Pool Placement and Other Questions - First Pool

[J-Soileau]

New to the site! We've had an 18' above ground pool for several years, but this will be our first in-ground pool. The finality of each decision is torture! We chose a fiberglass pool, Leisure 30' Riviera, and install will start late April. My question is about placement in backyard. We have what people in our area refer to as an "outdoor kitchen", but it's more of a pool house without a pool. A sidewalk connects our house to the outdoor kitchen. I do not want our decking to connect to the sidewalk or patio because it has brick trim that is in poor condition in a few places. Plus, our builder charges $33/foot for 3" channel drain. Attached are a couple layouts. They are very similar. Please share any thoughts on:

• Pool placement
• How is the idea of a 2.5' strip between new and existing concrete which will have gravel and flagstones or stepping stones to access pool? (see attached)
• Tile names or pictures of tile used with Leisure Silver Grey (especially with concrete coping) would be great!
• Should I pipe for a small cascade water feature in the future? Builders prices for these features are more than I want to spend right now - 8'x4' cascade $7250, 6'x1.5' waterfall $5,500. My thinking is adding a bench-sized cascade built with cinder blocks and covered with cultured stone veneer.
• We have a chance to switch from Leisure Silver Grey to Graphite Grey. We like graphite more, but we're concerned it may be too dark. Any experience with this color is appreciated.
• Other advice on first pool build is welcome. I'll list build details to help with this.

30' Leisure Riviera, 6' of conc included (+/-660sq ft), Hayward Tristar VS 900 with Omnihub, Hayward CX200 cartridge filter, 6" waterline tile, concrete cantilever coping, 2 lights, 1 skimmer, 4-6 returns, maintenance equipment, delivery, installation, 40 yds of backfill material --- $61,500 plus electrician. Additional concrete $11.50/sq ft, deck drains are additional $33/ft

 

[PoolStored]

Many find the gravel ends up as a weed bed.
I would double the size of the filter.
I'd get a Salt Water Chlorine Generator (SWG).
I get 2 skimmers. You also want the mouth of the skimmers to face the prevailing winds, as much as you can.
@kimkats can give you opinions on colors etc.

 

[J-Soileau]

Many find the gravel ends up as a weed bed.
I would double the size of the filter.
I'd get a Salt Water Chlorine Generator (SWG).
I get 2 skimmers. You also want the mouth of the skimmers to face the prevailing winds, as much as you can.
@kimkats can give you opinions on colors etc.

Thanks. Other companies were actually pricing similar pools using the CX150, but I'll price this upgrade.

 

[PoolStored]

For whatever reason, the south, and particularly FL undersize filters. With a 400sqft filter you will likely only be cleaning once a year.

 

[Newdude]

Hey J and Welcome !!!


I won't have to look at the pool but the crooked one would bother me.

I would get several quotes for everything but the pool from landscapers. I don't like one stop shopping because you can get totally fleeced on any part of it. If you know what every component should cost, then you can make and informed decision.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Personally speaking, I wouldn’t want a pool anywhere near a buried underground electrical run. But, as long as you are confident it’s well insulated and in good shape, I guess it’s ok.

I actually like the skewed pool placement better but I think everyone will have their own opinion on that so you do you.

One thing to understand about fiberglass is that the gel coat doesn’t last forever. It doesn’t even last a few years before it starts to break down and get chalky/hazy from hydrolysis and chlorine/UV exposure. So the darker the color, the more likely it is you’ll notice the fading. Obviously no one likes white FG because it looks like a bathtub and staining is an issue but dark colors rarely stay dark and FG rarely stays pristine. Lighter blues and grays will fair better.

I’d stay away from water features unless you really can’t live without one. The constant aeration can cause chemical management issues and the sounds they produce can range from a gentle trickle to a gushing waterfall. If you with the waterfall then you should try to find something you can see in person so you can hear the sound it makes. We have had users build pools with water features only to be annoyed, rather than soothed, by the sound it makes. YMMV

 

[J-Soileau]

Personally speaking, I wouldn’t want a pool anywhere near a buried underground electrical run. But, as long as you are confident it’s well insulated and in good shape, I guess it’s ok.

I actually like the skewed pool placement better but I think everyone will have their own opinion on that so you do you.

One thing to understand about fiberglass is that the gel coat doesn’t last forever. It doesn’t even last a few years before it starts to break down and get chalky/hazy from hydrolysis and chlorine/UV exposure. So the darker the color, the more likely it is you’ll notice the fading. Obviously no one likes white FG because it looks like a bathtub and staining is an issue but dark colors rarely stay dark and FG rarely stays pristine. Lighter blues and grays will fair better.

I’d stay away from water features unless you really can’t live without one. The constant aeration can cause chemical management issues and the sounds they produce can range from a gentle trickle to a gushing waterfall. If you with the waterfall then you should try to find something you can see in person so you can hear the sound it makes. We have had users build pools with water features only to be annoyed, rather than soothed, by the sound it makes. YMMV

Thanks for convincing me to stick with silver grey! I ran the electric line myself about 20 years ago. It's in conduit (glued). We had site visits from 3 builders and they weren't concerned, but I'll do a little more homework.

 

[kimkats]

which will have gravel

oh adult word no................you will thank us down the road.................it will end up on feet, in hands to be thrown into the pool, full of weeds, etc.

Me? I would take up the brick by the old deck and put down so kind of "accent border" and take the pool deck right up to it.

flagstones or stepping stones

I would not do stepping stones for all of the above reasons. Now if you use a solid surface the above problems would be taken care of.

The layout of the pool-I really like layout 1. The offset of it adds more useable area by your current area.

The color=lighter is better for the above reasons.

Tile-I would not add any. It can cause problems down the road with popping off for this or that reason. Just something else to go wrong.

 

[mknauss]

IF you use waterline tile, they MUST use Silicone tile grout. MUST.

 

[J-Soileau]

oh adult word no................you will thank us down the road.................it will end up on feet, in hands to be thrown into the pool, full of weeds, etc.

Me? I would take up the brick by the old deck and put down so kind of "accent border" and take the pool deck right up to it.

I would not do stepping stones for all of the above reasons. Now if you use a solid surface the above problems would be taken care of.

The layout of the pool-I really like layout 1. The offset of it adds more useable area by your current area.

The color=lighter is better for the above reasons.

Tile-I would not add any. It can cause problems down the road with popping off for this or that reason. Just something else to go wrong.

@kimkats Thanks for the input. It would likely be crushed granite, not gravel, but I imagine there would be the same issues. We are now considering utilizing deck drains. Our builder's "basic" package rivaled nearly all others, but some add-ons seem overpriced. Deck drain is $33/ft (it is 3") when other prices were $0, $0, $12. and $17. I'll reach out and ask how many feet are required. Can anyone suggest layout of drains? Or, does this depend on elevations and drainage? I've seen drains along entire perimeter of existing concrete, but other times they were closer to the pool to avoid following unnecessary turns I suppose.

 

[jdsaengine]

If concerned about gravel getting into pool, try river rock like we did. Black underlayment and little roundup keeps the the weeds in check.

 

[J-Soileau]

If concerned about gravel getting into pool, try river rock like we did. Black underlayment and little roundup keeps the the weeds in check.
View attachment 633200

This looks very nice! Given eliminating the rock beds adds deck drain and concrete, we may go with a hybrid plan. As it is now, accessing the pool means walking over or through the beds. We will price connecting to roughly half of our existing sidewalk providing concrete access and the remaining beds would be more of a barrier or to define limits of pool area.

What treatment is on your concrete? I like it.

 

[jdsaengine]

nothing special on the concrete. They just used a big sponge on it just as it set vs a metal trowel.