Removing Fiberglass Pool Installing Gunite Pool

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RuralTexas

RuralTexas

Well-known member
Mar 3, 2019
105
Houston area
After taking bids to have our well used fiberglass pool repaired and re-coated and deck replaced, we opted to remove the pool. We knew we couldn't go with a new fiberglass as access to our yard has changed since we had installed the pool.

Getting quotes wasn't easy, pool builders are limited in our area and one salesman just said straight up "I have no idea how to bid that removal".

One pool company had removed 3 fiberglass pools and wasn't the least bit concerned about how to bid the project.

Here we are on pool and deck removal day. The excavation crew removed the old pool and dug the new pool on the same day. The old deck lifted up easily.IMG_6736.jpg
 
New pool will be further away from the house. The original pool had a screen house that attached to the house, making it pretty close to the back door. Our backyard slopes pretty abruptly. The new pool is being dug where the old pool's dirt from its dig was used to extend our yard 28 years ago. The new pool will do the same thing, leveling and extending our backyard. In the first picture you can see the new yard we have gained.

The pool will be a pretty simple pool. A 16x34 rectangle, 4' - 6' deep, corner steps with a bench, a swim shelf in the deep end, both on the house side of the pool. Goal is a clean look on the far side of the pool from the house. The lights will be on the house side also - we just want to see their color and glow from the house without actually seeing themIMG_6742.jpg lights. IMG_6753.jpg
 
YippeeSkippy said:
WOW... I'm in! :epds:
Looking forward to updates as the project continues. Lots and lots of pics, please??

Did you put the fiberglass pool in 28 years ago?

Maddie :flower:
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We did install this pool 28 years ago. I will try to keep up on the pictures. The fiberglass was a kidney shaped in a screen enclosure. We were using it until the day before they dug it out. The old "coolcrete" deck was covered by tile and slate about 10 years ago when it began to break up. I just laid the tile down myself to extend use until we were ready to work on the pool.

We had our first drama on the new pool yesterday when the steel installers had been given the original pool design. Easily corrected, it had me all over the stub people when they showed up this morning - they also had the old design. The new one is posted on the back porch -should be somewhere closer to the pool.
 
kimkats said:
In to watch this one as well! What I would like to see is the before old pool, old pool pics please!

Kim:kim:
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That is a lot of homework Miss Kim! I know the "before the old pool pics" are not available on current technology - somewhere in an album maybe? Here is a picture of part of the old pool with part of the new pool drawn out. There used to be a screen house and boxwood (bushes) were all around the screen house. When the screen house came down a couple of years agoIMG_6700.jpg the boxwoods grew even bigger. Trying to create a calmer space, we had the excavator removed all of the boxwoods during the dig. The plan is to actually just have grass all around the new pool.
 
I had to try! LOL Taking those boxwoods out really opened up the area! Good job!

Now go to your PB's office and take ALL of the old plans out of there and shred them or that will keep happening. I really worry about the plumbing the most in this regard. Make MANY copies of the new plans and hand them out or have them where they will hit the trades in the face when they walk into the yard to do work on the pool.

Will you be putting a cover or something over the pool? Those trees are going to cause many leaves in the pool.

Kim:kim:
 
That old deck is.... interesting. It is like they were pouring a concrete deck and someone came out and waved them down saying, "Wait, I have all these extra random stones and tiles leftover! We can't let them go to waste!".
 
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PoolGate said:
That old deck is.... interesting. It is like they were pouring a concrete deck and someone came out and waved them down saying, "Wait, I have all these extra random stones and tiles leftover! We can't let them go to waste!".
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You are on to me - the slate was all the chipped tiles leftover from our house. I did have to order the red tiles, I think they are the cheapest form of tile around - also the hottest when exposed to direct Texas sun. My husband asked me to cover the coolcrete that was becoming Algae Town Center. I don't know why our coolcrete had such high ridges. Later my husband might have wished he been more specific. I went for the cheapest option possible to help the pool limp along a few more years. Looking back a better, cheaper, choice would have been to remove the coolcrete from the cement.

When the pool builders came for layout - they saw my husband's "hose run auto-filler" hanging onto one side and in front of the skimmer was a piece of some sort of plastic being held in place by my spa pillow. They were amazed that coolcrete was on the coping and I am sure the colorful homemade slate and tile "deck" was not missed. They wandered around the pool looking and commenting quietly to each other as though they were at a pool museum.
 
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kimkats said:
I had to try! LOL Taking those boxwoods out really opened up the area! Good job!

Now go to your PB's office and take ALL of the old plans out of there and shred them or that will keep happening. I really worry about the plumbing the most in this regard. Make MANY copies of the new plans and hand them out or have them where they will hit the trades in the face when they walk into the yard to do work on the pool.

Will you be putting a cover or something over the pool? Those trees are going to cause many leaves in the pool.

Kim:kim:
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Good idea on the multiple copies on hand - now I understand those posted plans at construction sites.

Now did I get it right that you meant pre-first pool pics? Our mutual friend says I misunderstood.:wave:

At one point we had considered an automated cover. Husband wouldn't sign off on price. He takes care of the pool. He did sign off on a major tree trimming that took place before the dig. The pool will be safety covered during fall leaf drop and the cover will stay in place until after the live oaks drop their leaves in late winter/early spring. I think it was Maddie that advised me a couple of months ago that an automatic cover would make the pool water warmer. We are trying to avoid warmer water in this pool. Most likely a wrought iron fence will be added in the near future.
 
Well I was hoping for a pic of the yard before the first pool was put in as I love to see the full story. With you talking about how small the yard was I thought it might be neat to see the before yard then with the old pool and interesting decking then the new pool. We could call it "The stages of pools"!

Have you done your first "job" with the pool yet? Go out with the NEW plans and a tape measure. Is the pool wide, long, deep, etc enough? Add about 6" for the shell and plaster.

Kim:kim:
 
We did get first job done early - husband had the excavators accompany him for the measuring before they loaded the machinery back up on the trailer

This picture shows the yard (age) gained. To the right of the hole - that smooth area is where the old pool and deck were - right next to the house. The new pool is where they put the dirt 28 years ago. The smooth area to the left of the dig is all the new yard. We are on 5 acres, we are the second owners, the original owners placed the house as far from the road and the neighboring homes as they could - right on top of a slope down to a wooded ravine. We were pleasantly surprised when we lost no yard when we added the first pool. Our plan this time was to do the same thing once again. Build a pool and get a bigger back yard.

IMG_6745.jpg
 
This picture shows how close the original pool was to the house - the spa here is on the back porch. That cutie learning water chemistry is our grandson. He loved the original pool despite its wild decking and falling off tiles. He buried his head in my shoulder when he saw the pool was gone..... He had just gotten brave enough to step off the last step. Our last memory of the old pool will be him with his head back and his little mouth barely above water saying "I touching Nana, I touching!".

part0.jpg
 
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That picture is just what I wanted to see so I could really understand what you meant. THANKS! That is such an awesome yard!

What a sweet memory to have of the old pool. Now it is time to make new memories with the new pool!

So what do you have at the front of the house? Grass? We are on 6.5 acres and our house is also built at the back of the property. We have grass in the front with some trees scattered around it. The pool, pool house, and barn are behind the house. Oh and the pond the otters like to play in.............it is our heaven on Earth for sure!

SMART hubby to have them measure and check with him before they even loaded up the equipment. Well done!

Kim:kim:
 
Miss Kim, We have a pond too! Grass and trees in front and on both sides. In the back, along the ravine, its trees and thick brush. Our pond is actually a slough with clear black water due to the tannin in leaves. If we get enough rain it stays filled, if there are a couple of months without rain, it will dry up. We don't get otters (you are lucky they are so fun to watch) we do get all of the Labradors in the neighborhood taking a dip in the pond a couple of times a day.
 

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