Yet another Texas pool build!

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Fantastic thread for your pool build. It really takes people through the ups and downs you've experienced. That's so great for others to read to help them get through their own disappointments and discouragements.

Let me tell ya'...... With a view like that, all these cares will melt away when you see those kiddos swimming in that gorgeous setting. Your design is fabulous. I know it is more difficult and expensive to build with slopes, but I am a bit envious. I just love multi levels in a yard especially with a pool. But I'm not sorry, as it turns out, it would be ridiculous for me to have multi steps etc. Just getting too old!!!!

You're a wise, wise person because you're really listening to these experts about changes, upgrades, etc. They truly know what they're talking about. And you'd be surprised at the people who desperately need their advice but don't seem to listen. I should have been more alert myself in the beginning. But I found this site a tad too late in that I was committed to another pool forum with much less activity at that time. But I found TFP soon enough, and they've made a huge difference for me.

In a heart beat, I would go with the M5 robot like Patrick's (can't remember if its name is Robie or Steven.... LOL!). For me though, the Polaris might work better for my mobility issues. But one mis-step from that Polaris (or the electric bill), and it's gone. I'll get an M5 from Santa.

I can't wait to see everything begin for you! Soon, soon, soon, soon! (maybe your PB heard that my chant). And entertain us with pictures anyway. Just ones of the views will be great! (like you have nothing else to do, right?!) Thanks for sharing - not sure why I wasn't here sooner....... Take care. Suz.
 
SuzfromTexas said:
Fantastic thread for your pool build. It really takes people through the ups and downs you've experienced. That's so great for others to read to help them get through their own disappointments and discouragements.

Let me tell ya'...... With a view like that, all these cares will melt away when you see those kiddos swimming in that gorgeous setting. Your design is fabulous. I know it is more difficult and expensive to build with slopes, but I am a bit envious. I just love multi levels in a yard especially with a pool. But I'm not sorry, as it turns out, it would be ridiculous for me to have multi steps etc. Just getting too old!!!!

You're a wise, wise person because you're really listening to these experts about changes, upgrades, etc. They truly know what they're talking about. And you'd be surprised at the people who desperately need their advice but don't seem to listen. I should have been more alert myself in the beginning. But I found this site a tad too late in that I was committed to another pool forum with much less activity at that time. But I found TFP soon enough, and they've made a huge difference for me.

In a heart beat, I would go with the M5 robot like Patrick's (can't remember if its name is Robie or Steven.... LOL!). For me though, the Polaris might work better for my mobility issues. But one mis-step from that Polaris (or the electric bill), and it's gone. I'll get an M5 from Santa.

I can't wait to see everything begin for you! Soon, soon, soon, soon! (maybe your PB heard that my chant). And entertain us with pictures anyway. Just ones of the views will be great! (like you have nothing else to do, right?!) Thanks for sharing - not sure why I wasn't here sooner....... Take care. Suz.
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I plan on posting more photos as I go through the process. I really want a robot but the pool builder is having major hemorrhages with me deleting the plumbing for the Polaris. Frankly I don't want to give him any more reason to void my warranty. I already have him in fits over connecting my water fill to the irrigation. I just got tired of fighting and will be using the polaris for awhile. Then I'll buy a robot probably next pool season.

We are truly blessed by the view. It wasn't on our list of things to buy when we bought a different house a couple years ago. Our goal was a bigger yard for the pool and this house came up when we were looking and we jumped on it. I truly love grilling outside and being able to look at the landscape. There are a couple downsides. One is we have complete view into our neighbor's yard. In fact people when they come over think we already have a pool because from our kitchen you can perfectly see his pool and the 6' tall fence is so far down you can't see it. We close the blinds when they are out there because my kids being nosy as they are will stare at them through the window.

The other is my son is is fearless and some of the windows have quite a drop and we have to keep him away from the window. I get scared he might fall through. This is in our media room and it is 2.5 floors up in the house and the foundation is about 12' tall so roughly about 37' off the ground if he were to fall.

Maniac.jpg
 
tell the builder to install the polaris plumbing but just have them cap it. Tell them to keep the polaris and booster pump but supply the robo cleaner. This way your pluming stays the same and IF down the road you want the polaris no problem just buy a Polaris and booster pump.
 
No big deal Suz, the window was shut. ;)
Beautiful spot for the pool, hope you don't have to smash through to much of that Austin Limestone to get it in.
 
JonnyB said:
tell the builder to install the polaris plumbing but just have them cap it. Tell them to keep the polaris and booster pump but supply the robo cleaner. This way your pluming stays the same and IF down the road you want the polaris no problem just buy a Polaris and booster pump.
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I gave up trying to get him to delete it. If I leave the plumbing in the cost he would credit me for hte pump and the cleaner is so low I don't think it is worth it. I'll use it for a season and get a robot. Then maybe I can sell the used stuff somehow. I bet I could sell it used for more than what he wants to credit me for it. Frankly I just want him to get started and it seems like whenever I ask a question it causes a bunch of turmoil internally that causes my pool to go into "review" and then stuff doesn't happen.

SuzfromTexas said:
Ok, that last photo made my heart stop and scared the you know what out of me! I can hardly bear to look at it. I say put a leash on that kid!!! I just got the shivers again..... Suz. :pale:
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Yeah he is a daredevil. We plan on getting lots of alarms on the back door when the pool is installed. Plus we have an alarm system that can arm that door. We are taking every precaution. We keep the kids out of that room unless we are in there for that reason.

ozdiver said:
No big deal Suz, the window was shut. ;)
Beautiful spot for the pool, hope you don't have to smash through to much of that Austin Limestone to get it in.
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Our builder doesn't seem concerned. He said the rock is "softer" on that part of town. I think they plan on using a large excavator on our job since they have access. The side of our house has 18' between the fence and the house so he should be able to get pretty much anything in the back yard. Thankfully we don't have to take down the fence between our house and the neighbors.
 
So they got pretty far today. The digging crew said maybe 1/2 a day or a full day tomorrow and they'll be done. Some more photos (you'll see they hit ground water which to me is shocking since I live way up on a hill. Shows how much rain we have gotten):

image1.jpg
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And you'll see they planked my yard to try to protect the grass as much as possible.
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Geez, they got a lot done today! I'm glad you pointed out the ground water - I wouldn't have noticed that. How awesome that they tried to protect the grass. It's nice to see a PB go the extra mile.

Did your son ever leave that spot; was he still there in front of the window when you came home?!!! Take care. Suz.
 
SuzfromTexas said:
Geez, they got a lot done today! I'm glad you pointed out the ground water - I wouldn't have noticed that. How awesome that they tried to protect the grass. It's nice to see a PB go the extra mile.

Did your son ever leave that spot; was he still there in front of the window when you came home?!!! Take care. Suz.
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Actually he was really cute. The two pictures I posted of the tractor in the pool was through my living room window. We weren't in the house much today because my daughter is graduating from kindergarten and we were going back and forth to the school. But whenever we would get home he would run over to that window to see what was going on. He will definitely be entertained all day today.

As far as protecting the grass I actually had an epiphany when talking to builders. Several told me to hire someone after the build was finished to do all the landscaping/irrigation. I asked each one of them to give me a quote to add it to my contract and a couple did. Honestly their prices weren't that much more, if not the same, as having a landscape company come out separately to do it. Turns out I added all the lot repair/irrigation repair into my pool contract. This builder was average priced so I didn't feel like he is taking advantage of me. Plus now it is in his best interest minimizing damage as much as possible. I even can tell they are really going out of their way to make sure they don't tear up too much of my grass. For example they keep the huge tractor where my deck will be to not tear up my grass. All tools and jackhammer stuff is sitting where deck will be. I could imagine if I was getting a separate bid for my landscaping that they would have torn up way more yard.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh and I finally got new numbers out of the PB. Our original plan had the far end of the pool only 8' wide and when my wife and I saw the pin and paint in the yard we both thought it was too small. We up'd the size of the radius to make the end 10' wide and that pushed out the sides of the pool a bit so the pool has grown.
 
Super! A bigger pool is a better pool - well for many from what I've read.

Your son reminds me so much of my boys when they were that size!!! My younger one was going to be a mechanical engineer - he loved all things having to do with building, building anything!

It looks like your little one has a special blanket or stuffed animal. Such sweet, sweet memories! I blinked and mine were grown!!! (but they're fun now, too!) Enjoy. Suz.
 
ozdiver said:
Bacon, everything is better with bacon!
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So true! I am in complete agreement.

SuzfromTexas said:
Super! A bigger pool is a better pool - well for many from what I've read.

Your son reminds me so much of my boys when they were that size!!! My younger one was going to be a mechanical engineer - he loved all things having to do with building, building anything!

It looks like your little one has a special blanket or stuffed animal. Such sweet, sweet memories! I blinked and mine were grown!!! (but they're fun now, too!) Enjoy. Suz.
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Yes he has his "blankie" and a stuffed dolphin. The animal changes over time but the blankie is consistent. The blankie isn't really a blankie. This leads me to the story of the blankie...

We have three kids. For the first two kids my wife purchased two cute little blankies that matched (so we could wash one while the other was in use). Well on a trip to California in 2009 my middle daughter was 9 months old. We had rented a minivan with power sliding doors. We had one of those cute blankies with us. The other one was at home in Texas. We were in San Diego visiting friends and sight seeing (I went to college there) and then drove up north near Sacramento to visit my parents. Well in the middle of the trip we stopped at a gas station to get gas. We set onto the road and about an hour later my daughter started to have a fit. We realized she wanted her blankie. Turns out it was completely missing. We think she threw it out of the car when her door was open and we didn't notice it because we were using the power sliding doors to close the door from the front seat. Fatal parent mistake.

Well after being without blankie or its backup she managed to attach to some cloth diapers that my wife was using as burp cloths. She knew them because they were always on my wife's shoulder after breast feeding. We realized it was kinda nice that she was attached to them because we could get easy replacements. Then came child number 3 and my mother-in-law made us about 20 cloth diapers with ribbon and embroidered his name on them. So his "blankie" is a cloth baby diaper with some embellishments. They are about the right size and we have lots of them so in case they get lost we don't have problems. Turns out he maybe has 4 or 5 left and he now knows where the clean ones are so if he loses one temporarily he goes and gets another one haha.
 
I love your story about the blankies! It is such a nightmare when one is lost. Ya'll were very smart to latch onto the cloth diapers - something easily substituted. It was perfect (and sweet) of your MIL to embellish the diapers making them special (as long as your son didn't attach to a particular one!!).

And look!! You guys have a pool now - well, at least something that resembles the beginning of a pool, right?! For Austin, that's amazing speed especially for the dig. I'm eager to see more - those high wall forms are throwing me a little. Are those because of the slope? Wonderful curves - great for all sorts of water activities!

Ya'll have such a huge yard - lucky guys! Enjoy your evening! Suz.
 
Awesome!!! I got mine week before last. We should get all us newbies and do a Skype conference or something and practice together. Wait a minute... I can't remember. Did ya'll have a pool before this one? Maybe you can lead the practice session! :testkit:


Happy testing! Suz.
 

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