Vegasmom's Pool Build

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Brushing new plaster frequently helps keep the plaster smooth. If you fail to brush it is possible for rough spots to develop. Smooth plaster is obviously very nice to have, but even in the worst case, no brushing, the result isn't horrible. If you brush once a day for a few days it will probably be just fine.

The other important thing is to keep an eye on the PH and never let the PH get too high. High PH can result in scaling, which can ruin the appearance, depending on the finish, and can be a lot rougher than failing to brush can be. Usually testing and adjusting once a day is enough, sometimes PH requires adjusting twice a day for the first few weeks.
 
Thanks, Jason. Ok, I will be diligent about brushing. We don't plan on doing our own maintenance, so I admit to not having read much on water balance. With what happened yesterday, I haven't given start up much thought but someone did come by today and turn everything on. I also have a leak from those valves on the back of the spa wall. Can't get ahold of anyone now so I don't know how big a deal it is.

My husband is being released in about an hour so I took these kind of quickly. Will have more when the rest is done...


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No offense taken, Sean :) I'm hands on with a lot of things, chemistry is not one of them. It's not that I don't care what happens after, I just prefer to let someone else handle it. I've got 3 kids and 4 pets, and a very large house that I clean myself. I cook elaborate meals and this all makes me very happy. I don't need to worry about my CYA being off or checking this and that. Got enough to do!
 
wanna trade houses?? LOOKS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


btw, im also on a pool service, much easier and they are more efficent, im the handy man around the house, but pools im still working at, eventually i will be on my own, but for now, them coming out twice a week, keeps the pool sparkling like a brand new car.
 
So sorry to hear about your husband, I hope he has a speedy recovery!! Since it was an emergency I'm guessing they were afraid it was going to rupture any time? Wow that had to be scary!!

Your pool looks sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo nice :) I love the infinity edge spa, the water looks like textured glass on it! Really spectactular!! And the little cantilever over the top of it is great, the spa just kind of disappears into the shadow under the cantilever. You really have a unique pool, it's not just a pool but a piece of architecture as well. When you get some time I'd love to hear what is going to be happening on the back wall. The bowls on top appear to have something in them, looks like a turtle sculpture? Is there going to be water spilling out of the bowls, or are they going to be planters? Also I remember you posted that the niches in the wall have lights in them, is that a sheer descent over the top of the niches?

We've been doing our own pool maintenance and it really is easy, 5 minutes a day is about what it takes and maybe 15 minutes once a week to do the full range of tests. I'm not trying to talk you out of hiring a maintenance company, but if you find that they're not taking care of it to your satisfaction then you might consider trying it yourself then. I think the thing that surprised me the most about pool chemicals is that the most popular method (trichlor pucks) is self-destructive. The pucks keep adding more and more stabilizer (CYA) until the chlorine becomes completely ineffective and algae can grow unabated. And all the pool supply and maintenance companies explain it away like it's completely normal to have to drain and refill your pool every 2 to 3 years to lower CYA levels!! Geesh!
 
SeanB said:
...I'm paraphrasing Carld, but it only takes "5 minutes a day." ;)
Click to expand...


some of us had open heart sugury.... and cant move like we used to until were done rehab and fully recovered. o yea and has a blond wife that thinks any thing with C (like clorine i guess) is GOOD for the pool :lol: :shock: so thats why im on service.

but i dont blame vegas mom, we have 4 kids and 2 dogs, when they were young it was a mad house around here, fights, little friends, we want this, were bored with this, then the dog goes and rips their shoes off, all 4 of them needed to get places at the same time, i swear if it were not for the invention of the SUV, and CAR TV we would have gone nuts, we also have to maintain 2 different houses (one here and one in north carolina our vacation house) if we had to take care of a pool with all this then im sure the pool would have been FILLED IN, with in a week. but with the kids a little older and one moved out on his own and another one about a year away, we are probably gunna move out of this house and down grade from our massive 7 bedrooms that with only 2 kids then will not need, to a nicer 3 bedroom house. ofcourse we will never be with out a pool again though. :wink:
 
problem is like Vegas Mom. if you dont know much about pool care, that 5 min a day that you do, dont read somthing right, turns very quickly in to 5 hours aday, im sure in that hot vegas weather and all that sun, that it can get out of hand quickly. why not let a pool service deal with it. plus im sure you keep it open 365. and i bet to pay for that monster house of hers she has gotta work. as well as her husband. who also has a medical condition to recover it sounds like.

but the difference is, once im fully recovered, i will probably go down to once amonth on the service insted of twice a week. as im retired, house is paid off, really all i pay for are day to day things from my pention. kinda nice im really lucky. but i have time to kill, from the sounds of it vages mom has no time to even use the bathroom (sorry, couldnt think of a better one) :lol:

but its her decision.
 

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Wow, Sean...you're really passionate about this! I understand, really I do. I'm confident I could handle it even though I'm blonde. Rollin Thunder! :wink: I'll make a deal, like Tres said...if the service isn't up to par, I will make the effort and tackle it myself. I'm always up for a challenge.

My brother tried talking us out of a salt system because he's convinced the one he had was the reason he was getting red algae within 3 wks. of his startup a couple years ago. I'm pretty sure he was using those pucks. He doesn't use his SWG and I think that's insane! Maybe I'll tell him to stop by here :)

Thanks for all the nice compliments on the pool. I'm so happy, and I know hubby will be excited, too when he starts feeling better. Luckily they did it with a scope and didn't have to open him up but the experience and the general anesth. sure takes a lot out of ya.

Tres, those things sitting on the wall are the code fire appliances. They'll be switching them out for fire rings and we'll put glass in there. We have the 2 auto ig. fire pots, and the fire pit in the sunken area. Gas co. is coming out Tues. to bring a larger meter.
The stainless bar on the middle wall is a rain waterfall. I've yet to see it turned on but it should look very nice. I've seen too many pics of sheers when the wind blows (which it seems to endlessly here) and it splits the water. I thought the rain would look nice and not be as much of a problem in the wind.

Landscaper still has planting to do behind the wall and lights, deco. rock, etc. so it still looks unfinished. I'll post more pics as things are completed.
 
I'll jump in... I'm sure there are much busier people than me, but I work about 10 hour days, we have 15 month old and 30 month old boys at home that are real hand-fulls and between all the other chores around the house I don't have much to spend on the pool. But on the up-side, the pool takes VERY little time. I only test my water twice a week, and the 5 minutes that takes sitting next to the pool in the evening sun-shine is actually quite nice. All I ever really need to do is add some acid which I do 1-2 times a week. With my in-floor system I rarely ever brush the pool... and the SWCG takes care of chlorine. Maybe mine is easier than most, but it's still very satisfying to do.

BTW, we aren't trying to gang up on you or tell you you're wrong... we just know how easy and satisfying it is and don't want you to feel like it would too much of a hassle when it's really not!
 
BTW, Do you enter the spa directly from the house-side or from the side away from the pool? I'm just thinking that if there isn't a rail or something, stepping over the small gap and onto the slippery, wet tile sounds like an easy way to slip and crack your head on something.

It turned out absolutely beautiful though! I can't wait to see some night pictures with the lights on and fire burning!
 
[Edited by SeanB]

Granted that there is a learning curve in pool care but it is NOT rocket science. We are here to help through that learning curve and 'hold your hand' in case of any questions or problems. THAT is why this forum exists BUT (and it's a BIG BUT) a person has to WANT to learn these skills.

Learning to take care of a pool is much easier than learning to cook. I know this because not only can I cook but it's one of the skills I teach to my kids at the school. I also teach a LOT of pool owners how to take care of their pools not only on here but at the supply store I work at. Teaching someone to properly take care of a pool is MUCH easier and faster.
 
Okay, enough personal stuff.

VM - sorry for the hijack. This is your thread and I now return it to you after a brief lock-out to clean up. The only discussions allowed in this thread from anyone will be about VM's pool build and nothing else. No other personal comments will be allowed!
 

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