Newbie saying "hi"

[RuralTexas]

Thanks in advance for everyone's past and future postings that will help me start the process of "redoing" my backyard. Currently my yard hosts a 30 year old fiberglass pool that has seen better days. Current plan is to take it out entirely and build a simple gunite rectangle pool in its place. I am considering the idea of an automatic pool cover due to the number of trees on the property, to keep the water cooler in the summer and keep wandering children out. Going for simple at this point, less decking, but will add some sort of pagoda on one end to balance things out. Haven't started taking bids yet, still roughing out my ideas.

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[SuzfromTexas]

Hey RuralTexas, welcome neighbor! You're in the right place for all the help you will need! I see this is your first post, so good job letting us know what your situation is. Wow! A thirty year old fiberglass pool probably has seen better days. This will definitely be a redo of your backyard - sounds like fun to me! I like your idea of an automatic pool cover. Hopefully others will chime in with their thoughts on their experience with pool covers for cooling and leaf protection. Sorry, I don't have one, so I can't speak to that.

When you have time, start a "build thread" in the "Under Construction" section of the forum. It's a great way to document your pool journey from the very beginning of the planning stage through taking that first cannonball into the newly filled cement pond! Keeping everything in one thread is also a good way to have all your questions and answers in one place, so it's easier to find down the road.

Let us know how we can help!!!

Take care,
Suz

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Howdy Rural, I'm Maddie, Ex-Texan.
Great first post, thanks for the deets. I can imagine this work quite well from your post.

One thing I'd like to comment on specifically is the autocover. In the summertime here in Georgia, when we pull the autocover back, the top foot of water is actually "hot tub hot" (quite nice feeling actually) but then the deep end is cool and refreshing. So don't mistakenly believe all the water will be kept cool thru use of the cover. Using any cover helps keep heated water warmer and avoid evaporation.

If you're going for a more shallow sports type pool you may want to look into using a pool cooler (the opposite run of a heat pump used for heating). Or simple fountains run at night which help cool the water down.

Whatever you decide- Welcome to TFP! You've found the right place for all things pool!

Maddie

 

[RuralTexas]

Thanks Texas Splash, I'm glad to see there are other fiberglass owners on the forum.

 

[RuralTexas]

Howdy Rural, I'm Maddie, Ex-Texan.
Great first post, thanks for the deets. I can imagine this work quite well from your post.

One thing I'd like to comment on specifically is the autocover. In the summertime here in Georgia, when we pull the autocover back, the top foot of water is actually "hot tub hot" (quite nice feeling actually) but then the deep end is cool and refreshing. So don't mistakenly believe all the water will be kept cool thru use of the cover. Using any cover helps keep heated water warmer and avoid evaporation.

If you're going for a more shallow sports type pool you may want to look into using a pool cooler (the opposite run of a heat pump used for heating). Or simple fountains run at night which help cool the water down.

Whatever you decide- Welcome to TFP! You've found the right place for all things pool!

Maddie

Hi Maddie, I am working out the bugs trying to figure out how to post, my apologies in the meantime. My current pool is hot tub warm in the summer without any sort of cover. Thanks for the input, I wonder if it would be hotter than my pool gets now in the summer? My current pool's deep end is only 6". Maybe if the future pool's autocover was open at night that would help?

 

[RuralTexas]

Hey RuralTexas, welcome neighbor! You're in the right place for all the help you will need! I see this is your first post, so good job letting us know what your situation is. Wow! A thirty year old fiberglass pool probably has seen better days. This will definitely be a redo of your backyard - sounds like fun to me! I like your idea of an automatic pool cover. Hopefully others will chime in with their thoughts on their experience with pool covers for cooling and leaf protection. Sorry, I don't have one, so I can't speak to that.

When you have time, start a "build thread" in the "Under Construction" section of the forum. It's a great way to document your pool journey from the very beginning of the planning stage through taking that first cannonball into the newly filled cement pond! Keeping everything in one thread is also a good way to have all your questions and answers in one place, so it's easier to find down the road.

Let us know how we can help!!!

Take care,
Suz

Gosh, thanks Suz, everyone is being so nice!

 

[kimkats]

Out with the old and in with the new!! I love it! I would love to see what you have now. Are you thinking of putting the new pool right where the old one is?

Look in Maddie's siggy. You will see a blue link called "skippy's new fountain". This is a fun way to cool water down. If you run it at night it will cool it down even more. Just know it will also push you pH up but that is very easy to take care of as you will find when you read this: Trouble Free Pool Now don't go buying all of this stuff as you may not need most of it.

Kim (happy to have a future build to spend their money on LOL)

 

[C3PO]

Could you describe the deterioration of your pool? It’s hard to find information on how fibreglass pools age over time. Your pool seems to have been manufactured in the 1990s or late 1980s and the technology back then was probably not as good as today’s fibreglass pool technology but still it would be great to hear a description of what time did to your pool.