Updated-Contract signed & started construction

[Freibad]

First thank you to all who have shared their experience and knowledge on these pages. After 5 months of reading this website, interviewing builders, stressing and discussing, we have chosen a PB and received the first drafts of the design. Not only is this our first home purchase, but also our first pool. GO BIG or GO HOME, right? I am attaching the details and aerial picture.

Feel free to give us advice, suggestions, pretty much anything!

Edit: Deleted: ozone, 1 light, aqua vac, Aqua LinQ, auto-chlorinator

Pool 32’ x 18’

Rock Excavation

Pool depth 4ft to 6ft

Pool benches

Beach Ledge

Double steel

Pool foundation beam

Plumbing & Electrical – rock excavation

Automatic Pool filler

Clear lights (changing this to one light in the deep end)

Valve Actuator

TriStar HP

Hayward TriStar 2.70 HP VSP pump

Hayward C200 Cartridge filter (pool is 16,900 gal.- how big should this be?)

Umbrella Sleeve

Waterline Tile-band

2” Flagstone Coping freeform Tier 1

StoneScapes Pebble Finish

Bubbler Fountains (should this be only one?)

3 sheer Waterfall

Natural Gas to Heater Plumbing

Excavation for gas line

House regulator

400K BTU UnivH-series Heater

1st payment 10% at contract acceptance

2nd payment 20% at excavation

3rd payment 20% at Pool Steel Plumbing

4th payment 25% at Shotcrete-Gunite

Final Payment is 25% at job completion

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
Seems like a pretty small filter. How many gallons is the pool? Get the biggest cartridge filter you can afford.
Drop the Ozone thing. Does nothing. Add a SWCG. Best decision you will ever make.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[Jimrahbe]

F,

You say that you have been reading this forum for five months.. If true, why did you go with OZone? I don't think you will find anyone here that recommends it..

Jim R.

 

[Freibad]

Welcome to the forum!
Seems like a pretty small filter. How many gallons is the pool? Get the biggest cartridge filter you can afford.
Drop the Ozone thing. Does nothing. Add a SWCG. Best decision you will ever make.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

Thank you. I've edited the original post to include details. The pool is 16,900 gallons. We plan to drop one bubbler, shallow end light, ozone, and the Aqua LinQ.

 

[Freibad]

F,

You say that you have been reading this forum for five months.. If true, why did you go with OZone? I don't think you will find anyone here that recommends it..

Jim R.

Thanks- you are absolutely correct. We are dropping the ozone. I just posted what the PB sent us.

 

[kimkats]

Freibad I am a worry wort and one thing I do NOT like is the placement of the skimmer on the shelf. Here are my reasons:

-people will sit in front of it and block it. So long as the other skimmer and main drains are open they should not get hurt but why even take the chance?
-people will be walking on the cover over the basket of the skimmer with it being right there. If it breaks someone will be in a world of hurt

What I suggest is to move it to the right of the shelf.

What I DO like is the 4' to 6' depth! Make sure it is water depth-bottom to the middle of the skimmer face.
The 9" steps will be awesome!

This is going to be a fun one.

Are they build the house and pool at the same time?

Kim

 

[jimmythegreek]

You want a 500 series cartridge. Also go with a raypak nickel cupro heater the haywards aren't great. On the payment schedule he is asking alot before final. At gunite you still have all the coping and decking and the plaster finish after and this is where problems arise. 10% isn't alot of leverage in a 70kish build that's 7 grand and peanuts. I would revise to leave 20% at gunite and 10% additional after plaster leaving last 10% for coping deck and the waterfalls plus punchlist

 

[Freibad]

Hi Kim
Skimmer - Good catch. I was thinking the skimmers should not be on the same side of the pool also? Wind will primarily come from the sides and north. The back of the house faces northwest.

Here are some pictures of the yard.

 

[Freibad]

You want a 500 series cartridge. Also go with a raypak nickel cupro heater the haywards aren't great. On the payment schedule he is asking alot before final. At gunite you still have all the coping and decking and the plaster finish after and this is where problems arise. 10% isn't alot of leverage in a 70kish build that's 7 grand and peanuts. I would revise to leave 20% at gunite and 10% additional after plaster leaving last 10% for coping deck and the waterfalls plus punchlist

Thank you. I was concerned about that final 10%. I appreciate your advice on how to break it up.

Taking notes on the cartridge and the heater...much appreciated!

 

[kimkats]

My guess he was thinking you will run the waterfalls 24/7 so they would push anything to the skimmers. That is not a good plan. They do need to be run for at least 15 mins or so each day to keep the water in those pipes fresh. THEN on a as wanted schedule like when you are out there and such.

I would put the shelf skimmer where you think the wind will push stuff. The returns will also move stuff to the skimmers so they are very helpful.

Kim

 

[Freibad]

Freibad I am a worry wort and one thing I do NOT like is the placement of the skimmer on the shelf. Here are my reasons:

-people will sit in front of it and block it. So long as the other skimmer and main drains are open they should not get hurt but why even take the chance?
-people will be walking on the cover over the basket of the skimmer with it being right there. If it breaks someone will be in a world of hurt

What I suggest is to move it to the right of the shelf.

What I DO like is the 4' to 6' depth! Make sure it is water depth-bottom to the middle of the skimmer face.
The 9" steps will be awesome!

This is going to be a fun one.

Are they build the house and pool at the same time?

Kim

My guess he was thinking you will run the waterfalls 24/7 so they would push anything to the skimmers. That is not a good plan. They do need to be run for at least 15 mins or so each day to keep the water in those pipes fresh. THEN on a as wanted schedule like when you are out there and such.

I would put the shelf skimmer where you think the wind will push stuff. The returns will also move stuff to the skimmers so they are very helpful.

Kim

Hi Kim,

Do you have any suggestions on the ledges and benches inside the pool? We are meeting with the designer tomorrow to make changes. We are going to make the sun shelf a little bigger to hold 3 chairs.

My husband is handling the technical details of equipment, etc. He’s leaving me the pretty stuff. So please give me some ideas!

 

[Dirk]

Good, someone else caught that payment schedule. He's paying himself before he's finishing things. Way too front loaded.

I'm gonna guess that weird skimmer placement is because it won't fit in the wall. It'll be interesting to see where they'll be able to move it and accommodate it.

Why that location for the equipment pad? Will it be in a shed or something? Why not on either side of the house, where it will be out of sight and earshot?

I see auto fill, yay. And the over flow, good. Where does that overflow dump out to? Right there? I don't like that. Or will it run off somewhere? It shouldn't dump water onto the base of what is in essence a foundation wall. My auto fill and overflow are in the same unit. I like my PoolMiser for that and other reasons. The PoolMiser connects to the pool via an equalizer tube, so water enters and exits the pool from well below the surface. Which means that the water level has to actually be too high for the 'miser to release water, not just water being pushed into an overflow grate or hole from wave or wind action. Also, the water level is adjustable by way of the PoolMiser, not fixed by way of a permanent hole or grate in the side of the pool. Have a look at their website for a drawing that better illustrates this equalizer tube setup. I'm not saying there aren't better systems (there may be), but if all you're getting for overflow is a hole that dumps out behind the wall, that's not the best...

You are going to have one nice set up when it's all done. Absolutely beautiful!

 

[Dirk]

Oh, just spotted flagstone coping. Tough one. I loooove the look of my flagstone, but it's been a challenge. Flagstone is basically compressed sand. It can flake and/or releases sand. Mine does both. Putting your feet or hands or butt in a puddle of sand while getting in and out is not all that fun. And the cleaner has to deal with it, of course, 'cause it gets into the pool. I believe there are quarries that produce flagstone without these issues, but mine is not from one of those! I had to treat the stone with a veeeerrrry expensive sealer (like $3K for a small pool, regular stone/paver sealer does nothing), that all but eliminated the sand problem. But it still flakes some. So if yours does what mine does, there is a semi-solution. Short of that, I don't know how to steer you to "the good stuff." Perhaps your PB knows of this, or others here know what to do about this potential problem.

Also, the way my stone was installed was with a very rough, organic edge to it. Looks great, but it's like broken stone (it is broken stone). I keep thinking one of the kids is going to bang into that, or scrape against it somehow and end up with a much worse wound than a smooth edge would have caused (though in five years that hasn't happened, so it could be a worry for nothing). Something to think about and talk with your designer about.

It's not comfortable to lean against, like from a bench or your shelf. Is this what you're getting:

 

[kimkats]

Do you have any suggestions on the ledges and benches inside the pool?

You nailed the design already! I have NO input as I like it how it is already!! SURPRISE!!!

Kim

 

[Freibad]

You nailed the design already! I have NO input as I like it how it is already!! SURPRISE!!!

Kim

Wow! I’m very surprised! Thanks.

 

[Freibad]

Oh, just spotted flagstone coping. Tough one. I loooove the look of my flagstone, but it's been a challenge. Flagstone is basically compressed sand. It can flake and/or releases sand. Mine does both. Putting your feet or hands or butt in a puddle of sand while getting in and out is not all that fun. And the cleaner has to deal with it, of course, 'cause it gets into the pool. I believe there are quarries that produce flagstone without these issues, but mine is not from one of those! I had to treat the stone with a veeeerrrry expensive sealer (like $3K for a small pool, regular stone/paver sealer does nothing), that all but eliminated the sand problem. But it still flakes some. So if yours does what mine does, there is a semi-solution. Short of that, I don't know how to steer you to "the good stuff." Perhaps your PB knows of this, or others here know what to do about this potential problem.

Also, the way my stone was installed was with a very rough, organic edge to it. Looks great, but it's like broken stone (it is broken stone). I keep thinking one of the kids is going to bang into that, or scrape against it somehow and end up with a much worse wound than a smooth edge would have caused (though in five years that hasn't happened, so it could be a worry for nothing). Something to think about and talk with your designer about.

It's not comfortable to lean against, like from a bench or your shelf. Is this what you're getting:

View attachment 125140

Your flagstone does look great. I also like the toe tile (I think that’s the name for the step tile?) That’s very good information. Do you know what type of flagstone you have? We have chosen Oklahoma Flagstone.

 

[Dirk]

Sorry, no. My pool was designed and built by the previous owners. I love their design, so that all worked out. I especially love my water-line tile and matching bench and step inlays (toe tiles). I had to replace the inlays when I had pebble installed, and was lucky enough to find the same stuff at a local tile shop (maybe that's where the previous owners found it!). It looks to me like slices of river rock, and it comes attached to a mesh backing. For the water line, I imagine they just installed it like regular small tiles (leaving it on the mesh). For the inlays, I plucked individual stones off the mesh and arranged them on the steps and bench. The tile guy was cool with me looking over his shoulder, so that I could fine tune those the way I wanted them.

Sidebar: I built that "river rock walk," in the planting bed behind my deck, to match the river rock tile (they match a little better when it's wet). I doubt anybody but me has ever noticed that, but hey, only I need to!

You might try doing a few searches here at TFP, on both "flagstone coping" and "Oklahoma Flagstone" to see if any others here had issues.

My tile is an example that you don't have to pick out the standard big square tiles. The typical large, blue tiles that a lot of others love don't do much for me (especially with all the "scrolly" stuff), and I really appreciate that my pool is kinda unique in that way. So take a trip to your local tile store(s) and see what's out there. Not all tile can be used in a pool (sorry, I don't know the exact requirements, the tile shop would know), so you can't pick just anything, but use your imagination and creativity and make your pool your own. I will say, one advantage of large tiles is that they can be easier to clean. Over time you may start to see some mineral residue at the water line (I think it's calcium mostly). It's a combination of water quality and evaporation. Most pools get some, some pools have it really bad. The stuff sticks pretty good, and often requires bead blasting to get it off, especially if you let it go. I had to have mine done (because the previous owners' pool guy was awful and let it build up really badly) and it came off fine. My tile has a lot of grout lines, so I can still see some of the mineral residue in the grout (but only if I'm looking for it, and only up close), so the amount of grout your choice requires can have some amount of impact later on.

Ha, sorry, more than you probably wanted to know about all that, but now's the time to consider all these types of little details. It's not like picking out couch pillows, right? Whatever you decide, you'll have to live with for a good long time...

 

[Freibad]

Sorry, no. My pool was designed and built by the previous owners. I love their design, so that all worked out. I especially love my water-line tile and matching bench and step inlays (toe tiles). I had to replace the inlays when I had pebble installed, and was lucky enough to find the same stuff at a local tile shop (maybe that's where the previous owners found it!). It looks to me like slices of river rock, and it comes attached to a mesh backing. For the water line, I imagine they just installed it like regular small tiles (leaving it on the mesh). For the inlays, I plucked individual stones off the mesh and arranged them on the steps and bench. The tile guy was cool with me looking over his shoulder, so that I could fine tune those the way I wanted them.

Sidebar: I built that "river rock walk," in the planting bed behind my deck, to match the river rock tile (they match a little better when it's wet). I doubt anybody but me has ever noticed that, but hey, only I need to!

You might try doing a few searches here at TFP, on both "flagstone coping" and "Oklahoma Flagstone" to see if any others here had issues.

My tile is an example that you don't have to pick out the standard big square tiles. The typical large, blue tiles that a lot of others love don't do much for me (especially with all the "scrolly" stuff), and I really appreciate that my pool is kinda unique in that way. So take a trip to your local tile store(s) and see what's out there. Not all tile can be used in a pool (sorry, I don't know the exact requirements, the tile shop would know), so you can't pick just anything, but use your imagination and creativity and make your pool your own. I will say, one advantage of large tiles is that they can be easier to clean. Over time you may start to see some mineral residue at the water line (I think it's calcium mostly). It's a combination of water quality and evaporation. Most pools get some, some pools have it really bad. The stuff sticks pretty good, and often requires bead blasting to get it off, especially if you let it go. I had to have mine done (because the previous owners' pool guy was awful and let it build up really badly) and it came off fine. My tile has a lot of grout lines, so I can still see some of the mineral residue in the grout (but only if I'm looking for it, and only up close), so the amount of grout your choice requires can have some amount of impact later on.

Ha, sorry, more than you probably wanted to know about all that, but now's the time to consider all these types of little details. It's not like picking out couch pillows, right? Whatever you decide, you'll have to live with for a good long time...

Great tips regarding the tile. I really like your’s. I didn’t notice the waterline as I was looking at the flagstone. I will definitely be going to a tile shop. Which pebble color did you choose? I’m going to see some in person before I decide.

 

[Dirk]

The plasterer seemed to think the original color was Tahoe Blue. I wanted the new pebble to match, as I really liked it, and its contrast with the flagstone. I had mentioned I wouldn’t mind it being a little darker. So he mixed a custom color for me. I wrote a post about picking plaster color, and one of the mods moved it here:

Pool Finish and Color Viewing Room...PICTURES & details only please

This is our attempt at having one place that we can view the finished product of various Plaster/Pebble/Quartz/Vinyl/FG/etc. pool finishes. Simply attach a good pic looking down at the steps and another one looking at the deep end to share how it looks at different depths. Make sure to share the...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Freibad]

Update: We have signed the contract and started construction.
Forgot to add- we changed some of the contract items & the payment percentages. The pool company added 6 months of pool cleaning.
Thank you to those who sent suggestions.

Updates on design: