OB in Gilbert, AZ - Pool Rookie starting out

[travis.j.berry]

4/24/18 - Electric 1, Notching Steel, and Modifying Plumbing for Sheers

Initial electric installation was great, and the electrician was a helluva a great guy, very helpful. If anyone in the Phoenix metro area needs an electrician, I'd recommend Chris from Milligan Electric to anyone in a second.

Again with the columns. Two frustration points.
1) Electric needs to finish out within 2-3 inches of the finished gas line, both in the center of the column for the fire bowl bracket to seat correctly. But there's no way to know where that is yet. Ugh. So we've got some loose conduit in the meantime.
2) We decided to change from Scuppers to Sheers on the columns some time after Plans but before Dig, and just never had plans adjusted. What that meant though is the steel was installed without the notching for sheers, and the plumbing was installed for scuppers. So both had to be modified. Yes, this one's 100% on me. Still frustrating.

Plumbing modified and steel notched for sheers:

 

[kimkats]

LOL on the kids! I say go for the mud pit idea! Just make sure they are in throw away clothes!!!

I see where the diggers signed the pool. SO neat when there is pride in work!

The valves by the inground system.........will there be something you can open/close to access them?

Your guy sure did think outside the box for that equipment pad! You will love having the pics to show you where everything is just in case down the road!

Glad to see the "mistakes" were easy to fix. At least you caught it BEFORE the gunite was put in!!!

Kim

 

[riley00dog]

You are forgiven for not posting since you have more than made up for it with these photos! They are great!

 

[travis.j.berry]

The valves by the inground system.........will there be something you can open/close to access them?

Yes, I'll be hiding the manifold with one of those fake ricks used for above ground back-flow preventers, and the valves will go in a couple of standard sprinkler valve boxes. Definitely want to have easy access to them once the area is backfilled.

 

[travis.j.berry]

4/25/18 - Pre-gunnite and Gas Inspection

The inspector walked me through what he was looking at and was a generally nice guy. He looked at the electrical for proper bonding, measured water and gas pipe depths, took a lap or two around, measured my RBB wall clearance, and was done. Nothing was called, no comments, I can't complain. Sorry, no pics, not very exciting!

 

[travis.j.berry]

5/3/18 - Shotcrete Day

It feels like it's all make or break right here, and I was incredibly anxious about the columns. Again, gas and electric need to finish together close in "some kind of channel" that I assume the shotcrete guys will know how to do... along with the forming around the steel sheer notches and allowing enough exposed plumbing to tie in later. Adding to it all, my once perfect forms are falling down over time with the other subs, and the hole just isn't as perfect as it once was. My concerns there were somewhat eased when I saw what a thorough job this crew did re-setting elevations, stringing out all the walls and geometry with wire, etc, etc.

Despite this, I don't think I left the window or yard for the entire job. Fascinating to watch, both the application process and the coordination among the crew.

Channels!

 

[travis.j.berry]

5/5/18 - Watering and Waterline

The next few days was watering concrete, getting a head start on the summer tan, and Waterline Tile...

 

[travis.j.berry]

5/11/18 - Coping and Deck 1

All these contractors are just so darn busy this year and in general, scheduling has been tough. After finally getting scheduling worked out with my coping/deck/stone contractor, we're starting on the pretty stuff...

The coping and deck were mostly complete after 2 days. A couple minor materials shortages... still missing 12x12 square coping corners, and the correct color 6x12's for edging.... to finish, and the stone of course.

 

[travis.j.berry]

5/14/18 - Columns and Key Valves and Sheers, Oh My!


Yeah, the columns again. Electrician came to modify his conduit run , and plumber came to set the gas key valves and sheers (no good pics). The RBB wall caps, columns, and stone were are all set to be finished out next weekend... we'll see how this goes......................


For now, it's ugly, and I'm worried.

 

[travis.j.berry]

5/19/18 - Coping, Deck, & Stone 2


With all the missing materials in hand, and the sheers and key valves set, we're ready to finish the hardscaping. Moment of truth...

.. the columns start to come together!

 

[kimkats]

did you heart slow down when you saw the care they were using?? They even had a level out to make sure!!! SCORE! You picked a good crew there!!

That all looks awesome! I would love a closer look at the waterline tile please. What is it's name? I have not seen that color!

Kim

 

[Sambo888]

That look awesome and love the pictures and your layout. Would you be able to share who you used for your waterline tile install? I am trying to figure out mine and get it scheduled as well and as you said these guys are super busy at this time of year.

 

[Don_TLR]

Looks great and going to use similar tile, where did you get it?

 

[Gorilla]

4/24/18 - Electric 1, Notching Steel, and Modifying Plumbing for Sheers

Initial electric installation was great, and the electrician was a helluva a great guy, very helpful. If anyone in the Phoenix metro area needs an electrician, I'd recommend Chris from Milligan Electric to anyone in a second.

Again with the columns. Two frustration points.
1) Electric needs to finish out within 2-3 inches of the finished gas line, both in the center of the column for the fire bowl bracket to seat correctly. But there's no way to know where that is yet. Ugh. So we've got some loose conduit in the meantime.
2) We decided to change from Scuppers to Sheers on the columns some time after Plans but before Dig, and just never had plans adjusted. What that meant though is the steel was installed without the notching for sheers, and the plumbing was installed for scuppers. So both had to be modified. Yes, this one's 100% on me. Still frustrating.

Plumbing modified and steel notched for sheers:

Wish I had a fill line installed! There was not going to be an easy way to put one in due to my existing patio but I think this is an awesome feature to have. I'll be lugging around the hose all the time.

 

[LeighHop]

Love the way your tile pops with the desert landscape. You are going to give your neighbor a run for their money on nicest pool in the neighborhood.

 

[travis.j.berry]

Tile is NWAO653 from Noble Tile

 

[travis.j.berry]

5/21/18 to 5/23/18 - Cleanup, Accent Tile, Headset

Wow what a difference cleanup makes. I wasnt expecting them to backfill my entire trunkline trench, but they knocked it out.

Headset is, well, headset. Not very exciting.

For accent tile, we just lined each "edge" with a double row. The hiccups continue... in order to do so, out tile installer recommended we have two of our in-floor heads moved to clear the tile. This would mean cutting the cured shotcrete, moving plumbing, and re-filling with shotcrete. No way... not only does that make me cringe from a structural standpoint, but from a scheduling standpoint... I'm ready to be done and swimming! We chose to cut the tile to fit (see above photo). My wife was worried but in the end, we're happy with it... there's so much splashing going on, we cant see it anyway!

Feels like we're getting close...

 

[travis.j.berry]

5/25/18 - Final Inspection

I took the day off of work to make sure I was here for Final. I wanted to be ready to answer any questions, to make sure the inspector was enforcing the codes appropriately, and defend whatever I might need to defend........


Inspector pulls up in his truck, leaves it running. :silent:

Checks the electrical panel (20 seconds)
Checks that the RV gate is self closing as he's walking thru it (2 seconds)
Checks clearances to party walls (30 seconds)
Checks gas key valves (20 seconds)
Checks equipment pad and J-boxes (30 seconds)

"You Pass!"


.....I'm not going to complain.

 

[travis.j.berry]

5/29/18 to 5/30/18 - Interior Finish and Acid Wash

We went back and forth a lot about interior finish brand and color. We wanted a light "aquamarine" color, and not something too blue. We had initially chosen Wet Edge Kaleidoscope, until we were quoted a price... Once sticker shock wore off, we got some quotes on other color tiers, and on Pebble Sheen colors. In the end it was between Pebble Sheen Aqua Blue or Pebble Sheen Irish Mist. Our finishing company has a facebook page where they semi-regularly post pictures and videos of their work, and the clincher was a video they posted of a a pool finished in the Irish Mist... exactly what we were looking for. Irish Mist it is...

Work was completed the morning of 5/29, acid wash 5/30.

Going in, it looked really green and we were nervous... turns out that's the "cream", and in the end once that's all removed and acid washed away, we got exactly what we were looking for.


Start-up, here we come!

 

[riley00dog]

Wow! It looks fantastic! Your water colour is going to be amazing and blend well with your waterline tiles.