Pool Design Frustration - working towards contract

Jump to latest Follow Reply
I like it. It has something for everyone.....a good swim lane, a shelf for relaxing and sunning, a bench for chilling and chatting.

The only thing I would change is to make it a mini L by having the deep end bump in going straight instead. The shelf will be the foot of the L Can you see what I mean?

Kim:kim:
 
Style is a very personal thing. It may not be the design I'd opt for but I think aesthetically it looks nice and it seems have a bunch of "features" (benches...) that might be nice.

A few things I'd be thinking about:

a) pool depth...do you have thoughts? the design shows a shallow and deep end -- I think that is a really tall order (ie, serious negatives) in small pools

b) the raised wall...I had a pool with the back wall raised similarly and I felt like there should have been something to hold onto for swimmers. I mean, it's a small pool but so was the one I had and it still just felt wrong...I'd find a way to make sure people could grab onto something along that wall (or a bench) if they get in trouble (but I'm sure that is just me)

c) maybe someone with more construction background could speak to the issue but I'd be paying attention to the point where the new decking joins/meets your current flooring...feels like that could be difficult or more susceptible to movement over time and could become problematic...might be worth considering strategies to mitigate that...or maybe it's a non-issue -- I dunno

d) if you don't want to lay out in the sun by the pool (ie, those loungers), consider what you would do in that space instead (like a small seating area or something)...maybe a fire pit?

e) wearing footwear in the pool is so uncouth... ;-) (the last night picture, woman in the chair looks like she's wearing socks)

I'm pretty sure I love it 1000x more than a kidney shaped design but that isn't saying a lot because I hate kidney shaped pools...just not my thing. Nothing is ever perfect but you should love it...if you think this is close, try to tweak it...if not, ask for another design.
 
Good feedback, thanks. I agree on the L comment, I’ve attached my sloppily drawn edit. I also think we should open up the entrance/baja shelf and break up how the front side mirrors the back. I think the back works by itself. I think some sort of edge in the wall would not only be functional but would also break it up so we’ll be sure to add that. 986BBE4D-55AF-4195-BBCD-9834693A7EDA.jpeg
 
Here’s the revised design. We might extend the pool entrance a bit more and increase the length by a couple feet. But it’s close. Unfortunately the earliest they can start is late August. I need to decide whether we should start construction then or just wait till early 2020. 31605468-D4C7-48C7-8042-9EC17434C60E.jpeg6A7AC6FC-446D-4F4A-8335-507A1FECE74C.jpeg1796EA44-9EE9-4CFC-A5F9-A80B2954B4EB.jpeg
 
To make your shelf have more usable space you can put a step in the corner instead of having that bench all the way across.

Does your area freeze in the winter? If not then I say have it built in Aug. That way you will be sure to have it done in time for swimming next spring!

Kim:kim:
 
Hi fellow Rosevillite (Rosevillian?), looking good!

Great minds think alike... we did (are doing) our yard in the same order. 3 year old house, we did the Patio/BBQ/Shade Cover last year. Beer taps are inside instead of outside though. Now we are almost done with the pool.

Don't feel bad, we had 3 different companies quote us off of a rough sketch we had. Then we spent another 2ish months finalizing the design and going back and forth on details. I even got the Pool Studio file from the builder and played with it until I was happy!

Couple of questions:
  • Maybe I missed it, but what depths are you thinking?
  • Umbrella sleeve in the baja shelf?
  • How deep is the baja shelf? I've heard from several people that they wished they had done lights on their shelves. We have a large shelf going in our small pool and decided to do 2 x small LEDs on it for even lighting.
  • What is your existing patio (concrete/pavers/etc)? Ours was concrete so it was easy enough for them to drill in some rebar to tie in the pool decking to make sure it didn't lift.
 
ryantollefson said:
Hi fellow Rosevillite (Rosevillian?), looking good!

Great minds think alike... we did (are doing) our yard in the same order. 3 year old house, we did the Patio/BBQ/Shade Cover last year. Beer taps are inside instead of outside though. Now we are almost done with the pool.

Don't feel bad, we had 3 different companies quote us off of a rough sketch we had. Then we spent another 2ish months finalizing the design and going back and forth on details. I even got the Pool Studio file from the builder and played with it until I was happy!

Couple of questions:
  • Maybe I missed it, but what depths are you thinking?
  • Umbrella sleeve in the baja shelf?
  • How deep is the baja shelf? I've heard from several people that they wished they had done lights on their shelves. We have a large shelf going in our small pool and decided to do 2 x small LEDs on it for even lighting.
  • What is your existing patio (concrete/pavers/etc)? Ours was concrete so it was easy enough for them to drill in some rebar to tie in the pool decking to make sure it didn't lift.
Click to expand...
3.5 to 6 feet, don’t need a deep pool but I do want a deep end instead of the sport depth.
Umbrella sleeve for sure
I don’t have a depth on the baja yet. Any suggestions?
Existing patio is pavers. We are working with our landscaper to figure out the best transition, concrete pool decking will be stamped concrete and won’t come right up to current patio. We’ll use stepping stones or some other buffer.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Sounding good!

We went with 18" on our baja. A little deeper than some we've seen, and it will limit what types of lounge chairs we put in there, but with our kids we figured it would be better for them. We also have a mid-sized dog, and I think she'll be happier with the depth. :D
 
Slow progress, but getting close on a final design and have the specifics on the bid.

POOL SPECIFICATIONS
Perimeter 94
Surface Area 420
Max Length 26
Max Width 18
Shallow Depth 3.5
Middle Depth 4.25
End Depth 5
Gallons 13,352
Micro Fusion finish

Dedicated Skimmer & Main Drain
Automatic Water Leveler
Surface Returns - 3

Cleaning System - Polaris TR36P - Black & Blue
Circulation Pump - Jandy PlusHP Variable Speed Pump
Auxiliary Pump - Jandy Waterfeature Pump - 80 GPM
340 SQFT Cartridge Filter
Sanitizers - In-Line Chlorine Feeder
iAqualink Only P-4 (H.O. To Provide WiFi)
500 Watt Pool Light - 2

Those are the main features. Yard access will require conveyor system which adds cost.

Any comments on the equipment? I assume the in-line chlorine feeder uses pucks, which I know isn’t recommended on this site. Someone I work with used this same company, similar system, he has no issues and says he keeps his chlorine at 3ppm or less with minimal effort.

The other pool company I was working with has Pentair equipment. I don’t know how cool it would be to give him this design pic and see what he comes up with. I’ll be adding solar heating next year before the season begins. I’m also interested in either adding a chlorine injector or converting to SWG. Are there any control or equipment requirements to convert to SWG? This pool company doesn’t do SWG.

Any feedback on the above is greatly appreciated.

6F8F08F5-D219-4CA6-B33C-3BD33BA9353F.jpeg88310589-290C-470F-9F06-8A2AC5F41215.jpeg
 
I am going to call in @Jimrahbe to get his input on the equipment as that is my weak area. I will learn along with you.

I do know one thing he will say.........keep all of the equipment in the same "family" so they can talk to each other. Both of the families you name in that post are good families so I just need Jim to make sure the are the right size for your pool.

Kim:kim:
 
Spenser,

I only see a couple of things that stand out in your equipment list..

Polaris TR36P - Black & Blue ... do you really want ugly thing in your pool? I am not a fan of 1960's technology and suggest you move up to Robot cleaner from this century.

Sanitizers - In-Line Chlorine Feeder ... I would keep this for emergency use if needed, but going with a SWCG later would be very smart.. (I would not buy a pool from someone that did not offer a SWCG.. It kind of tells you the level of chemical knowledge they have..)

340 SQFT Cartridge Filter .. Nothing wrong with this filter, but I would want a larger one. The larger the filter the less often you will need to clean it.

Surface Returns - 3 ... Three returns are OK, but with the shape of your pool I would want at least 4 or 5... Keep in mind that the idea is to have the water move like a flushing toilet bowl, but very, very slowly... You do this by adjusting the direction of the returns..

As Kim pointed out... If you decide to go SWCG later, it will be best to go with whatever brand of automation you have.. The Automation, the VS pump, and the SWCG, all need to talk with one another and should be the same brand. It does not matter for the other equipment..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
I wish I would have seen this earlier, your yard is like the exaggerated mirror image evil twin to mine. It took us three months to get past the design phase as well and we initially wanted a geometric pool.

Ultimately we decided on a free form to break up the otherwise very geometrical property and house we have. Oddly
enough we later figured out it was a slight modification to a stock design. But
it just looked right in the 3D computer program. Maybe we got lucky in the fact that a design opposite of what we asked for is the one we picked. It jumped out among all of designs and estimates. Otherwise, the size of the pool we are building is very similar. Slightly smaller but deeper so slightly more volume. The way we equipping it is similar but any bell and whistle I will add later by myself. I
probably will do a SWCG next year after I get the hang of liquid chlorine. It's
about a third of the cost of having the PB do it. No I am not automating beyond a couple of Kasa "Alexa" switches for lights.
But take a look at my build thread. We even started at about the same time. Best of luck.
 
I shared the design picture with another pool company, they did a basic render and costed it out much the same as the first company, but the second company includes an SWG. They use Pentair/Sta-Rite and include Intellipro VSF pump, and EasyTouch with ScreenLogic. He's trying to talk me into paying another 2k for four Globrite lights, instead of a single or two 500w lights. I haven't read good things about these lights, as much as I'd like to have colored lights. The big selling point of the Globrites would be lighting the Cabo shelf - but I'm not sure I need to do that.
 
Make sure to get some model numbers and such to make sure you are getting the equipment best sized for your pool.

Lights-With proper placement some light should shine of the shelf. You could also put a pretty pole lights outside the pool to light the whole area as well!! It will be easy for them to run a line to where you want it!

Kim:kim:
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply