally didn't click for them the implication that I knew what it meant. They asked me a few things about where stuff was just like I was your typical clueless homeowner. Boy, are they in for a shock. Hopefully seeing as they are electricians, not literally.
PB said I was the oldest unfinished pool, but the sub guy told me they are still working on the pool before's deck. Apparently travertine pavers and a lot of them. I'm hoping they get to pour the deck before the weekend, but if the pavers are going slowly I can see it being delayed. I'll see what the PB says. He promised my coping would be fixed before the pour, and if the tile guy is laying pavers...we will see I guess.
So. Progress pics,
I'm not sure if this is for the inspector or me LOL
The return of the overhead shot, I've been forgetting to take them from up there. You can see they haven't quite finished the spillover glass tile yet. The spa surround ledger stone won't go on until after the deck is poured.
Well they've been out and formed the deck and pathway. My PB may not be the worlds best expert on bonding but his guy doing it sure is. The head guy doing the work for the sub crew is phenomenal. He told me I'm not like a normal homeowner, I don't ask questions. Well I wanted to say thanks to TFP I know how it's supposed to be done and I can't fault a thing, so what's to ask? I didn't though. I'm too high on cold medicine to think wittily at the moment. I do like watching him work though. He has great attention to detail.
There was even a sighting of the electricians today too. Came to see the lay of the land. Walked in on me snapping pics of my bonding for another thread. Told them I was taking pics to illustrate bonding for a friend online. I could see it totally didn't click for them the implication that I knew what it meant. They asked me a few things about where stuff was just like I was your typical clueless homeowner. Boy, are they in for a shock. Hopefully seeing as they are electricians, not literally.
PB said I was the oldest unfinished pool, but the sub guy told me they are still working on the pool before's deck. Apparently travertine pavers and a lot of them. I'm hoping they get to pour the deck before the weekend, but if the pavers are going slowly I can see it being delayed. I'll see what the PB says. He promised my coping would be fixed before the pour, and if the tile guy is laying pavers...we will see I guess.
So. Progress pics,
I'm not sure if this is for the inspector or me LOL
The return of the overhead shot, I've been forgetting to take them from up there. You can see they haven't quite finished the spillover glass tile yet. The spa surround ledger stone won't go on until after the deck is poured.
That is hilarious! But I am glad you brought back the over head view - those tiles really pop. Hey is that green grass in your neighbor's yard? 
Hope you had a good billiards game last night (I was going to say pool but then thought it might be confusing since I'm posting on a pool thread) -Karen
Hope you had a good billiards game last night (I was going to say pool but then thought it might be confusing since I'm posting on a pool thread) -Karen
Why yes, I do envy my neighbors grass.i have none left. It's so sad. I didn't play last night. I play in an amateur team league. It's a team of 8 and you play 5 players per match. So I cheered them on and tried to drown my cold. But my team won the night. We had a shot at going to the national championships last year, lost out in the semifinals, so we are trying to qualify again this year.
Well we had the deck bonding inspection today, and passed. Had visits from the PB, and the owner of the sub contractor company. We are on to pour deck and path tomorrow. I'm so excitied. I think I'm going to pee myself. I think I'm starting to see a faint glimmer of light at the other end of the tunnel. I also picked out my spray deck color. Its 'Kahlua Cream' I felt at this point I really ought to go with the alcoholic named color....
They are doing that after the pool is plastered. Which my PB told me they are shooting to have the remaining tile done, equipment in and plastered by next Friday. I will be soooooooo happy if that works out.
They are doing that after the pool is plastered. Which my PB told me they are shooting to have the remaining tile done, equipment in and plastered by next Friday. I will be soooooooo happy if that works out.
We have a deck. And a path!
And to the tune of Bud Light's "real men of genius"
They've been real good about fixing little snafus like this, so I'm not worried, just entertained.
And apparently the plan is to get to plaster by Friday. I doubt it. But we'll see. Spa stone is supposed to be here Monday. Still have to finish tile, put in electric and equipment. Clean up. Spray deck will happen after plaster.
My dogs only stayed off the concrete about 2 hours. Somebody pooped in the house. And it seemed hard enough. LOL. No paw prints so it's all good. Dogs already love the path to run out to bark at neighbors. And I love less muddy paws.
And to the tune of Bud Light's "real men of genius"
They've been real good about fixing little snafus like this, so I'm not worried, just entertained.
And apparently the plan is to get to plaster by Friday. I doubt it. But we'll see. Spa stone is supposed to be here Monday. Still have to finish tile, put in electric and equipment. Clean up. Spray deck will happen after plaster.
My dogs only stayed off the concrete about 2 hours. Somebody pooped in the house. And it seemed hard enough. LOL. No paw prints so it's all good. Dogs already love the path to run out to bark at neighbors. And I love less muddy paws.
LOL what is up with the post THERE? At least you know they will fix it.
Happy mom with less muddy footie prints!
Kim
Happy mom with less muddy footie prints!
Kim
Glock
0
And to the tune of Bud Light's "real men of genius"
ROFL! We slaute you Mr. Concrete yourself into a corner guy...
So I haven’t posted in several days for a couple of reasons.
Firstly I was really frustrated with my pool builder. I have a feeling all of this isn't out of the ordinary for a pool build or a large construction project to experience delays, but I’m not used to hiring people and experiencing delays and to be honest I felt I was not in the frame of mind to be objectively fair, so I decided not to post until I was not so mad. I really needed to stay away from thinking about it, and posting would have made it even worse. In the scheme of things it's actually not bad, they started the week before Labor Day, and gunite was on September 6. So we are currently 7 weeks post gunite. I was told at the beginning they try to finish by 4 weeks after gunite. But we still aren't finished on a fairly simple project and I'm still not a happy camper. But please take my griping knowing the above into consideration.
The project has started to feel like the forgotten step child of my pool builder (you see I’m still ****** off and I can’t help it). The tile guy managed to make a bad job of the glass on the spillover top and some of the stack stone. Honestly its because the guy doing it was at my house late Friday and the stuff he did last he did badly because he was just burned out. I think he got tired and fed up and trying to figure out how to get the glass mosaic to fit without cutting any tiles. The stuff he did first looks fine. I quite rightly threw a fit.
Perhaps the worst part about the tile looking bad was that I emailed the pictures to my PB and he agreed with me immediately it needed to be rectified and told me the sub's supervisor would be out to see it for himself. Well he never bothered showing. So the tile guy turns up, I’ve not seen either PB or supervisor to point out where the issues are, the tile guy only knows I’m unhappy with something, and he is hispanic, and I’m left trying to explain what is wrong. I do not speak Spanish. So he doesn’t really understand, and doesn’t correct it right. Its not my job to tell his workers whats wrong. I’m paying him to do that. Plus I’m furious with them at this point due to all the delays. And because it seems like anything wrong delays us yet another week, and I'm not tactful when I'm that mad. Actually I'm not tactful on my good days either. Hence paying someone to be general contractor.
The week before we had no work because he told me they were waiting on that initial stone shipment and had to get it from a different supplier than the one I had sourced it from because that place was not coming through with the order. Well after they finally showed up to do it, they ran out, mainly because they didn’t order enough and also not nearly enough corner pieces. Although they managed to make the front two corners look fine, one of the back corners ended up looking terrible. Unfortunately it's the one facing the deck. Then to get more stone suddenly the supplier in town could miraculously get it here in two days.
Then he told me he wasn’t about to send anyone out unless they had a full day of work for them and that they needed the remainder of the stone for it to be worth it. So we wait, no work for a week. The stone missing is on the back wall of the spa it's not something that would delay completion to plaster other than the 'inconvenience' of sending someone out just to install it. Like I said he flat refused to do it that way because it would cost him too much. Well it came in, and they came over, and fixed the glass tile work I was unhappy with, finished the pool step marker tile and connected the equipment to the easy touch panel and laid the texture coat of the spray deck. It took them TWO days. The stone? It came in with every panel broken. So they never even got to it.
Last week I was told the electricians were supposed to come and when they didn’t my builder told me HE delayed the electricians. Because they were not ready for them. They have not done anything other than wire the Easytouch that ’they did as a favor to the electricians because they were so busy’ that would have been in the way of the electricians. The equipment was all placed by the beginning of last week. Uh huh. Favor. Right. I believe it.
This week the electricians were finally supposed to come. They did not. I had to arrange my schedule to be home because my electrical panel is interior to my house. Not to mention the dogs in the back yard need to be kept inside.
I was promised plaster by last weekend. That never panned out. Their excuse was the delayed stone. Then I was promised this weekend but they couldn’t get it ready by then either since they didn't show up till Thursday with only 2 guys. Now I’m told its going to be next weekend because they need the electric done so the pump is working. But also they still have to place step marker tile in the spa, and raise the level of the bottom of the spa a couple of inches because they dug it too deep and there is a small strip of glass tile below the spillover that still has to be placed AND grouted before they can plaster. They also have to seal the spray deck with its color coating and the stone coping. Like I said, they didn’t bother to show up to my house until Thursday, when the PB had promised they would be there Monday. Its why they never finished in time to plaster this weekend. I’m sure they won’t bother to show up to my property until Thursday next week. The subcontractor said as much. Its stressing me out so much, its making me sick.
In all fairness, other than the delays and feeling of being put in the back burner, they have not once argued a criticism on finish and have fixed everything to my satisfaction. I am finicky and have an eye for details and I do think it's all been done to a high level of quality overall. It doesn't help them that when they delay me, I spend those days stewing by the pool staring at the work and spotting all the little tiny mistakes you would normally never notice till long after the statute of limitations on it being noticeable has passed.
Then the second reason I haven’t posted. One of my dogs had a mini stroke. I’m sure the stress of all of this hasn’t helped. She appears to be doing alright, although I thought we were going to lose her, but she’s back home, and eating and drinking and there doesn’t seem to be any permanent damage although she’s still very subdued. I’m quite worried about keeping her calm to recuperate and an irate Mom isn’t going to help, so I’m doing my best to give up stressing about the pool and I’ve quit trying to fit my schedule to fit the secret schedule of the PB. Next weekend I’m heading to Houston to the International Quilt Show, and my husband might have the joy of dealing with them. If they remember they are still building me a pool. I am very excited to get the heck away from it to be honest.
So picture time.
First the bad
I still have no idea what they are planning on doing with this and I've asked twice.
Then the good.
Step tile looks fantastic.
The glass tile looks great now, although I don't have a close up pic yet. The redid the top so the glass lip is reversed and there is no longer a gap at the top on the sides. They haven't completely fixed the corner stack stone yet as they need more stone to do it.
The color of the spray deck looks great
The equipment is neatly plumbed and OMG that sand filter is huge. I may never need to backwash it.
The tie in to old patio looks great
Firstly I was really frustrated with my pool builder. I have a feeling all of this isn't out of the ordinary for a pool build or a large construction project to experience delays, but I’m not used to hiring people and experiencing delays and to be honest I felt I was not in the frame of mind to be objectively fair, so I decided not to post until I was not so mad. I really needed to stay away from thinking about it, and posting would have made it even worse. In the scheme of things it's actually not bad, they started the week before Labor Day, and gunite was on September 6. So we are currently 7 weeks post gunite. I was told at the beginning they try to finish by 4 weeks after gunite. But we still aren't finished on a fairly simple project and I'm still not a happy camper. But please take my griping knowing the above into consideration.
The project has started to feel like the forgotten step child of my pool builder (you see I’m still ****** off and I can’t help it). The tile guy managed to make a bad job of the glass on the spillover top and some of the stack stone. Honestly its because the guy doing it was at my house late Friday and the stuff he did last he did badly because he was just burned out. I think he got tired and fed up and trying to figure out how to get the glass mosaic to fit without cutting any tiles. The stuff he did first looks fine. I quite rightly threw a fit.
Perhaps the worst part about the tile looking bad was that I emailed the pictures to my PB and he agreed with me immediately it needed to be rectified and told me the sub's supervisor would be out to see it for himself. Well he never bothered showing. So the tile guy turns up, I’ve not seen either PB or supervisor to point out where the issues are, the tile guy only knows I’m unhappy with something, and he is hispanic, and I’m left trying to explain what is wrong. I do not speak Spanish. So he doesn’t really understand, and doesn’t correct it right. Its not my job to tell his workers whats wrong. I’m paying him to do that. Plus I’m furious with them at this point due to all the delays. And because it seems like anything wrong delays us yet another week, and I'm not tactful when I'm that mad. Actually I'm not tactful on my good days either. Hence paying someone to be general contractor.
The week before we had no work because he told me they were waiting on that initial stone shipment and had to get it from a different supplier than the one I had sourced it from because that place was not coming through with the order. Well after they finally showed up to do it, they ran out, mainly because they didn’t order enough and also not nearly enough corner pieces. Although they managed to make the front two corners look fine, one of the back corners ended up looking terrible. Unfortunately it's the one facing the deck. Then to get more stone suddenly the supplier in town could miraculously get it here in two days.
Then he told me he wasn’t about to send anyone out unless they had a full day of work for them and that they needed the remainder of the stone for it to be worth it. So we wait, no work for a week. The stone missing is on the back wall of the spa it's not something that would delay completion to plaster other than the 'inconvenience' of sending someone out just to install it. Like I said he flat refused to do it that way because it would cost him too much. Well it came in, and they came over, and fixed the glass tile work I was unhappy with, finished the pool step marker tile and connected the equipment to the easy touch panel and laid the texture coat of the spray deck. It took them TWO days. The stone? It came in with every panel broken. So they never even got to it.
Last week I was told the electricians were supposed to come and when they didn’t my builder told me HE delayed the electricians. Because they were not ready for them. They have not done anything other than wire the Easytouch that ’they did as a favor to the electricians because they were so busy’ that would have been in the way of the electricians. The equipment was all placed by the beginning of last week. Uh huh. Favor. Right. I believe it.
This week the electricians were finally supposed to come. They did not. I had to arrange my schedule to be home because my electrical panel is interior to my house. Not to mention the dogs in the back yard need to be kept inside.
I was promised plaster by last weekend. That never panned out. Their excuse was the delayed stone. Then I was promised this weekend but they couldn’t get it ready by then either since they didn't show up till Thursday with only 2 guys. Now I’m told its going to be next weekend because they need the electric done so the pump is working. But also they still have to place step marker tile in the spa, and raise the level of the bottom of the spa a couple of inches because they dug it too deep and there is a small strip of glass tile below the spillover that still has to be placed AND grouted before they can plaster. They also have to seal the spray deck with its color coating and the stone coping. Like I said, they didn’t bother to show up to my house until Thursday, when the PB had promised they would be there Monday. Its why they never finished in time to plaster this weekend. I’m sure they won’t bother to show up to my property until Thursday next week. The subcontractor said as much. Its stressing me out so much, its making me sick.
In all fairness, other than the delays and feeling of being put in the back burner, they have not once argued a criticism on finish and have fixed everything to my satisfaction. I am finicky and have an eye for details and I do think it's all been done to a high level of quality overall. It doesn't help them that when they delay me, I spend those days stewing by the pool staring at the work and spotting all the little tiny mistakes you would normally never notice till long after the statute of limitations on it being noticeable has passed.
Then the second reason I haven’t posted. One of my dogs had a mini stroke. I’m sure the stress of all of this hasn’t helped. She appears to be doing alright, although I thought we were going to lose her, but she’s back home, and eating and drinking and there doesn’t seem to be any permanent damage although she’s still very subdued. I’m quite worried about keeping her calm to recuperate and an irate Mom isn’t going to help, so I’m doing my best to give up stressing about the pool and I’ve quit trying to fit my schedule to fit the secret schedule of the PB. Next weekend I’m heading to Houston to the International Quilt Show, and my husband might have the joy of dealing with them. If they remember they are still building me a pool. I am very excited to get the heck away from it to be honest.
So picture time.
First the bad
I still have no idea what they are planning on doing with this and I've asked twice.
Then the good.
Step tile looks fantastic.
The glass tile looks great now, although I don't have a close up pic yet. The redid the top so the glass lip is reversed and there is no longer a gap at the top on the sides. They haven't completely fixed the corner stack stone yet as they need more stone to do it.
The color of the spray deck looks great
The equipment is neatly plumbed and OMG that sand filter is huge. I may never need to backwash it.
The tie in to old patio looks great
Glock
0
You are alot nicer than I would be. To be honest, none of it looks up to par or like quality work. I can't compare my IG because I don't have one. I am comparing it to some of these other builds I see here on TFP. And 7 weeks past gunite? No way. I hope you are getting a great deal on the cost and I hope you are happy with the final result. I would fire your PB. Twice.
WOW! I feel for you. You must have ALOT of patience. About the only nice thing I see is the plumber did a great job with the equipment. Hopefully this will be over soon, and you can enjoy the pool. I had some issues with my build, but in the end, was worth the trouble. Good Luck.
Wow -- these are really hard to understand. How could anyone build a wall like that, and just keep going? It looks like someone was just trying this for the first time, not a craftsman with experience. And the thought process of the person doing the tile work is incomprehensible to me. I sure hope they fix all this to your satisfaction!
As a homeowner that wants to be involved in their pool build (ie wants to know what's going on) I have seen some of the same things happen to me. I feel as if there is no quality check in the system from the PB side. Since I am looking over everything if I don't complain about it then he assumes it's ok. I have worked a lot with the subs telling them how and when to fix things. Most haven't blinked a eye and were appreciative when I told them as they wouldn't have to come back and do it again. The PB is somewhere else during all of this. I took off all day Friday to work with the sprinkler guys. I don't speak Spanish but we figured it all out together. You have to remember most of the subs are doing what they think is right. The person screwing up the schedules and plans are usually the PB or supervisors. Hang in there. It's almost complete.
jst
0
I am so sorry that you are having so many problems, I am in the middle of a build and all issues have been so far been rectified right away. I see you are going to the International Quilt Show, I will be there taking some classes. Quilting helps to soothe my soul, along with a glass of wine. So hopefully the trip will bring your spirits up.
Just remember, you are building a pool and someday it will be full of water.
Just remember, you are building a pool and someday it will be full of water.
HUGS! I think some of my Kindergartners could do that wall better!
Good for you for checking everything and making them fix it!
Remember they will TRY to wear you down..........Oh we will get to the little things that need to be fixed to the point of there being SO many little things that there is no way to fix them in a timely manner. Keep on them and let them know that you will be making sure everything is fixed before they are paid!
Kim
Good for you for checking everything and making them fix it!
Remember they will TRY to wear you down..........Oh we will get to the little things that need to be fixed to the point of there being SO many little things that there is no way to fix them in a timely manner. Keep on them and let them know that you will be making sure everything is fixed before they are paid!
Kim