New Pool Build Fort Worth TX

My husband reminded me last night that one of the reasons we chose to go with the UV and Ozone on top of the Saltwater was not only my sensitive skin, but because I have asthma and in our research adding in the UV and Ozone can help reduce the chlormines in the pool (which can trigger asthma attacks). Our PB actually didn't try to sell them to us, we requested information on them. We just figured if it helps even a little bit then it would be worth it :).

Our next door neighbor has a Saltwater pool (almost 10 years) and he's never had any problem with corrosion or issues with his deck/coping. We have known several people with SWG pools and have not heard anything but praise about them. And luckily, our PB seems to really like Saltwater pools and didn't mention any issues or downsides to it.

They started digging today and I will post pictures of the progress. I'm very excited and extremely nervous! I keep second guessing all of our decisions and hoping we are making the right ones.

Oh, and we would love to have a bigger deck as so many have mentioned. We did stay with a smaller deck in order to keep enough grass and running room for our 4 dogs (two of them are 100 pounds, so they need room to run :) )

I want to thank everyone for all of the comments and suggestions! Everyone has been fantastic on this site.
 
The sun acts on chloramines far better than a UV light that only works on the small fraction of water going over the fixture at that moment. Its a waste of money, and in actuality will cost you more money in the long run as it also works to degrade your chlorine.

A few folks have written in about their UV/Ozone systems being broken and they never knew it. That's how remarkable they are, LOL. Great for *indoor* pools that don't get the suns rays... waste of money in outdoor pools.

I'm sure your builder is thrilled to put them in for you. Cha-Ching.. lots of profit on them.

Maddie :flower:
 
After all of the reviews we have decided to forego the UV and Ozone. But it saves money for other stuff. Not going to lie, I’m sad about giving them up. But I’m onto a new dilemma. Our HOA doesn't allow a retaining wall, as all fences have to be uniform in height. And the slope of our lot means half our pool is underground and the other half is above. So we can see right in our neighbors yard. Help!!!

I will post pictures tomorrow. My phone isn’t playing nicely.
 
After all of the reviews we have decided to forego the UV and Ozone (so sad). But it saves money for other stuff. Not going to lie, I’m sad about giving them up. But I’m onto a new dilemma. Our HOA won’t allow a retaining wall. And the slope of our wall means half our pool is underground and the other half is above. So we can see right in our neighbors yard. Help!!!

I will post pictures tomorrow. My phone isn’t playing nicely.


Kim,

We are here to provide advice, not dictate what you can or cannot have in your pool... If you really want UV and Ozone, buy them.. it can't hurt to use them, we just don't believe that it will help either.

Your rendering makes it look like the back half of your pool was already out of the ground.. How was the retaining wall going to help?

When someone posts a pic showing their pool with a fantastic view in the background... I often reply that I also have an awesome view... of the side of my neighbor's house... :p

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Kim,

We are here to provide advice, not dictate what you can or cannot have in your pool... If you really want UV and Ozone, buy them.. it can't hurt to use them, we just don't believe that it will help either.

Your rendering makes it look like the back half of your pool was already out of the ground.. How was the retaining wall going to help?

When someone posts a pic showing their pool with a fantastic view in the background... I often reply that I also have an awesome view... of the side of my neighbor's house... :p

Thanks,

Jim R.

Hi Jim,

One idea my husband and I discussed was putting in a 4 foot high stone wall that we could add a fence on top of to compensate for the slope in our yard, but all fences are standard 6' high fences with no retaining walls. You just have to live with it if you buy a home with a sloped yard. And you are correct, the back half of our pool is already out of the ground due to the sloped yard. We just didn't realize how close to the top of the fence it would end up being. I'll post pictures of the construction in a little bit.

We are just going to put in some landscaping that will hopefully add some privacy. And your comment on the awesome view made me smile :D

It's funny, because your response to the UV and Ozone was almost exactly word for word what my husband said (if I want them even after the advice then we should get them because it couldn't hurt to use them). I had a moment of thinking he had hacked your account somehow :lol:
 
Picture time!!

Start of construction with all of our pool equipment boxes delivered

IMG_6601.jpg


BIG backhoe. It had an attachment that broke up all the rock they ran into.
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And we have a hole! My husband couldn't resist going into the pit. LOL
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This pic shows how high the back of the pool and spa will be compared to our back fence. This is why I was freaking out a teensy tinsy bit last night ;).
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This is our deck that will tie into the pool. We built the deck and gazebo last year.
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This is the deck looking the other direction (taken inside the gazebo)
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This is the water line tile we chose. I'm hoping it will match the Oklahoma Stone cap.

Pool Tile.jpg

WetEdge Satin Matrix in NorthShore Tahoe. Even though it is grey stone, it puts off an amazing blue color with water.
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My husband said the guys showed up at 7:00 this morning to start putting in rebar. So more pictures coming soon!
 
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Great pictures! I love the existing patio and water line tile choice. This is going to be a fun build to watch. We too have a little slope in our back yard and one PB suggested putting piers in. Going to get some second options (with one of them being your PB)
 
Great pictures! I love the existing patio and water line tile choice. This is going to be a fun build to watch. We too have a little slope in our back yard and one PB suggested putting piers in. Going to get some second options (with one of them being your PB)

Thank you Ginger! I think you will really like our PB, they are very professional and they are great at keeping you up to date on where things stand.
 
Hello Kimber1 - very nice pool design and love the current stone decking! If its not too late I would seriously consider the depth of 4' on shallow end. I'm just north of Fort Worth and we went with 4.5-5.5-4.5 and do not regret it at all since my pool temp is always in the 90's around swim time. This is our first build and the folks here are awesome. Keep reading as much as you can on TFP and get your TF-100 test kit, you will not regret it!
 
Really like your existing patio and gazebo! Yeah that's a little tall on the wall but I think some plantings that get your back screen up to 8-9' will help a lot. HOAs are such a double edge sword. They keep people from putting on purple roofs but then also drive you crazy when you're trying to do something sensible.
 

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Hello Kimber1 - very nice pool design and love the current stone decking! If its not too late I would seriously consider the depth of 4' on shallow end. I'm just north of Fort Worth and we went with 4.5-5.5-4.5 and do not regret it at all since my pool temp is always in the 90's around swim time. This is our first build and the folks here are awesome. Keep reading as much as you can on TFP and get your TF-100 test kit, you will not regret it!

Thank you! Actually, there is only going to be a small portion of the pool that will be 3.5 foot because of the tanning ledge. If you look at the first picture showing the rendering where the dog is laying on the deck it will actually start at 4' from there, the only place that will be 3.5' will be that little corner by the spa. We went with a traditional sloped pool going to 6' because our children (ages 17 - 23) love to cannon ball. Plus in the picture of our deck, you can see the fire pit and a stone bench around the fire pit. That will be very close to the edge of the pool, and we are pretty sure that someone (meaning my husband) will be using that as a jumping ledge.

I just ordered my TF-100 bundle kit and added on the Salt Water testing kit :)

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Really like your existing patio and gazebo! Yeah that's a little tall on the wall but I think some plantings that get your back screen up to 8-9' will help a lot. HOAs are such a double edge sword. They keep people from putting on purple roofs but then also drive you crazy when you're trying to do something sensible.

Thanks Mcow, we are really happy with how the patio and gazebo came out. Yes, we are looking at getting ideas for some plants that are pool friendly but will give us some height for privacy. If any one has suggestions for pool plants that are good for Fort Worth Texas heat (I think we are zone 8a), please feel free to chime in! We want to keep a native Texas landscape that is drought tolerant and can handle full sun.
 
Way to go...I has been off-line dealing with my sod issue and taking care of an inside project but you are off to a great start! Keep the pics coming and ask any and all questions as folks will respond. Check out the pool school tap at the top and start getting familiar...it will pay dividends in the end.

This is our very first pool and we love it! I'm no expert by any means but feel free to PM if there are any questions and I will make sure you get the best answer available...I have and still do this with a hand full of folks that have walked me thru sooooo much :)
 
We went with a traditional sloped pool going to 6' because our children (ages 17 - 23) love to cannon ball. Plus in the picture of our deck, you can see the fire pit and a stone bench around the fire pit. That will be very close to the edge of the pool, and we are pretty sure that someone (meaning my husband) will be using that as a jumping ledge.

LOL! So it's the oldest 'kid' you're worried about the most! I sure hope that firepit bench is going to be closer to the pool than it looks in your pool rendering.

Seriously, though, tell all your kids to be very careful doing cannonballs into the 6' end. (I'm tempted to say don't let them do it, but I know they probably wouldn't listen!) Tell them to definitely keep those legs tucked. My two thirty-something y-o sons (6'0" and 6'2") almost always touch bottom doing cannonballs from the coping into our 7' deep end.

And jumping from your firepit bench? I'll leave that up to the boss - Mom!

Congrats on the Big Dig and getting rolling on the pool! It's going to be awesome!

Suz
 
Way to go...I has been off-line dealing with my sod issue and taking care of an inside project but you are off to a great start! Keep the pics coming and ask any and all questions as folks will respond. Check out the pool school tap at the top and start getting familiar...it will pay dividends in the end.

This is our very first pool and we love it! I'm no expert by any means but feel free to PM if there are any questions and I will make sure you get the best answer available...I have and still do this with a hand full of folks that have walked me thru sooooo much :)

This is our first pool too, and reading some of the forums I am freaking out at all the information I need to know. But I see I am in very good hands on this forum and know that people will be with me every step of the way, which is a huge relief!

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LOL! So it's the oldest 'kid' you're worried about the most! I sure hope that firepit bench is going to be closer to the pool than it looks in your pool rendering.

Seriously, though, tell all your kids to be very careful doing cannonballs into the 6' end. (I'm tempted to say don't let them do it, but I know they probably wouldn't listen!) Tell them to definitely keep those legs tucked. My two thirty-something y-o sons (6'0" and 6'2") almost always touch bottom doing cannonballs from the coping into our 7' deep end.

And jumping from your firepit bench? I'll leave that up to the boss - Mom!

Congrats on the Big Dig and getting rolling on the pool! It's going to be awesome!

Suz

Yes, my oldest "kid" is the one I'm worried about, lol. I didn't even think of jumping off the ledge until he pointed it out last night! I'm worried about cannonballs and people diving and will try to minimize it, but kids just seem to love to cannonball, lol.

My husband said that they are planning to do the gunite on Monday. They were going to do it tomorrow, but with the heat it got delayed :mad:
 
My husband said that they are planning to do the gunite on Monday. They were going to do it tomorrow, but with the heat it got delayed :mad:

I know that's disappointing, but I'm impressed they are using good judgement. I wouldn't have believed this if someone had told me 2 years ago, but there really isn't a rush. You don't want your backyard stranded, but it will get done. And if you're like me, two years later you will hardly remember short delays. This heat does NOT make the waiting any easier, right?!!!

You've mentioned more than once how glad you are you found this site. That's so great, and thank you! I also want to thank you for becoming a Gold Supporter. That's awesome. I will say for the record, though, that one of my favorite things about TFP, is that everyone gets helped in the same way. Member, supporting member, or a frantic, drive-everyone-crazy-with-decisions, clueless newbie as I was - all given the same best help possible! And we have a little fun along the way, too.

So glad you're here!
Suz
 
Kimber1 have faith in your builder and keep the line of communication open with PB. It's your pool and you have to stay on top of things and ask questions when in doubt. We all want our pools done now but patience is the key along with flexibility, and did I mention communication :)
 
I know that's disappointing, but I'm impressed they are using good judgement. I wouldn't have believed this if someone had told me 2 years ago, but there really isn't a rush. You don't want your backyard stranded, but it will get done. And if you're like me, two years later you will hardly remember short delays. This heat does NOT make the waiting any easier, right?!!!

You've mentioned more than once how glad you are you found this site. That's so great, and thank you! I also want to thank you for becoming a Gold Supporter. That's awesome. I will say for the record, though, that one of my favorite things about TFP, is that everyone gets helped in the same way. Member, supporting member, or a frantic, drive-everyone-crazy-with-decisions, clueless newbie as I was - all given the same best help possible! And we have a little fun along the way, too.

So glad you're here!
Suz

LOL Suz, you're right, I know I need to be patient. And I even told my husband last night how impressed I was with the building crew to be out in the Texas heat ALL day doing construction! I was melting just being outside for 30 minutes. And today the heat index is crazy hot. That said, "knowing" it's better to be safe and let the crew wait until it cools down slightly, and "wanting" my pool built NOW are at war in my mind :hammer: lol.

And I love fun!

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Kim,

Thank You!!!!

I missed your "Gold Supporter" badge... It is people like you that make this site possible!!!

Thanks again.... :goodjob:

Jim R.

It's the least I can do for all of the knowledge, help, and camaraderie I am getting from this site!!

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Kimber1 have faith in your builder and keep the line of communication open with PB. It's your pool and you have to stay on top of things and ask questions when in doubt. We all want our pools done now but patience is the key along with flexibility, and did I mention communication :)

Yes... communication is key! We don't mind delays as long as they let us know. I've heard so many horror stories about PB's suddenly becoming unreachable. But I have complete faith in our choice and they have been super responsive to everything we have asked!!
 
Well looky here! Hi Kimber from Kimkats and my mini me :kim: I am a little late to the party but it looks like it is going to be a fun one!!! Thanks for letting us come along for the ride!

It really sounds like your PB is on top of things but I do have control issues sooooooooo I have a "job" for you. Go out and measure everything. Is it long,wide, deep,etc enough? Add about 6" for the gunite and plaster. NOW is the time to fix or tweak it if needed/wanted.

I am really hopeful someone can be there when they shot the gunite. A lot of times the crew will have an idea, question, or concern about something. It is better for you to make the decisions on what you want out of your pool.

:hug: Make sure ask all of your questions here so others can learn from you!

Kim:kim:
 
I missed this one too. And I'm always checking in these days.

very cool design! I like it!

oh man make sure u are there for the whole shoot! My wife is so glad she was home too. My builder also stayed onsite the whole day. I felt bad at times. These guys had 6 people staring at them all day but all of us was there to give onsite and answer questions they had. Having my builder there was huge cause some technical stuff for the steps came up that I would never had been able to answer. What was awesome for us was my builder's main detail guy (tile coping plumbing stuff like that) is Italian but als speaks fluent Spanish so we had a perfect line of communication.

deff be home for the shoot and if you can have the builder there even better in my eyes. Plus that is the most fun day of the build I think. Was so cool to watch. But I'm into that kinda stuff.

jim
 

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