UT New Build - Update (start up 5/21)

[johnywess]

Hi, I'm new here but been devouring the information since I found the site. I want to thank all the contributors and moderators. This place is awesome.

So here is our project. Dig starting tomorrow so the fun begins. I would love any feedback or thoughts anyone has. We are really just trying to figure this out as we go the best we can and are new to pool ownership. The plan is to get to gunite completed, then let everything settle over the rest of winter, and complete in March next year to be ready for pool season.

35' x 15’ Gunite rectangle sport/play pool (Architectural design, Engineering plans, Permits, Bonds, Fees, Layout, Excavation, Dirt haul away, Plumbing, Forming, Steel per engineering schedule)

6' x 15’ Tanning ledge (12” tanning ledge depth with umbrella sleeve, two bubblers, steps, and trim tile)
2 Swim out steps with a 4’ bench on each corner. Steps entering shallow end.
4' to 5'8” to 4' depth profile
Perimeter tile, trim, and white plaster.
2 ½’ Plumbing, Bermuda skimmer, 6 returns, 2 drains
Belgard paver coping
1400 Sq Ft Belgard Lafitt Grana Slab paver decking
Power Stub (Run power and gas to the desired pool equipment location. Install all pool equipment)
Landscaping (Restore landscaping – sod, sprinkler, etc after pool install. Flagstone steps and landscape rocks per agreed design)
Stub for future slide
7’ long (12” height) raised bond beam with 24” cascade water feature
2 deck jets
2 volleyball deck sleeves

Equipment

• Pump 1: Pentair Intelliflo Variable Speed Pump (To run the pool, sheer descent, and deck jets)
• Pump 2: Pentair Intelliflo pump (To run bubblers separately at desired heigh)
• Filter: Pentair C&C 520 Cartridge Filter
• Sanitizer: Intellichlor Salt system IC40
• Heater: Pentair MasterThemp 400k gas heater
• Automation: Pentair Intellicenter Automation
• Lights: Pentair Intellibright color LED Lights (2)
• One 24" cascade
• Automatic Pool Cleaner: Polaris 8050 Sport Robot
• Autofill
• Latham Coverstar Safety Cover (track under the coping, concrete cover box housing, electrical, switch on house near the back door)
• Startup Kit (Vacuum Hose, brush, net, test kit, and instructions)

 

[kimkats]

I like your design! The steps and benches are my fav as that gives each area of the pool a way out if wanted.

I would also make sure they put an over flow line in for when you get big rains.

Make sure you get a light over the equipment pad. You will thank me when you have to go out there one dark and stormy night!

Kim

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
The one item I would suggest more research is the Globrite lights. Pentair has a light called Microbrite that does not use a proprietary receptacle like the Globrite.
Review Pentair IntelliBrite vs GloBrite vs MicroBrite
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[gingrbredman]

Since you are still early in the build stages, I would also look at adding the auto cover expansion for the Intellicenter. It allows the Intellicenter to know if the cover is open or closed, but does not control the cover itself. Can be programmed to run the SWCG at different percentages depending on the status of the cover, lights, and most importantly, not allow the water features to turn on if the cover is closed. And not let the cover close if the water features are on. The add on does not work with other cover brands from what I've read, but since you are going with a Coverstar cover, and Intellicenter, and water features, it might be a good investment for your new pool.

There was a recent thread on this....

CoverStar Sensor with IntelliCenter?

Good morning! Our pool gets underway tomorrow, and I got to thinking - since we will have a CoverStar auto cover, and since they sell a reed switch to indicate closed/open status, can you hook that up to IntelliCenter? My thought is that it would be nice to automatically set the SWCG to a...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[johnywess]

Great suggestions so far. Thank you for weighing in.

@kimkats Love the suggestion of the light over the pool equipment. That is completely one of those things you would not think of until you need it.

@mknauss Good to know about the lights. I will have to research them a bit more. I am worried that two light will not light up the pool enough but my PB said it absolutely would. Trusting him on that one right now but I don't want the tanning ledge to be dark like I've seen on some pictures. Thoughts on if 2 lights of either GloBright or MictoBright will do the job or not?

@gingrbredman That Cover expansion module is awesome. I had no clue about that but I'm going to definitely make sure that gets put in. Love the idea of being able to know if the cover is open or not but also program the equipment based on it being closed. Thank you for sharing.

 

[gingrbredman]

Thoughts on if 2 lights of either GloBright or MictoBright will do the job or not?

My guess is that two Microbrites will not be enough for your pool. I have a 14x30 pool with three Microbrites in it and it is plenty of light. I probably could have gone with two with my length pool, but at 35', you will want at least three. At 15' wide, the Microbrites will be fine to cover that distance, but at 35' long, you will see more dark spots if you only go with two. The nice thing about the Microbrites as opposed to the Globrites is the standard 1.5" opening they go in, which is about the new standard for any lights out there, thinking more down the road when you need to replace them. When the Globrites go out, you only have the option to replace them with Globrites, and seeing as this is not Pentair's latest light, the chances are higher the Globrite gets discontinued at some point.

Here is my pool with the three Microbrites....

 

[johnywess]

Thanks, @gingrbredman, and @mknauss. PB was already planning on using color IntelliBright 5G lights vs GloBrights. I must have got it confused with a different pool bid. Feeling like two of those will be good or if I did MicroBrights I would need 3. PB also says the Intellicenter will already be able to do all the cover automation programming. That one I feel could be easily added if it turns out not to be the case.

The tractor still parked in the same spot in my back yard due to the weather. They are hoping to start tomorrow or Friday but they have been dropping off all the fitting and plumbing the last two days. Going to go start picking out decking, tile, coping, and stone next week

 

[wireform]

You won't need an overflow as was mentioned earlier due to the fact the pool will be covered when not in use and of course when the rain is imminent. What you will need not mentioned is a pool cover pump for after the rain so not to get that into the water and dilute the balanced water. I use THIS ONE in all my pools with no "cons" to speak of.

 

[johnywess]

@wireform Yeah I figured about the overflow but didn't think about having to pump the water off the cover. Good call. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[spd500]

Here is my pool with the three Microbrites....

Your pool looks great lit up! But those leaves in the corner are triggering my OCD, lol!!

 

[gingrbredman]

What you will need not mentioned is a pool cover pump for after the rain so not to get that into the water and dilute the balanced water. I use THIS ONE in all my pools with no "cons" to speak of

That is the same pump I got with my auto cover. Very easy to drop on the cover when it is closed. I have a sump pit next to my pool (mandatory for fiberglass), and a pvc drain at the top where the water gets pumped to so it can move away from the shell. When I throw my pump cover on, I have a separate drain cover I use with a hole for the hose from the cover pump. When the water level rises on the cover, the pump will turn on and take the water to the drain next to the pool, then to the storm water drain outside my yard. No water sitting on the cover, and no water leaking back into the perfectly balanced pool.

Your pool looks great lit up! But those leaves in the corner are triggering my OCD, lol!!

HaHa! you and me both! These pictures were from when the lights just got wired up and the auto cover was not in yet. It was a unusually very windy day and the leaves got everywhere. With the auto cover now in place and working, the leaves floating around are a thing of the past!

 

[johnywess]

The dig started today. Feels real finally. They are still at it but over halfway dug.

 

[kimkats]

Let the MUD/DIRT begin!!!!

 

[johnywess]

Day two of the dig is going well. The big tractor is gone. The sundeck looks like it might be a bit shorter than the 6 feet it's supposed to be. I'll go measure it once they finish the wood frame. I'm sure they already love me walking around checking their work

We went to the design center to pick out most of our finishings. As usual, my wife won most of the battles. I wanted a blue-grey subway waterline tile but she loved this blue one. The cooping will be those pavers but in the large 15"x23" pavers that they bullnose cutter for the inside edge. That stacked stone is not what we would be getting, we want a lot of lighter stone but have to go to another place to pick that out.

 

[spd500]

Looking Good! Keep in mind that the finished pool will be about 1 foot smaller in each direction than the form boards.

 

[Nikilyn]

That blue tile is beautiful! I’ve never seen that before. I picked out one that looks very similar but is porcelain. Where will the 1x1s be going? Steps? What’s the interior?

 

[johnywess]

@Nikilyn Yeah, the blue was a different finish than a lot of them, it's kinda frosted finish vs the other glass tiles we were looking at. We wanted 2x4 for fewer grout lines and cleaning, plus lucky we agreed we liked the 2x4 look. Correct, the 1x1 will be going on any elevation changes in the pool (steps, tanning ledge, benches). The interior is going to be classic white plaster.

 

[johnywess]

Thanks, @spd500. I would have never known that. Everything measures out right beside the sundeck dirt only come out about 3 of the 6 feet. I had to call the PB anyway for another reason but he says once rebar and gunite are done it will be 6 feet. So the other reason I had to call the PB, they put our small 7' (12"x16x12") raised wall water feature on the wrong side of the pool, the side of the pool by the house vs the far side by the fence. I then realize that because they dug the skimmer area on the other side. So they will have to redo that part .

Looking Good! Keep in mind that the finished pool will be about 1 foot smaller in each direction than the form boards.

 

[Nikilyn]

What made you choose plaster? I’m going back and forth between quartz, not the quartz that needs to be acid washed, but the quartz that is in modified plaster, and pebble. I never wanted pebble because I really don’t like it, but I wanted the plaster of the quartz to be colored and I can’t find anyone to do it, only white with the colored quartz or colored with pebble. Plus, everyone keeps telling me it’s a bad idea to get the quartz plaster because it doesn’t last. It’s just so rare to see someone not get pebble, at least here it is. So do I get the texture I want (quartz) or the color (pebble)? I’d like to hear your reasons. I do think that tile will go great with the white plaster which is what I keep thinking about mine. I attached a pic of what we’re getting which is 2x3. BTW, what brand is your tile?

 

[johnywess]

@Nikilyn I like your tile. One of our final choices was very similar but had more white streaks lines in it. Your tile will look good with white also.

The plaster choice was pretty easy for us for two reasons, my wife really like the smoothest feel possible on a pool and it didn't hurt that it was the standard option with the PB. I'll take any budget wins I can at this point. Color or texture options were all $3k+ upgrades. Also, our neighbor has a pool done by our same PB and they did the white plaster. Their pool looks great and we love the watercolor of the white plaster so we were sold. The only thing that got us to second guess is we heard white shows dirt more than any darker color but wasn't enough to change our minds.

I'm not sure what brand the tile is actually, we looked at so many they all blur together at this point. The designer is going to send us an email soon with all our choices before she orders it all, so when I get that I'll let you know what brand it is.