New Pool Build - Marin, CA - Finished

[santacruzpool]

Those are 2 new pool items I have never seen - pretty modern and amazing.

Do you know how many of these have been installed in the USA - or in the Northern California area?

The reason I ask is that I sure would be leery of being one of the first people to have either one of these systems. I have a hard enough time finding techs that can do proper repairs to the simple stuff like the SWG or fix errors in our automation or even replace LED Lights...Once I finally got hooked up directly with the west coast Jandy Zodiac sales rep I was finally able to get our simple failures and other issues with our very basic Jandy stuff solved. Your two items are on a whole different level.

I have yet to find someone competent to even work on our standard vinyl safety cover - the original company from Petaluma went out of business, and the "local" repair guy isn't contactable - so I just keep doing the work on it myself and hoping I can keep up with it.

- - - Updated - - -

With regards to Kim's comments about algae in the cover area, I would guess a return could be placed inside that area to keep water flowing - or maybe combine that area with a linear drain of some sort.

My pool feels so 20th century!

 

[kimkats]

OH that would be a good idea! A small return on one end with a small main drain kind of thing on the other end!

I also agree with making sure there is someone that can fix/work on the new stuff. I will tell you we do our best to NOT buy a "first generation" item. Be it a car, tool, system, etc. Let someone else take the hit of them finding out it needs an update once it hits real world use.

Kim

 

[PoolguyinCT]

That is a direct competitor with Grando covers..
They have been around for decades, better installers plan for water exchange/circulation.

They are not ansi recognized as safety covers.

They are very cool toys.

 

[kernul]

Hey Kim & others - thanks so much for the great insight and valuable advice. I really appreciate it!

On the Aquamatic cover and the Fancy Fence (raising/lowering glass fence), I totally agree that there is significant risk on it breaking / getting fixed / new tech issues. I walk in eyes wide open there.

On the glass fence, we have a unique location where sometimes it will be very windy and other times not. We wanted to have a fence that wouldn't block the views on the good days but that we could raise on the windy days.

On the pool cover, having the Aquamatic submerged cover allowed us to have a double infiniti edge and still keep out the leaves from the pool and conserve heat. We'll use the fence as the safety cover.

# of Bubblers: Good feedback Kim on the amount of bubblers I feel like I have been at hotels where they had a sun shelf that had 6-7 bubblers but maybe that is too many.

# of Lights: More good feedback Kim! I'm hoping to use more lights to get us an even coverage but they would be smaller and ideally even dimmable so that we adjust the lighting.

Wall up lighting: My wife asked me the same thing ... "What does that mean?" Sorry I wasn't clear there, I was referring to lighting up the wall where the water was pouring down from the infiniti pool Basically a little accent lighting.

Circulation/Water exchange in pool cover vault: GREAT POINT! So glad you guys brought that up. I already called that out to our pool designer as that would be a nightmare. Hopefully we can put the right returns in there to get good circulation.

 

[kimkats]

Do you have the "up lights" picked out? If so please share which ones you are going to use. I always have a hard time finding them. I think they are THE thing for waterfalls and overflows just like you have.

For cover box don't forget some kind of drain along with the return. That will push water in and remove it.

Kim

 

[YippeeSkippy]

On the pool cover, having the Aquamatic submerged cover allowed us to have a double infiniti edge and still keep out the leaves from the pool and conserve heat. We'll use the fence as the safety cover.

Get a GOOD leaf blower and be prepared to blow it off each time you open, as *anything* on that type of cover will end up in the pool.

Maddie

 

[kernul]

Great point Maddie! Will do.

 

[kernul]

After a long period of design reviews and getting the permit, construction has finally started! :dj: All I have are "dirt" pictures so far but will update as the build progresses.

Included below are pics of the site as well as the final version of the pool plans/layout. Feel free to comment if you think we missed anything.

Pool design has a number of different heights for the in-pool benches as well as the spa. There is a grotto in the top left corner which will have a waterfall coming down from it. The spa will pour into the pool which sits about two feet lower. Both the spa and the pool will have infiniti edges on the bottom and left sides.

 

[kernul]

Here's a pic from the other side to help give a little better perspective on where the pool will be. It's on a pretty steep site. The spa will be adjacent to the home.

 

[kimkats]

Oh I like it all!!!

You are going to have starlight inside the grotto??? Oh my is that ever going to be pretty!!! THEN the magic waterfall lights as well. SIGH.........how pretty that will be to look at and enjoy!

So what is the triangle area with the square in it at the top right by the the spa? The plans make look like it might be one of the covers but I think I see a cover for the pool by the spa and the spa on the other side of that.

How many umbrella holes do you have on the shelf? One is marked but thinking the other dots are also holes. That will really help you move it where you want it at any time of the day.

When do you fore see them breaking ground? Will they do the retaining walls first?

Kim

 

[bmoreswim]

It's on a pretty steep site.

And King Kong was pretty big. I look forward to seeing the engineering on display throughout this build.

 

[kernul]

>So what is the triangle area with the square in it at the top right by the the spa?
That is an underground equipment vault that will house the motor for the automated covers. The covers are actually housed under the pool and spa and will come out and essentially float on top of both of them.

>How many umbrella holes do you have on the shelf? One is marked but thinking the other dots are also holes. That will really help you move it where you want it at any time of the day.
I put in three umbrella holes on the shelf. They are all on the left hand side of the shelf because that side will help block the prevailing sun for later afternoon. I wanted to have some flexibility with the holes to help block the sun depending on what time of the day it was.

>When do you fore see them breaking ground? Will they do the retaining walls first?
The process has started although the excavation has already happened. The previous owners were going to put in a pool, excavated but never finished. Retaining walls will go in first although there will be lots of piers drilled into the ground to support the pool. Lots and lots of piers

 

[RoyR]

And King Kong was pretty big. I look forward to seeing the engineering on display throughout this build.

Me too....looks like a challenge, from getting that pool to go to the store!

 

[kimkats]

That all makes sense! Good job thinking it all through and planning for the future.

Any idea why they did not finish? Is it saving you any money with them having started it already?

Kim

 

[kernul]

I think they had to move for personal reasons, wasn't related to the pool. Saving maybe a little money on the excavation but a lot of the $$$ will go into the retaining walls for the steep site.

 

[kimkats]

And the piers! Well we all are winners that you bought the house and are letting us help you build that pool. I went back and read from the beginning! Plans sure did morph as we all worked on it!

Kim

 

[kernul]

Quick update. Digging. And more digging. Including pier holes down to bedrock.

I'm amazed they got the diggers even up there.

 

[kimkats]

HOW?? and how will they get it down??

Kim

 

[Don_TLR]

Wow that's quite the challenge to put a pool on that hill side,, its going to be sweet!

 

[kernul]

Re: 42x15, double infiniti edge w/views on steep hill - Marin, CA

Another quick update. They have been making nice progress on drilling the holes for all the piers (need to go down about 18'!). Rebar went in yesterday for the holes before the concrete gets poured in.