Northlake, TX New Pool Build

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Wow how did I miss this build?? I love it and I am so glad you went with the free form bc when I saw option 2 of the rectangle one I was like free form free form! And I love the black 3 board fence ans wide open spaces. Make sure you leave room back there behind the pool for some ponies as those little girls get bigger! ;)

Did I miss it or have you picked out your tile and what not?
 
ShantellyLace - thanks for the comps on the pool. No ponies allowed due to HOA rules but there are plenty of horses and the immediate area so all good there. We just decided on tile this weekend. I see a lot of blue or some version of it on most builds but we went in a different direction. Hoping the one we picked will compliment the flagstone...
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Oh, oh, oh! Am I beginning to see a ranch theme? Or a touch? If so, I have a hill country build in mind - can send you the link if you are interested.

The picture of the tile, etc looks perfect. I can just picture your sunsets behind it. Great job!

Btw, the Texas Mountain Laurel would be perfect! Let me know if you get serious about my favorite tree. I have some suggestions for it before buying and planting.
 
ShantellyLace - I agree horses would be awesome but we only have just over an acre. Not to mention raising these two grandkids has enough challenges but well worth it. Rustic is a good term for our project without being too country...

Suz - good morning to ya. Plz do send any and all links. As for the TML once I saw yours I thought it would be perfect to add some color. My first thought was to put 2 different but colorful trees (small/dwarf type) as bookends behind the pool. I look forward to your suggestions on buying and planting.

Oh I did take a good look at bmoreswim's colorful pics and really like some of it. I can't wait to get further along on the pool so I can really focus on the trees, plants and so on....
 
ctrav said:
Suz - good morning to ya. Plz do send any and all links. As for the TML once I saw yours I thought it would be perfect to add some color. My first thought was to put 2 different but colorful trees (small/dwarf type) as bookends behind the pool. I look forward to your suggestions on buying and planting.
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The Texas Mountain Laurel can be expensive. The one I have was listed on my landscape contract as a "6ft specimen" for $600. Yep. That's how much I wanted it. I had priced them at local nurseries for about $200 but for them to guarantee them, it would be another $200 for the nursery to plant it. In my younger days, I would have planted it myself (with some help, well.... a lot of free help). At the time of landscaping, I was using 2 canes and sometimes a walker. I was exhausted of the whole pool building process - 6 months from date of contract. Plus I had wanted a Mountain Laurel for 60 years!!! So I got it!!!! Have you ever smelled the flowers in spring? They are better than wisteria. The best I can describe the scent is grape kool-aid. At my age, it was worth getting the largest one the landscaper could find, because they're known to grow only about 1 inch a year. I don't have time to wait for it to be big enough to bloom.

My advice about planting is this.... Since 6ft isn't even that big of a tree, I wanted it in a raised bed to make it appear taller. That's really all I had to say about planting it. I didn't do it myself, so I left that up to the landscapers. The tree has been very happy here (I think my mom is smiling down on it). It gets early morning shade until the sun is just above the neighbor's pine trees, about noon. Then full sun until about an hour before sunset. For the Houston area and maybe yours too, considering this spring, I think it loves the raised bed. It is native to the Hill Country, and you often see them around the mesquites. So I'm afraid it wouldn't be too happy with our rains and flash floods we often get here without the raised bed. You have enough open space that you might not need a raised bed for the drainage. Just make sure the rain water doesn't sit on the ground there. In my little yard, rain just sits everywhere or floods going up!

I found the link to the hill country build, and it may be too rustic (I saw you mentioned not wanting too rustic). Still, I think it's worth a look for maybe some smaller touches or details that might spur on some ideas. One of my personal favorites is their swing bed. That could be styled to fit any theme. She has some great perennials. If you see some you like and need identified, let me know. Her landscaping is very different from Bmore's, but you can always combine elements. When I'm avoiding housework, I'll noodle around and look for some others - especially when I have a better idea what you like. As you said, your focus is on the pool build now - you've got plenty of time.
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Suz - Wow the TML is expensive but what a great choice. Smells like grape Kool-Aid, who doesn't like that! Does it attract bees at all? I just looked through the link provided and it is one of the best builds I have seen. I really like the landscaping! I will be referring back to this often...thanks so much for taking the time to share this with me. I hope your health is much better and you are enjoying your pool to the max...
 
Is this normal? I know its just the gunite stage and it rained fairly heavy 2 days ago but no work and this water is starting to smell. Should I be concerned with the discoloration?? Thanks all...
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No worries! My pool filled about halfway twice (drained once, work continued, more rains, drained again!) It's definitely from the rains. I don't know anything about your ground water levels, but with all the rains ya'll have had this spring, that level could be up and seeping up from the bottom under the pool. With that much water, maybe not. That's ok, too. Your PB put holes deliberately in the bottom of the gunite (will be filled in at plaster time) so if ground water rises, it has a place to go. Otherwise, the ground water could float up (or pop up) your pool.

For the smell, you can toss some jugs of plain WalMart bleach in. I'm not sure how much will be needed to get rid of the smell. Start with 2 and add more as needed. Many people (me included) just leave it for the PB or workers to drain - they see that as their job. A few pool owners hate it so much, they get a pump and pump it out. I didn't because I had too many happy frogs in there, and I'm lazy.

It was a little scary for me at first, but it's all good! Let me know if you have more questions. Others will be along with other thoughts.

Suz
 

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What Suz said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I will throw out the big word for what you are seeing: Efflorescence - Wikipedia

It is very normal and nothing to worry about BUT understand why you would if you have not seen any other builds before. I am SO glad you asked so we can help reassure you all is good.

Do you have any idea how long it will be before they do the next work? If it will be a while you might want to call them out to drain because of mosquito.

:hug: we got ya!

Kim:kim: THANKS SUZ!!!!!
 
Suz/Kim - thanks for the reassurance! I have seen water in lots of other pools on the forums but the discoloration worried me. Because of y'all I can explain to wife and sleep better....after I get bleach and call PB...Big THANKS again!!!
 
Here's a pretty picture... That's in the shallow end, so it was pretty high in the deep end. If you zoom in, you can see on my pool wall the discoloration from efflorescense, rust, and general crud. I hoped my PB/workers would scrub it off, but they didn't. Now I chuckle at myself about that. I didn't think about the crud coming back if we had heavy rains again (which we did). We did power wash it all off the night before plaster. The guy who came out to pre-check the pool for the plaster company, said the plaster prep crew would power wash or scrape it, but he said those guys aren't as thorough about it as he would be for his pool.

If mosquitoes get bad, you can drop in those mosquito dunks (like big tablets). I think the bleach should take care of them.

 
It's all normal. New to you, of course. There is nothing happening to your pool that your PB hasn't seen a hundred or more times before. Trust your builder they know how to build your pool, unless this is their first one. :) And they are responsible for your warranty so they will not deliberately do anything to jeopardize that.
 
Thanks pooldv...just wanted the opinion of TFP...

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wow Suz...just goes to show that a person can drive themselves crazy if given the slightest chance :)
 
ctrav said:
wow Suz...just goes to show that a person can drive themselves crazy if given the slightest chance :)
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Ha! This much money to build a pool! You better believe I wanted (and still do) to know everything I didn't understand that even looked like trouble!! When I think about that, I CANNOT believe how people manage to build and own a pool without this site. So much about a pool can't be changed later - best to be sure of your decisions and keep an eye on every step!!

Remember, every question you ask, helps someone else down the road. I applaud all the mods, experts, and guides who never tire of answering the same questions and supporting the same worries over and over!!! It's important stuff!!!
 

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