Planning Almost Complete (Ohio) Feedback Welcome

[daytonflyer53]

Its been several years in the making but we appear to be on track to contract soon based on some design modifications that let us work to pricing within our budget for all aspects of the project (pool, landscaping and pool house). It will be our first home with a pool so I'd love some feedback from those with much more experience and insight into the design and construction timing.

A few of the most recent changes to the design to hit budget include:
-Removal of the retaining wall at North end of pool area. As part of this change the fence will move to perimeter of yard.
-Change from bluestone to buff wash concrete on patio and pool deck areas
-Eliminated step area on South side of pool. Whole pool deck will be at 98.25 elevation. We felt this also allows for more deck space on that end of the pool and allows us to move to 30' in length. Pool will be concrete with depth of 7' with auto cover. We are considering a baja shelf in the shallow end with steps to the side.

In addition to any design consideration I'd also like peoples opinion on construction start in winter. We are located in central Ohio so the weather can certainly be below freezing for extended period of time throughout the winter. One PB mentioned using concrete blankets to insulate the ground until excavation can start around January weather dependent. While we'd love to be swimming in late summer 2020, I don't want to compromise quality if in fact winter installs are more prone to problems.

Thank you everyone

 

[l1ltaral1l]

Wow, what a plan!

What would you like to use your pool and yard for? Adults? Kids? Both?

Always hard to tell without being there - but will you be able to see the pool from the inside the house? That may or may be a concern for you - but something I thought about immediately.

It's going to be an awesome transformation!

 

[daytonflyer53]

What would you like to use your pool and yard for? Adults? Kids? Both?

Good question, we have 3 kids, ages 6-9, so ideally it would be for both kids and adults.

 

[jimmythegreek]

Hard to tell by elevations and the drawing how you are gonna deal with the grade close to house and patio. If you scrap the steps you have 1.5 grade drop up close and 4 at the rear of lot. My personal pool is a 14x30 and its OK but width is easy to gain in your case. I would add 2 ft at least and widen it.... 18 would be better yet overall and adds little to the cost. The house is very nice I'm a detail builder I love to see continuous flow with siding, trim, your veneer stone carried all the way around, it all goes nicely 2gether. Skimp where it doesn't matter like the rear wall. You wont see it use the cheapest wall block or a poured in place wall no veneer save some bucks. You can also rough in the kitchen and add it all next year or later you wont make a mess doing things like that

 

[Neto]

Are you going to get a heater? if not I highly recommend it....

 

[l1ltaral1l]

@kimkats
@bmoreswim

I feel like they always have amazing POV's when building!

 

[daytonflyer53]

Are you going to get a heater? if not I highly recommend it....

Yes, we'll definitely be including a heater to maximize usage.

My personal pool is a 14x30 and its OK but width is easy to gain in your case. I would add 2 ft at least and widen it.... 18 would be better yet overall and adds little to the cost.

I like this idea, with the elimination of the retaining wall we'd also have some room to add length along the north side before hitting the 25' no build zone off the back property line. I'd imagine we could easily get to 16' x 32'.

 

[l1ltaral1l]

I agree with maximizing the pool itself - especially with younger kiddos. I am already wishing we went bigger - and that was after just one day of swimming with my husband and son in the pool!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

You won't regret getting that autocover! It is such a weight off my mind when I can close the pool and not fear anyone is accidentally falling in, or using the pool while we are on vacation, etc. I wish they didn't cost so much, but would happily pay it to avoid having a child injured or....?

Your plans look good Please keep us up to date as things progress.

Maddie

 

[kimkats]

I LOVE that you are planning with the end in mind! That will help make sure everything fits and works together!

What depths are your thinking? I see the 7' deep but what about the shallow? I say 4' for the shallow end so the slope to the 7' will not be a sharp.

Talk to us about the equipment. We can look it over to make sure it is big enough and right for your pool!

Kim

 

[bmoreswim]

I like the attention to detail for the full yard plan. I don't have any large-scale comments. You will have a fair amount of shade in the pm from your pool house so I'd expect you may need heating even in the summer, to maintain 85 degrees. Depending of course on the weather.

You don't have an ideal location for pool lights since you will have primary seating viewing areas on three sides of your pool and the one remaining wall will be a ledge and steps. I might recommend going with 4 to 6 of the nicheless lights, two offset on each side, with one each on steps and ledge areas. Make sure the cover pit has a 4" drain that daylights all the way at the back of your property at the lower side. I'm presuming the ground for all of your neighbors is formed so that a "V" drainage area is formed along the rear borders and head in one direction.

Will you plan to use your autocover as a winter cover or install a separate winter safety cover. We have the latter. There are pros and cons to each. Your builder can share local experience. I personally like not stressing the autocover during the winter, meaning less UV exposure and no need for a cover pump. I have a dense mesh safety cover. Keep the outside corner of your baja shelf very rounded/soft or even with an 8" radius. The will decrease the stress on whichever cover you use for the winter.

I'd recommend keeping coping as bluestone even as you've moved to concrete for the deck. Agree on the thickness and surface finish. I'd recommend 1 3/4" - 2" thickness with a thermal finish. Then you can also use bluestone for table tops, accents, around the firepit, etc.

If you have any preview diagrams or whatever they are called, it'd be great to see them. It's a little hard to fully appreciate how all of the elements come together with the plan.

Regarding winter construction, all I can say is that in MD, they dug our pool on Valentine's Day. The ground wasn't deeply frozen. And it was shot a few days or a week later at 27 degrees throughout the shoot. Not optimal but we had no long term adverse effects (that I know of). One PB we talked to was planning to tent the area and work earlier, even doing tile, etc. under a heated tent as needed. We didn't go with him though.

Best of luck with the project and ask away.

 

[daytonflyer53]

I LOVE that you are planning with the end in mind! That will help make sure everything fits and works together!

What depths are your thinking? I see the 7' deep but what about the shallow? I say 4' for the shallow end so the slope to the 7' will not be a sharp.

Talk to us about the equipment. We can look it over to make sure it is big enough and right for your pool!

Kim

We’ve got some small kids so may go with 3.5’ shallow depth to keep them above water.

I received equipment details from contractor and would appreciate any feedback.

Cartridge filter: Waterway proclean plus
Chlorine generator: Hayward goldline aquarite salt chlorination system
Pump: Pentair whisperflo 1hp
Heater: Hayward universal h-series 250k

Thanks

 

[kimkats]

I am sorry to that is not enough info. There are different sizes of all of that equipment. We need model numbers please.

Remember your kids are going to grow so.... plan with that in mind.

 

[jimmythegreek]

If you are going to use Hayward go with an aquaplus system it comes bundled with a salt cell and a pl plus automation panel. Not much more and will automate everything. Then change the pump to a VS tristar so it works with automation and use a brand name filter like a hayward sqimclear and hey biggest you can like 500 sqft you will only clean it once a year

 

[daytonflyer53]

We’ve finalized our plan and I’ve attached updated copies as well as some of the pool dimensions and engineering along with equipment list. Is it common for the sides to slope in as shown on the plan once the pool depth starts increasing from the base 4’ depth? It seems like we lose some usability along the perimeter walls with that slope. The entire shell will be cast concrete with 4000 psi concrete, 12” thick walls with #5 rebar 12” on center throughout.

Equipment
2 LED lights (Hayward LPCUN11100)
1 250k heater (Hayward H250FDN)
1 cartridge filter (Hayward C150S)
1 salt water system (Hayward AQR925)
1 filtration pump (Hayward SP2670007X10)
Coverstar auto cover

 

[kimkats]

??? That almost looks like a vinyl pool design with those slopes..............Hummmmmmm Let me call in someone that knows this kind of stuff better than I do @bdavis466

Kim

 

[jimmythegreek]

Is this going to be a liner pool? Looks like it is being formed like a concrete wall liner pool. I would upgrade the filter it's way small also get a aquaplus combo so you have automation and it wouldnt hurt to go to a better pump like a VS tristar. Those are builder basic equipment

 

[daytonflyer53]

Thanks for the suggestions on equipment, I’ll look further into those. Any particular models for filter and aquaplus you’d recommend? The pool is specified to be cast in place concrete with Diamond Brite plaster.

 

[kimkats]

If it is to be a plaster pool then the sides do not need to be sloped in like that.