Yet another Texas pool build!

[ummgood]

Ahhh! Cutest pool cleaner EVER! She is adorable!
Gosh, you pool is beautiful! Wish we could do the travertine but I will console myself with remembering I am exceedingly blessed to be getting what we are doing and be extremely happy for those who were/are able to upscale. After all your headaches, you certainly deserve it!
Thanks for the heads up about Costco. There is one being built about a mile from me. I'll look there next year. I'll probably put up a small, sparse cheapie just so I can at least see a few of my favorite ornaments.

haha I said the same thing about the travertine . Actually my pool isn't travertine it is Belgard Pavers. I can't afford Travertine either. I really can't afford the Belgard pavers either but they charged me wrong for them so I ended up getting them for less than what I think they would have cost if they bid my pool correctly.

She is adorable!!! I'm sure she can't wait until it warms up again to swim. What a sweetie!

She would get in now if we let her. She is our "helper" she wants to help do everything. Our oldest is 12 and is your typically pre-teen that acts put out whenever you ask her to do anything but she'll do it. She is my official pool water collector when I test. She complains but I think deep down she likes it haha.

My youngest hates the cold. He is outside for maybe 5 minutes before he decides it is nicer in the house. He wants to help too but can't handle the weather.

 

[Marlahoutex]

...if they bid my pool correctly.

Umm, I think those 6 words sum up your build. But on the bright side, look at all you got in return! (Trying to find the positive in your build mess up)

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And have I told you how much I love your Beaded Smurf??

 

[Nursenini]

Well, shows how much I know (or actually DON'T know) about stone! Those Belgard pavers are beautiful!!

 

[ummgood]

...if they bid my pool correctly.

Umm, I think those 6 words sum up your build. But on the bright side, look at all you got in return! (Trying to find the positive in your build mess up)

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And have I told you how much I love your Beaded Smurf??

I agree with you. The positive in all of this is my pool is way nicer than I would have had if I would have went with the other builders. My budget wouldn't have allowed this pool to be honest. If you go back to the first page and look at the other 2 bids and what I actually got you can really see how much I got out of this pool builder. I am only 2k or 3k over what the second builder quoted me and maybe 7 or 8k over what the first builder quoted. But the first builder only had 1 skimmer, their own base pebble, and the design was really bad with the pool being higher than where the table would sit. So I think after I changed everything on that bid I might have been at a similar price.

You need to get the luminous in your pool! Your pool is half the size of mine so hopefully the upgrade would be <$1k. In fact I would try to negotiate it in from the beginning. Just tell them you want the luminous add in included and work out the price from the beginning.

Well, shows how much I know (or actually DON'T know) about stone! Those Belgard pavers are beautiful!!

Thanks! I didn't know much either. I really went with what the designer picked. He had to show me pictures of them to convince me. My girlfriend (the PB guy) had never seen them before either and he keeps raving about them. I think my PB now has 3 or 4 pools in process that has the same pavers because of my pool. I know they have brought people out to see it before I had my plaster.

 

[kimkats]

THAT is the cutest pool cleaner ever!

ummmm the teen DOES like to help but she HAS to act all put out....that is what they do....."I hate you" = Thanks for loving me enough to say no!

Kim

 

[ummgood]

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

So a few things have been happening. I basically went off on the owner of the company. I hadn't heard a date for the railing so I requested it. He basically said that he approved it 2 or 3 weeks ago. Then the next day I got an email from the scheduler that it was started and someone would be out to measure for it in the next week or 2 and the total lead time is 4 weeks. I had been told that for 6 weeks so why is the time starting now? Anyway so hopefully they come out to measure this week. Also as a safety measure I am supposed to be provided lien releases for all subs this week. We'll see....

Also last week they came out and tried to fix the plumbing again for the shut off to everything and after they left about an hour later we looked outside and our entire back yard was flooded. I guess the fix didn't work. I'll be fixing it myself at this point. This is crazy and they keep ignoring my advice. This is the 4th time this has been done incorrectly. The problem is it is a tight area next to a large boulder but I requested that they dig a couple foot above the area where the water line is anyway and cut there so they aren't trying to put a valve box, valve, about 10 elbows into such a small area. That is what I plan on doing if they are unable to resolve the issue.

Finally I got my latest utility bill and realized that we filled the pool 4 days after my wastewater averaging started. POOP! I called the city today and they said they can remove the amount of water from my bill that is the size of the pool thankfully. It won't account for the water that was leaked for an hour after the pipe burst but at least it is something. The city requires that the pool builder send the information about the pool and what dates it was filled on letterhead. I don't exactly trust the PB to do this for me so I wrote a letter today and sent it over so they can review and print it out for me. I'll go by tomorrow and pick it up and make sure the city gets it.

My chemistry is doing ok so far. I actually don't mind keeping leaves out of the pool now and up keeping the chemicals. It is kind of therapeutic. At least for now. We missed 2 days of scrubbing the pool due to Thanksgiving and rain. We are back at it now. The pool is crystal clear and the finish looks great.

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THAT is the cutest pool cleaner ever!

ummmm the teen DOES like to help but she HAS to act all put out....that is what they do....."I hate you" = Thanks for loving me enough to say no!

Kim

haha exactly!

 

[kimkats]

Good think you saw and called about the fill! That could hurt the wallet!

Rail.............oh my! Not cool at all! Maybe he was hoping you would forget about it????? LOL

The plumbing mess is unreal..........they are really pushing the limits on being as lazy as possible! Sounds like you would be better off doing it on your own just so you KNOW it is proper. Should you have to? NO but.........seems as if they can't

How is your foot doing? Is the doc happy? Do you think it is "fixed" this time?

Kim

 

[ummgood]

Good think you saw and called about the fill! That could hurt the wallet!

Rail.............oh my! Not cool at all! Maybe he was hoping you would forget about it????? LOL

The plumbing mess is unreal..........they are really pushing the limits on being as lazy as possible! Sounds like you would be better off doing it on your own just so you KNOW it is proper. Should you have to? NO but.........seems as if they can't

How is your foot doing? Is the doc happy? Do you think it is "fixed" this time?

Kim

Foot is healing. I have some issues with skin due to vascularity but it is healing just not as quick as the Dr would like. Basically there isn't much blood supply to toes and fingers and the more you do surgery on them the more likely stuff can be starved for blood. I have a little bit of that with my skin on my toe so it is taking longer for my wound to close. Anyway it isn't anything I did so it is doing well.

I am able to walk without crutches and can spend a little time on my feet so I am able to keep the chemistry up and also get leaves out of the pool. Friday I am probably going to take off work so I am home when it is light out so I can work on the plumbing and get that over with. I doubt anyone will come fix it in the next couple weeks because my girlfriend has 2 weeks off right now and he is the only one that really tries to get stuff done.

 

[JonnyB]

If the plumping leak is for the sprinklers I wouldn't even mess with it right now. Wait till spring when your foot is better and just hand water (if needed) with el nino you might not have to water at all. Now if your like me you are probably going to fix it anyways that way you know its done and not hanging over your head all winter.

 

[ummgood]

If the plumping leak is for the sprinklers I wouldn't even mess with it right now. Wait till spring when your foot is better and just hand water (if needed) with el nino you might not have to water at all. Now if your like me you are probably going to fix it anyways that way you know its done and not hanging over your head all winter.

They are supposedly coming to fix it tomorrow. I would leave it be but half of my hose bibs and all my irrigation are turned off. I don't care so much about the irrigation but the hose bibs are a problem because I have no way to rinse the leaves/debris out of my skimmer baskets/pool basket without carrying everything to the front yard.

 

[ummgood]

Uh oh I just noticed Kim is a moderator now! I must be on my best behavior. The moderator badge on here looks like a Texas Sheriff badge. I think I'll call her Sheriff Kim.

 

[ummgood]

Ok next question. My CH was tested at 125. I haven't tested it sense and have only really been focusing on PH, FC, CC, and TA. My targets for those are 7.2, 1.0, <1, and 100. I have been able to keep them pretty much in check (even though my chlorine is now 2.5 which my PB wanted 1 this week but I was battling leaves and muck from my pipes so I think it is finally leveling off to winter FC requirements. I asked my PB about the CH and he said never add calcium because most people battle it and can't get it low enough. I was thinking huh? I know the target is 250 or so correct? Should I not add CH until my plaster is cured? When is that? Should I wait until the salt system is up and running (even though it might not do anything because the water temp is in the 50's now.)

 

[kimkats]

Uh oh I just noticed Kim is a moderator now! I must be on my best behavior. The moderator badge on here looks like a Texas Sheriff badge. I think I'll call her Sheriff Kim.

ummmmm I would have to ban you if you were on your best behavior! I want/need the ummmmm we all know and love!!!! LOL

 

[bdrums]

Ok next question. My CH was tested at 125.... I asked my PB about the CH and he said never add calcium because most people battle it and can't get it low enough. I was thinking huh? I know the target is 250 or so correct? Should I not add CH until my plaster is cured? When is that? Should I wait until the salt system is up and running (even though it might not do anything because the water temp is in the 50's now.)

Our fill water tests pretty low on CH. Around 100. My PB dumped enough calcium in the pool to bring it up to about 300 right after we got the pumps running.

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Edit.

 

[ummgood]

Our fill water tests pretty low on CH. Around 100. My PB dumped enough calcium in the pool to bring it up to about 300 right after we got the pumps running.

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Edit.

Ok thanks! I think I'll get some and slowly add it to get it up some.

 

[ummgood]

Well here we go again...

So I was hoping the 5th time a crew came out to fix my shut off to my water supply line, that goes to the manual fill valve and my hose bibs, it would be done correctly. When I imagine an irrigation box in grass I somehow envision that it would be buried. That way a lawn mower could go over it and you wouldn't have to weed eat around it. Maybe I have the entire wrong idea of how plumbing should be done?

Anyway here is the irrigation box install...

Oh and what is that white thing I see there? Looks like a pipe sticking out of the dirt. Maybe that is so I know there is a pipe there?

I don't know what to do at this point. I am sure if I fixed it myself I would be happy but if there was any problem with any plumbing downstream from this pipe I am sure they would blame me and not fix it. Basically everything hooked to the city water supply they installed is after this.

 

[Mamiamjo]

Well, at least it's behind the rock so you don't trip over the shut off valve

 

[ummgood]

Well, at least it's behind the rock so you don't trip over the shut off valve

haha true and I can't see it if I don't go in that part of the yard...

So today I was excited because it is sunny and I am home because the railing guys came to make a template for the railing today. That went well and I wanted to make darn sure everything they are doing made sense to me.

They also came out today and put some dirt around the valve box and covered up the pipe. I'll live with it how it is for now.

On another note today is the first day I have seen the finish with glass with sun. Before it has been overcast or I have been home after it was dark. Let me say the finish really picks up sunlight. You can see bright reflections in both the tanning ledge and I can even see the glass pick up the light in the middle of the pool. My deep end is pretty much full shade right now due to the tree overhanging it so I can't tell that portion. Here are some photos of the finish on the tanning ledge. You can really see the glass now even the lighter colored glass. The waves in the finish are due to the water and the way the sun is hitting it.

This I think like the shells is really hard to pick up with a camera.

 

[Nursenini]

The beads look gorgeous, Umm!

I'm glad to hear your foot is doing better!
I giggled a bit when you related how you went off on the pool company owner, good for you! Sometimes you just gotta kick behind to get stuff done!!
now that they made the template, is it still 3-4 weeks???
I just don't even know what to say about your plumbing....just shaking my head and praying I don't have any of those issues.

 

[SuzfromTexas]

Your glass beads are fabulous! And I love the color! Great job on your selections! I know it looks even better in person. Try shooting the picture at an angle rather than straight on. I had better luck that way when capturing the sparkle of the shells.

This is so wonderful! I can't put into words how happy I am for you!

Be ever so careful with your foot!

Suz.