Pool Build Finally Started - Bryan, TX (11/4/20)

[Sollace]

Going to keep this short and sweet -
September 25th Contract signed
November 3rd Dig started and finished
November 4th Rebar in the morning / Plumbing in the afternoon
November 5th Plumbing 'done' but will come back and do the outflow trench and other stuff. Electrician out. Trenches filled.
November 6th City Inspection
November 8th Gunite Inspection
Test Kit Ordered - Arrived in six days
November 16th Gunite poured -- Another pool build in the area and they are doing ours after!
Gas line dug by the plumbers - Encountered problems with another sprinkler line
November 17th Gunite crew and finishers arrived at 6:30AM and worked until around 3PM. Stairs and bench along with taking off some of the forms from yesterday's pour. All mess and scraps cleaned up and stacked in a pile.
November 18th One guy came today and pulled off the remaining forms. Watering beginning on the gunite. Plumbers back and running the pipe / gas line. Trenches still open for city inspection either today or tomorrow morning. Electrician out to install the pool light (which we never wanted, didn't have in the contract, but they insisted for safety so the pool builder is paying for it) Watering the pool pad, too.
Watering the gunite was five days, pool builder said to water twice a day for half an hour. Sometime around here the build manager had men come back and fill in the gas line trench. They said no more digging on that side yard.
November 23rd Two tiles guys came with the wrong tile. They set up shop, painted some blue green water sealer where the tile will go, and left. Thankfully I caught the mistake and spent time with the designer and our build manager to get the right tile. They made a special trip to Houston to bring back the right stuff.
November 24th and 25th -- Waterline tile and columns done, the day before Thanksgiving they did the tile on the top step and grouted.
December 4th - Decking rebar started - Maybe. It's super muddy due to off and on rain.
Okay, lost in the shuffle of December! We had one load of dirt delivered and needed another due to loss during the rain. The rebar was set down for the coping / decking.
December 29th Concrete poured - Column caps, decking and coping together. New larger pad poured after the gunite one was torn up and discarded. Plumbers set up the equipment on the pads but didn't hook them up. Some forms removed that day, some the next day.
January 4th - Electricians by.

----------------------------------------------------

Preliminary work was removing the sprinkler system in the back. Fencing to keep the dogs out of the build area.
Relocating some plants. All this was done by us -- Our landscaping contact ghosted after they installed a side gate.

Note on the design -- The first step is out of the water. It's completely covered with an unglazed Aqua Bella off white 2" tile. (Non-skid)
The gaps near the house are for drainage. Finish is primera stone wet edge Sky Blue Treasure. Tile pictured is Master Tile Isola Elba 6" (waterline) and Isola Sardinia 2" (Small columns)

 

[an1vrsy]

Good luck. The design works well with the space. It appears you saved by doing a lot of the pre work yourself. I’ll be watching your thread.

 

[Sollace]

So the dig today - The crew was from Katy. . . 1.5 hours away. Anyway, they showed up at 7AM.
Note: They haven't worked on the steps or finished the ledge. Yes that is solid clay.

 

[Nikilyn]

How exciting!

 

[spd500]

Looking good! Are you adding decking out to the end of the existing patio? We had a hard time keeping our 4 dogs out of the way during our build, but now that the pool is finished they love it

 

[Newdude]

*lots of well wishes*
Also..... YAY for progress !!!!

 

[Sollace]

Yes, decking (nothing fancy, just concrete) to the patio. We wanted room for the dogs to run around the pool and access the full yard. That plus a 7.5 set back from all fences. Set back from the house according to the pool depth. It limits the pool width. . .

So! Rebar today!

Curious about the steps. The dig left a ramp and now rebar over -- Is this right?
Okay. I was checking other builds on here. They put down the pvc piping first before the rebar?
Calling the PB and find out about these two questions. *sigh*

 

[spd500]

We also had to deal with the easements around the yard area and trying to leave plenty of room for the dogs to be dogs. Our dogs love the pool and the pool deck, it is just part of the landscape for them and they run all over it and climb on the raised back wall. We ended up adding to the deck at the last minute because the builder was going to have the decking crew pour a tiny little area that was more of a wide sidewalk than a pool deck, we are very happy that we caught that and had it expanded to a nice sized seating area.

The excavation crew left a ramp for the machine to get out of our pool at the tanning ledge, when they did the rebar they formed out the shape of the tanning ledge and the space underneath was filled with gunite when they shot it in.

Our rebar was in before the plumbing too, then the plumber came and stubbed out the plumbing after the rebar crew was finished. On ours they only did the stub-ins before the gunite and then did the long plumbing after gunite.

 

[Sollace]

spd500 I appreciate your information. Thank you!
I did the run around with getting a hold of the project manager. Apparently there is one project manager for the lay out and one for the build.
So stairs are formed with the gunite. Yes, you are right, the rebar can go before / with / after the plumbing. The project manager came out to the house and answered any questions. For some reason I missed the initial overview (probably that 7AM dealing with the dogs and not getting outside fast enough). I told the guy I could've asked the rebar workers but they didn't speak English.

Plumbers came and worked all this up in a few hours, starting around 2:40PM. The pool company has in house plumbers, so maybe that's why they jumped so quickly. Just as they came the electrical company called and they'll be out tomorrow. I'm told gunite is in short supply so there's a three week delay after all this.

 

[Jimmie48]

Technically the only plumbing that needs to be done prior to shooting it would be the short stub. Looks like they did a little more than that but either way you are good. I am confused tho why they wouldnt at least rebar the step frames somewhat. I know its not a structural thing but from what I remember they did at least rebar the steps for my build. I think you will be ok I just find it kind of odd. Keep them coming looking great!

 

[Sollace]

Yeah the steps confused me, too. Now the bench along one side is a clay ledge. ?? !! I went on youtube looking for answers and couldn't find what I wanted. I've read quite a few pool builds on this forum - Nothing about how the stairs are put in.
** For those that missed it on my last group of pictures. . . There is a tall ladder on the other side of our back fence. Hubby said our neighbor was peering over. Odd. They put in a pool earlier this year (build during the shut down) and we never peered over. I'm longing for some tall shrubs . . . And that white thing they built in the corner is a portable pool shower.
. . . And if you're really curious. . . Our back fence runs alongside their side fence.

 

[Nikilyn]

I think it’s fun to watch work being done. Dirt moved, shotcrete blown in, plaster smoothed. I’d watch too if I could. Once it’s done and you’re swimming is a different story .

 

[spd500]

We have had half of the neighborhood just stop by during the build. One lady told me she was our neighbor from the back and she just wanted to see the pool because it looked so nice from over the fence. Turns out she lives 4 blocks behind me and was just snooping over my fence from the side yard.

 

[Sollace]

We have had half of the neighborhood just stop by during the build. One lady told me she was our neighbor from the back and she just wanted to see the pool because it looked so nice from over the fence. Turns out she lives 4 blocks behind me and was just snooping over my fence from the side yard.

Nothing better to do when out walking, go scoop out the neighbors! Love it! Hubby told me more of the neighbor chatting over the fence on his ladder. He was talking to the plumbers asking pool questions. One of our workers asked him if he could cut off a branch from his tree that overhung our yard. He did. So something good came out of all of it!

More pictures coming. . .
The plumber crew came by this morning and finished up their work. The electrician 'grunt' came by with what he had to do. Extra stuff my hubby wants done requires someone else to come out and visit. (Full house surge protection, extra outlets) We received a nice email from them a few days ago introducing their company and that they'll be doing the work on our pool. They outlined their services.

All the 'holes' were filled so now we have. .. dirt! Our dogs will be happy. I'm so glad they have their sectioned off yard back. I'll add that Ellie, our big Great Pyrenees girl had to pee twice in the wood box (form) they have set for the pool pad. I told hubby, maybe I should soak that grass a bit, get the smell out. Oops, never did. !!

 

[Sollace]

I'll add something I learned while talking to our pool builder yesterday.
I asked about the broken up concrete bricks they put underneath the rebar. He said those don't shift around like the plastic ones do. (I've seen plastic used before, mainly from pictures on this forum). So. Tip there!

Another:
Our coping is 2" thick. So that makes the step down to the first 'normal' step 12" and into 4" of water. With that in mind, we have our first step sticking up out of the water and covering it with non-skid unglazed tile.

 

[Sollace]

Photos resized. Not much change except for the temp dog fence is back up and all the trenches are filled. Tomorrow an inspection guy comes out.

 

[kimkats]

I am just now finding YOUR build thread! How fun!!! LET the MUD/DIRT begin!!

LOL on the doggie peeing IN the box Wonder what she was thinking???

Have you taken the plans and a tape measure out there yet? If not do so NOW! Is it wide, deep, long, etc enough? Add about 6" for the shell and plaster (for side to side make sure to make it 12". 6" for one side and 6" for the other side.

Have you looked over all of the rebar sticking up and out to make sure there are no unbent ones? Got to keep the dogs safe if they slip into the pool part. Better safe than sorry!

Kim

 

[Sollace]

Thanks Kim! I will double check things as per your instructions )
Ellie has always been spot on with potty training. If there was one piece of paper on the floor, she was lined up. I guess the box brought back memories. That area is now watered in. . .
Now for a 3 week wait on gunite. I'm told supply isn't up with demand. 'Last year you would've had it in days.' Again, it's coming up from Houston.

 

[Sollace]

Inspection done by the city and the gunite inspection was done earlier today. Now waiting on gunite.

 

[Sollace]

Gunite is coming in about 2 hours. The pool builder called, they're pouring another pool in the area. So when they're done with that they'll refill and come over and do ours. I am JAZZED. *Happy snoopy dance*
Pictures incoming tonight --

Temp here is 67 degrees, down to 48 degrees tonight. Really, perfect weather for this.
I'm going to keep an eagle eye on the stairs. First step out of the water, one step lined up with the bench, and the stairs stop with the bench. All there is now is a clay slope with rebar overlay. !!!!!