Wardsntx Pool build

[wardsntx]

Crabboy,

the pump for the slide and the waterfall is a Pentair 2HP WhisperFlow. Can't give you feedback yet since we still don't have water.

BTW, it's mounted behind the waterfall on its own pad. Here's a pic:

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[wardsntx]

Well, I installed the landcape lighting this weekend.. Supervisor was out on Saturday moning and promised we would be swimming by next weekend. PebbleSheen will be applied Tuesday or Wed. , so maybe by Saturday we will be wet! Here are a few pics of the lighting. Hope everyone is having a great Labor Day.

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http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x93/ ... 2_1224.jpg

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[JoTX]

Jay - Your pool looks awesome so far! I am new to the forum and we are wanting to have a pool put in. I live in Nederland, TX which is appx 75 miles east of Houston. Anyway, I have the general manager from Challenger Pools of Houston coming to our home this afternoon to give us a bid. They are putting a pool in a few blocks from our home and decided to contact them. He was a little pushy and I told him today that I wasn't going to sign anything no matter how great his price was. Anyway, he keeps insisting that they can beat any price around....blah, blah, blah..I don't care if his bid is $10K for a gunite pool...I still want to shop around and make a informed decision. I don't want a hugh whole w/concrete in backyard, w/problems etc.

Do you know anything about Challenger Pools? Did they give you a bid? I checked them on BBB and they have had 18 complaints over the past 36 mths, resolving all but one. However, they are not members of the BBB. Thanks for your time and hopefully they've made progress on your pool this week. It's rained everyday here since the weekend but only for a short time...so I figure Houston has had about the same weather conditions.

Thanks for your time!

Jo -

 

[javera]

Jo,

I know you sent this to Jay, but I thought i would chime in as well.

By all means do your due diligence. Check with multiple pool builders... remember bigger is not always better and look for the ones that are service oriented. Find someone that wants to do it right, on your time table and the way you want it. BBB is a good source to get a feel for how they treat their customers...I would be scared to know that this PB had 18 complaints in 36 months. Makes me wonder how many customers did not complain to the BBB. In my mind even 1 complaint worries me.

I went with a national pool builder my first time. Great sales pitch, installation was ok. But once it was in ... they rarely wanted to fix any of my problems. I would never use them again, yet I never complained to the BBB.

Ask around...neighbors, friends, start looking for pool builder signs. Take your time!

Good luck!

 

[wardsntx]

Jo,

I know you sent this to Jay, but I thought i would chime in as well.

By all means do your due diligence. Check with multiple pool builders... remember bigger is not always better and look for the ones that are service oriented. Find someone that wants to do it right, on your time table and the way you want it. BBB is a good source to get a feel for how they treat their customers...I would be scared to know that this PB had 18 complaints in 36 months. Makes me wonder how many customers did not complain to the BBB. In my mind even 1 complaint worries me.

I went with a national pool builder my first time. Great sales pitch, installation was ok. But once it was in ... they rarely wanted to fix any of my problems. I would never use them again, yet I never complained to the BBB.

Ask around...neighbors, friends, start looking for pool builder signs. Take your time!

Good luck!

Agreed, If he already has that many complaints in the past 36 months, then I wouldn't feel very comfortable. That doesn't mean that a builder without any complaints is any better. You need to look at how long they have been in business etc...

Here in our neck of the woods, all you need is a pick up truck and a cell phone and you can call yourself a pool builder. IN other parts of the country, there are more strict guidelines to be a pool builder and more stringent pool building procedures like soil testing and even gunite batch testing on site by a local engineer as the gunite is being shot. The gunite is collected ever so often and a stress/pressure test is applied back at a lab....nothing else can be done until each stage has gone through propper inspection and approvals.


So, really do your homework. I interviewed several builders and chose this one based on a referral and my gut feeling. Unfortunately I have had my share of too many problems during the construction stage, but what this builder has done is address the issues as they come up. So, have fun with it. It will be very trying at times no matter what builder you select. (although I have met and spoken to people who have had the perfect build with no complaints). My number one piece of advice...don't settle. If there is a problem, tell the builder and make them fix it. Hold them to your contract because I can assure you they will hold you to it when it comes to collecting each one of their draw checks. Good Luck. There are several builders out there....explore your options and talk to several before rushing into it. Unlike other construction projects, a pool is pretty permanent....be sure it's something you can live with.

 

[ktdave]

Jay,
It's time to kick Jason and Adam in the a** and get your pool done! Quit messin around! It's time you throw a party for all us locals (cause I wanna cruise down your slide!)!

Good Luck!
Dave

 

[wardsntx]

Dave,

You and me both! We have to draw straws in the family to decide who gets first trip down!

You don't even want to know what it has been like the past two weeks. Once again I had to go to Adam and complain. At least he is addressing the problems as I tell him, but this last issue is still out for the jury to decide. We'll see how Adam responds to my last e-mail this evening. It really has nothing to do with the pool, but the wrought iron fence we had them install. Let's just say it isn't the best quality product and we aren't seeing eye to eye on a solution. Anyway, we are sorting through...but hey, GUESS WHAT???? I am actually, 100%, officially scheduled for plaster tomorrow. YEAH!

I will be sure to inform everyone if it actually happens...was told it would be this past Tuesday, then Wed and now tomorrow....we shall see. Most of the final touch ups were completed today, so not really much left. Just took a lot of putting Jason in the coals to get things moving. You would think Adam would recognize that maybe Jason just can't handle so many projects at once.


Anyway... How's your pool coming? Haven't seen anymore pics lately...you're spending to much time in the darn thing you lucky bas$^*d!!!! I am itching to move over to the chemistry posts and get away from this pool build post. Feels like forever I have had this thread going.

OK, back to Thursday night football. I need to cheer on Reggie Wayne. My Fantasy team isn't looking to good this season.

 

[wardsntx]

got Pebble yesterday and they just arrived to acid wash.....should start filling up this afternoon!!!!!

 

[From_Arizona]

That is wonderful news! We were in the pool as soon as it filled up, hope you get to enjoy tomorrow!

 

[javera]

Jay,

Bring on the pics! We are getting Aqua Blue Pebblesheen as well. We need to see!!!

Jim

 

[wardsntx]

Post some pics tomorrow...wife had camera today! Almost half full!!!!!

 

[wardsntx]

OK, so I finally have a chance to sit down and post a few pics from today. Finished filling about 3pm today. If i read the meter right, Pool is 13,510 gallons and Spa is 530 gallons. I was expecting more, but hey....I won't complain when the water bill comes.

OK, so here are a few pics with my 3 kids and half the kids on the street getting a little wet. I'll post more after start up and after we get things cleaned up and get the waterfall running!

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[divnkd101]

Jay,

There is not a single kid in those pics that is not smiling. That's what makes your investment so worth the time and effort. Seeing the little ones just being kids is priceless. Pool looks great. Thanks again for sharing.

 

[ktdave]

WOW! That turned out really nice Jay! I like the pebblesheen color. Looks like a lot of fun.

Are they going to start-up today?

 

[javera]

Jay... Looks great!!!

I have a question... It looks like you didnt you use any spotter tiles on your steps? My PB said with the pebblesheen the steps will stand out a little because of the different depths of the water and the tiles were not nessasary.
What do you think? Do you wish you would have put some in?

BTW... I was supposed to get Coping/Tile and Rock starting today... instead I got over 2 and 1/2 inches of rain. Bummer....

Jim

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

Very nice... cute kids, all having fun, in a gorgeous setting... what more could you ask for??

 

[Vegasmom]

Congrats to you! Great pics with the kids..ditto to what everyone else said. You can't put a price on that happiness

 

[wardsntx]

Thanks everyone! The stress and investment all became worth it once my 3 boys and all their friends jumped in and went to town.

Unfortunately I wish I could say it's completed, but we have a few issues yet to fix. The biggest problem is that they were supposed to do start up today and the guy even came to the house and started, but they told him to leave since they had not collected the final check. I expressed to PB that all the items that should have been resolved (not included on the final punch) still have not been, so I didnt think they should get the last check. Basically he told me no check...no startup, no pool school. So now the ball is in his court and I have to pay the last payment and have no leverage to get the items completed that should be. I can only hope he will stick to his end of the deal. Now I have a pool just waiting for bacteria to build up since there are no chemicals or circulation.

Javera, I asked about the toe tiles on the steps. Was told that it wouldn't be a good idea with Pebble...never was given any more explanation than that, but it really isn't needed. Steps are easy to see. A darker pebble may be a different story, but for us it's fine.

Thanks again for the comments. Hope to have the other issues resolved soon!

 

[NWMNMom]

Wow, great pool, great pics, great kids! I bet they think they have moved to Happy, Texas!

 

[divnkd101]

Jay,

I promise you that you already know more than the person that is coming by to do pool school. Furthermore, I would not be surprised that you could start up your equipment without Mr. PB lurking around. You watched the plumbing go in, you know where the valves are.... JMO. Start is, PH it, and Chlorinate it... Let the pump do the rest.