New Owner/Builder, Los Angeles

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Kim, I'm still looking for furniture, so no updates on that, but the tile work is finally done, and the plumber decided to show up and connect up the equipment. Here is a pic of the pool as it is now, and you can see the pool equipment in the far corner next to the playhouse. Still have to build a covering for all that ugly stuff.

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Wow! Everything looks fabulous! So neat and tidy - the deck, the pool, the equipment! I don't think my build ever looked that good until all the crews were done and gone!!!!

The paint on the pipes looks great! I've seen another pool build with the pipes painted with a UV block in the paint. Useful and nice looking!

It's all going to be perfect when the pool is finished and filled!

Congrats!
Suz.
 
This just arrived today... and just in time. Mini-pebble should be installed this week. Since I am owner-building this, I am tackling start up on my own, and have decided to continue on with the TFPC system. After spending so much time and effort on this build, it just seems silly to turn over the maintenance of the pool to someone who doesn't care about it at all. Hopefully I am not biting off more than I can chew.

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You are going to love it! You can go ahead and test your house water to see just how easy it is. Do not bother doing the CYA test as that has to be added.

I am going to post a couple of links so you can know ahead what you need to have ready to put in the water.

Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals

Print this one out

Pool School - Recommended Levels

Play around with this one as it does all of the work for you. Make sure to change the place at the bottom to Trouble Free Pool values.

http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html

Print this one out also

Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart

NOW for the really important one!

Pool School - Start-up New Plaster

I hope these help.

There are videos of all of the tests to help out also. We can/will answer any questions you have or just hold your hand when you do the tests. We all started just like you----------"Can I REALLY do this?" Oh yea you can!

Kim
 
QingGuy said:
I believe I've mention on here that we know a guy who is with the largest plaster company here in town, has been doing this work for 20 years and I asked him with access to all the pool options he has, if we was building a pool today what would he go with (at the time we were trying to make our decision on which plaster to use)? I was shocked by his answer, I was expecting some exotic pebble or quarts and he told me, plain white plaster. He's personally plastered thousands of pools and now he goes out and inspects post plaster work for his company he said it has the fewest issues, you don't have to worry about too warm of water in the Vegas summers, long lasting if you maintain it. Your PB's thoughts seem to be in-line with what we were told.

Love your decking BTW, wish we could have done something like that but in the Vegas sun/heat just wasn't an option for us. Nice build!
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My existing pool has 15yr old standard white plaster and it is just starting to have problems, but we could probably get a couple more years out of it and I'm pretty certain the water balance was not well maintained over the years, so that is impressive...but that being said, I really want dark blue lol.

I also love the travertine pavers and wish we could do them.

I really like the choice of browns for the tile and can't wait to see it with water!!
 
Thanks for all the links Kimkats! Looks like I have a bit of reading to do...

Foxy, thanks for the kind words, I will be sure to post pics of the pool once we get some water. I am anxious to see what it will look like with the brown tile as well. That is one of the reasons that we are going with the darker mini-pebble, I thought too light of a water color would contrast too much with the tile, but it is probably the opposite!
 

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I agree with you APAPAZ2, about the lighter finish contrasting too much. As you know we went with the white plaster and while I don't regret it at all, I can see how a darker color would have worked better with our other design choices such as the dark blue waterline tile we chose. Maybe when it's time to replace the plaster we'll be ready to try pebble but right now this is what we wanted.

I wanted to commend you for doing your maintenance yourself (and the pool build for that matter!). We just hired a company to do our weekly service but I feel exactly the way you do about handing off the responsibility of protecting our investment to someone who couldn't possibly care as much as we do. Still though, I'm not ready to take on that responsibility myself. I don't have the knowledge or confidence yet. So my plan is to watch and learn and then maybe one day I'll take it over myself. Can't wait to see what comes next on your build.
 
Julieleek said:
I don't have the knowledge or confidence yet. So my plan is to watch and learn and then maybe one day I'll take it over myself.
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BUT Julie you DO have the knowledge! It is right here at TFP.

At least PLEASE get a test kit of your own. That way you can at least keep tabs on what is going on in your pool.

We can and will walk you through the tests. There are videos and all of those links I post above work for you as well.

I have even called people on the phone to help out to make sure they understood what and why.......

Kim
 
Julieleek said:
I agree with you APAPAZ2, about the lighter finish contrasting too much. As you know we went with the white plaster and while I don't regret it at all, I can see how a darker color would have worked better with our other design choices such as the dark blue waterline tile we chose. Maybe when it's time to replace the plaster we'll be ready to try pebble but right now this is what we wanted.

I wanted to commend you for doing your maintenance yourself (and the pool build for that matter!). We just hired a company to do our weekly service but I feel exactly the way you do about handing off the responsibility of protecting our investment to someone who couldn't possibly care as much as we do. Still though, I'm not ready to take on that responsibility myself. I don't have the knowledge or confidence yet. So my plan is to watch and learn and then maybe one day I'll take it over myself. Can't wait to see what comes next on your build.
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Julie, I felt the same as you about the maintenance, but two things put me over the top. One was finding this site, but that wasn't enough. The second thing was talking to my neighbor, who has been doing their own maintenance for years. I have been in their pool, and it has always felt great, so that really put my mind at ease.
 
Kim - Could you please be a little less helpful please. You're making my comments seems even less insightful then they already are.
 
BTW - you'll be a pro at testing in no time. Kim won't let you fail. And it's fun as long as you have the Magneto-Stir.
 
Okay, not sure if I should start a new thread for this or not, but my pebble is being installed tomorrow, so I decided to sample my tap water to see what I am dealing with. My first test came out like this: PH 7.9, CH 80 PPM, TA 100 PPM. This all the testing I did so far. Anything out of the ordinary with these readings?

Also, I looked through the pool school for the start up, but did not see the situation that my installer is going to use. Basically, he told me that the mini-pebble will be installed on Thursday, and then they will do an acid wash on Friday, and only after they do the acid wash can I start filling the pool. I see the acid start-up in pool school, which says to add 3 1/2 gallons of acid per 10,000 gallons, but does this take into account that an acid wash was already done prior to water being added to the pool?

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bmoreswim said:
BTW - you'll be a pro at testing in no time. Kim won't let you fail. And it's fun as long as you have the Magneto-Stir.
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Magneto-stir huh? I will have to look into that. I used to live in Maryland, not many own a pool in that neck of the woods. Congrats on the build!
 
Pool School - Start-up New Plaster

I am guessing you are looking at the Acid Start up when you say "add 3 1/2 gals acid...."

Look under that for the next one "Traditional Start-up".............that is what your builder seems to be doing. MUCH faster way to start and pool and be able to swim in it right away.

Lots of brushing in your future! Get your shoulders ready!

Kim

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Pool School - Recommended Levels

Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals

Here are two links that should be printed out and put near your test kit. They will help guide you on what is needed.

Oh and here is the Pool Math link! It does all of the work for you! Make sure to change the place at the bottom to "using Trouble Free Pool"

http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html
 

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