New Owner here... Probably way over our heads!

[carrieme]

Hello! This is my first post and I'm also a brand new first time pool owner. We purchased a foreclosure that's been sitting for a few years and so we are at the early stages of figuring out what used to be a beautiful natural pool (see attached). We have a lot of work ahead of us and of course are not planning to be able to use it this year but we'd like to have every buttoned up and ready for the beginning of the pool season next year! I am hoping for some friendly folks who are willing to share their knowledge and hold my hand a little. Thanks for having me!

So far we have just begun draining/cleaning the pool. The attached image shows the plug at the bottom pulled up and we are waiting for the ground water to level out. And why yes, that is a giant clam shell we discovered inside the pool once the water was drained. Next up is pressure testing the plumbing, inspecting (and most likely replacing) the pumps, filters, lights, etc. We do not have any history on pool maintenance with this property and so we are really investigating and finding everything out as we go. Is there anything else we should be looking for? I do have a pool company coming to do the pressure testing but so far he has not mentioned what comes after since there is a long road of figuring out what's what. However I'm hoping I can get a better understanding of the scope by asking the experienced members here.

PS: Any suggestions/recommendations for custom pool covers that can tuck under all these rocks? This is something we'll need to order and prepare for when we winterize this year...but I'm not really sure where to start, given the unique shape and all the rocks on this pool...

Thank you for your time!

 

[Dirk]

Hi and welcome to TFP. Wow, what a project. I sure hope you can bring it back to its former glory. That was something. Was it holding water? Hard to see in the pic. Is the surface cracked? Is that a root growing from a plant into a large crack in the pool? Yah, where to begin. I'm sure someone here will know... Good luck!

 

[Newdude]

Welcome to TFP is RIGHT !!! Thanks in advance for letting us gawk at your journey and folks will be lined up around the corner to help and ooooh and aaaaah.

I’m kinda afraid of the seagull that was big enough to drop that clamshell !!

 

[JJ_Tex]

Very cool. Are you sure it is a swimming pool and not an elaborate pond?

 

[Dirk]

Very cool. Are you sure it is a swimming pool and not an elaborate pond?

I had the same question. There's an underwater light, but no coping or edge tile. There's a pump and filter, so it has the makings of a pool. I think I can make out an abandoned drain cover (near the shell). I was curious about the finish, which is why I was asking about the cracks. Is there a plaster surface? Is that delaminating? Or are those cracks through-and-through. If a replaster is in order (seems like it), then what do you do about the above-water line portion? Add waterline tiles? That would spoil the effect. Plenty of folks go to great lengths to disguise their pools as ponds, using stone and rocks and other fakeries. Usually it is a weak illusion at best. I LOVE the fact that we can't tell which this is! Need popcorn for this show!

 

[anthonypool89]

Wow...someone spent some time and money getting that to look the way it did let alone maintaining it! Really beautiful. It'll be interesting to see what the pool company is able to determine once inspecting it. Cool project for sure!

 

[carrieme]

I had the same question. There's an underwater light, but no coping or edge tile. There's a pump and filter, so it has the makings of a pool. I think I can make out an abandoned drain cover (near the shell). I was curious about the finish, which is why I was asking about the cracks. Is there a plaster surface? Is that delaminating? Or are those cracks through-and-through. If a replaster is in order (seems like it), then what do you do about the above-water line portion? Add waterline tiles? That would spoil the effect. Plenty of folks go to great lengths to disguise their pools as ponds, using stone and rocks and other fakeries. Usually it is a weak illusion at best. I LOVE the fact that we can't tell which this is! Need popcorn for this show!

Hi! We thought the same but now we are pretty sure it's a pool . The pool guy came out and pressure tested all the lines and everything so far is in working order except for the skimmer where it looks like the pool owners dropped chlorine tablets directly into it and caused damage to the line. We will need to assess to see how much it will be to repair that.

As for the plaster, its definitely looking like we will need to replaster. There is cracking all along the edges. There seems to be only 2 lights in the pool which I was surprised by but there is a lot of landscaping lighting installed in the ground surrounding the pool so that may be why. We haven't even gotten to testing the outdoor lighting yet --lots of work ahead of us!

 

[Dirk]

Thanks for the update. We're all rooting for you and hope to live vicariously through the process. Keep the updates coming. And the pics. And of course we'll all help if we can.

Hey, if you can swim in it and keep it sanitized, then it's a pool!