Yet another Texas pool build!

[kimkats]

Suz you DO have a point. There is one pool oh here where we THINK the stones might be causing some problems. She is still working on finding out where the problem is.

Think about it..........rocks/stones can be porous and have tiny little places for algae to hide in.

The pic picked out is the best of both worlds-----------great stone work AND no problems with it hiding stuff!

Kim

 

[ummgood]

I do like the stone photos you gals posted. Thanks for the ideas. I can't really do a stone feature that big without some major rework. All of my pool is at least 1 to 5 feet out of the ground and we would have to pour a significant amount of concrete to hold that. The rocks they are going to use are bigger but not much bigger than what I have now. Where a rock feature that big would be located the ground around my pool has to be built up in order to direct water away from the pool so if I added concrete it would mean that build up would be farther from the pool and I have some trees in the way unfortunately. Plus on that side I already have a raised bond beam with pretty stone (if it was laid correctly). They had some ideas to fix the rocks so they will look better than they do now but I won't have them hanging down into the waterline like I wanted.

The builder really seems genuine that they are not pleased with the way things are turning out on my pool. I think part of them are sad because they cannot give me what I wanted but they really had no clue. The sales guy really dropped the ball on this by not telling them. They also expect all my other poor work to be fixed by the tile/stone company and they are having a meeting with the owner of that subcontractor tomorrow morning.

Suz they really are aware they are slacking. I couldn't handle my wife texting me every hour because they weren't there or they weren't working. So now she knows to contact my girlfriend directly and complain.

My materials showed up today (retaining wall blocks, pavers, and coping). The guys who have been really flaky and not showed up when they should have were actually out here tonight checking it out but they didn't do anything. We'll see if they are here tomorrow. I know that the head chief commando of the pool company and my girlfriend will be here at 10 so they'll get to see if they are here or not.

 

[kimkats]

Ahhhhhhhhhh NOW I understand what is going on with the stone. I had no idea your pool was that far out of the ground.

I wonder what their ideas are for the stones. Will you be able to be there for the meeting tomorrow?

Good for your wife texting/calling your girlfriend............I am VERY surprised he has not done something before now.

HUGS!

Kim

 

[SuzfromTexas]

Well, I DID realize your pool is far up from the ground, but I didn't put two and two together. I guess when I retired, my ability to add went out the window. Sorry for missing the whole point.

As for Kim asking about their ideas for the stones... I can give a few ideas........... :taped: But I'm under a gag order, so I'm not allowed to say.
Suz.

 

[kimkats]

LOL I can just see your mouth taped TRYING to keep THOSE works in! LOL

Kim

 

[ummgood]

Ahhhhhhhhhh NOW I understand what is going on with the stone. I had no idea your pool was that far out of the ground.

I wonder what their ideas are for the stones. Will you be able to be there for the meeting tomorrow?

Good for your wife texting/calling your girlfriend............I am VERY surprised he has not done something before now.

HUGS!

Kim

My biggest gripe right now is you can see a ton of built up morter under the stones. I think it looks unfinished and they agree with me. The idea is to have them overlap the side of the pool slightly farther than the coping wood and tip the rocks so they go past the tile line a bit. Then the coping will be cut around the rocks so you won't see any morter for the rocks. Then on the back side they'll bring the browncoat up to the boulders so you won't see it on that side either.

I think I'll be ok with that it just isn't what I purchased AND I was asking every builder for this so it isn't like it is something I fell into. It was part of all the designs I looked at.

Well, I DID realize your pool is far up from the ground, but I didn't put two and two together. I guess when I retired, my ability to add went out the window. Sorry for missing the whole point.

As for Kim asking about their ideas for the stones... I can give a few ideas........... :taped: But I'm under a gag order, so I'm not allowed to say.
Suz.

haha I don't know who gave you the gag order but I would figure it is someone pretty scary so I won't ask you to disclose your ideas.

We'll see what happens today. The PB should be meeting with the owner of the tile company right now.

 

[kimkats]

Soooooooo??????????????????what was the outcome of today's meeting?

Been thinking about you and your pool.

Kim

 

[ummgood]

Soooooooo??????????????????what was the outcome of today's meeting?

Been thinking about you and your pool.

Kim

Thanks for the thought! I have been so swamped at work because we have a major customer release tomorrow and I have been trying to button everything up.

My girlfriend called and said the meeting went well. The head of construction for my company, my girlfriend, and the owner of the sub that did the tile work (I guess it is one of the biggest subs the pool builders use for tile). Anyway the owner admitted it was shoddy work and my girlfriend even started pulling off some of the tiles and they just came right off! He was able to pull off I would say 1/5 of the raised wall tiles with no effort. The owner of the tile company is going to buy and set all new stacked stone on my raised wall.

Tomorrow my girlfriend is going to be here to personally set all my stones so they look right. He doesn't trust the previous sub to do it. The sub will be here to help mix the mortar but he will be picking the stones and their location. I am going to try to be here tomorrow while they do it but I have to see what other issues are at work before I commit to that.

 

[kimkats]

Darn that thing called WORK!

IF you cannot be there have him test pics to you before he gets to the point of no return on the stones.

Kim

 

[ummgood]

So I ended up staying while they placed the stones. I am pretty happy with the way they are placed now. It isn't what I originally wanted but I think after the tile is back up and goes up to the edge of the stone it will look pretty nice.

My girlfriend literally tore off every piece of stacked stone on my bond beam. It was amazing how easy it came off. I think only one section was a little more difficult to come off. It was a really poor job. Plus it turns out some of my waterline tiles are also coming off so I think most of my tile work will have to be redone.

I didn't get home until after dark but my wife tells me they formed some of the deck today. We'll have to see how that turned out in the morning and I'll try to get some pictures.

 

[Fordracing19]

So you have a wife and girlfriend? I'm confused.

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[amandahein3]

So you have a wife and girlfriend? I'm confused.

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Lol his PB rep is the girlfriend. He calls him all the time like a needy girlfriend. Lol

 

[kimkats]

Make sure you use a measuring tape when you look at the forms for the deck.

I DO have to ask. Is the same person that put up the tiles and stack stones going to be the one to redo it??????

Kim

 

[Jannylee53]

Pictures... Need pictures.


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[bmoreswim]

Lol his PB rep is the girlfriend. He calls him all the time like a needy girlfriend. Lol

Thanks. I was wondering how the wife and girlfriend who spoke often was working out.

 

[Marlahoutex]

Where are the pics of the stone???

 

[ummgood]

So you have a wife and girlfriend? I'm confused.

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Haha sorry I call my pool builder contractor my girlfriend because he calls me at least 3 or 4 times a day. At least on weekdays. It is 1 or 2 times on weekends.

Make sure you use a measuring tape when you look at the forms for the deck.

I DO have to ask. Is the same person that put up the tiles and stack stones going to be the one to redo it??????

Kim

Same company will redo it but my girlfriend said the guy who did my tile and stone won't be allowed on anymore of his jobs.

Pictures... Need pictures.


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Where are the pics of the stone???

Ok ok. Sorry about the delay. We had a busy day. My 6 year old had a birthday party to attend. Then I did some honey do's around the house like change out furnace filters and I put special ceiling fan switches in our bedroom and the game room. Then I went to the grocery store and grilled up some food for dinner. Just now getting on here.

Here is the beam now with the stone removed and some boulders placed.


Here is a close up of the thin set. You can see everywhere the stone didn't even set in. Plus you can see where there are huge holes and also places where the tile doesn't even have thin set. I told my girlfriend I want all of those tiles reset too because if water gets in there and it freezes it will pop them off. He agreed. A couple of the blue tiles already popped off when we were moving the boulders around and some sound hollow after I went around the entire pool knocking on them.


Finally the forms for my concrete on the top portion of my deck. The problem is they are in the wrong place. I already measured and the form is too close to the deck. I wish they would just start something right the first time instead of having to redo everything. They would be more efficient if they didn't have to keep coming back out to do jobs over again.

 

[Jannylee53]

Thank you for posting these pictures. I can sense the intense frustration in your words. I hope the contractors you get from now on are of good quality.
But the pool is going to be awesome when it's completed.


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[kimkats]

Tell me more about these special switches for the fans. Living in Florida is living with ceiling fans just like in Texas. I am always wanting to learn new things.

I really like how the boulders look. Very random and nice shapes.

That thinset?????????? OUCH! It is like he had never done it before. Good call on getting the tile reset also.

Sad that the forms are wrong You and I both knew it would be with everything else that has happened. How do you feel about getting some BRIGHT spray paint and "showing" them where to put the forms.

What did your girlfriend say/act when you told him the forms were wrong?

HUGS! One day you will have a pool to float in and enjoy.

Kim

 

[ummgood]

Thank you for posting these pictures. I can sense the intense frustration in your words. I hope the contractors you get from now on are of good quality.
But the pool is going to be awesome when it's completed.


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I am honestly not that frustrated right now. Maybe later haha...

I feel pretty numb to it all at this point. It is to the point where I know the first attempt will be wrong.

Tell me more about these special switches for the fans. Living in Florida is living with ceiling fans just like in Texas. I am always wanting to learn new things.

I really like how the boulders look. Very random and nice shapes.

That thinset?????????? OUCH! It is like he had never done it before. Good call on getting the tile reset also.

Sad that the forms are wrong You and I both knew it would be with everything else that has happened. How do you feel about getting some BRIGHT spray paint and "showing" them where to put the forms.

What did your girlfriend say/act when you told him the forms were wrong?

HUGS! One day you will have a pool to float in and enjoy.

Kim

Nothing that special with the switches. We bought a couple fans that came with remotes and no pull chains to change the speed. Well turns out the remotes don't work that well so I put in wall switches that control fan speed and got rid of the remotes. They work much better now.

That is a good idea to spray where everything goes. The problem is I never know when they are coming and I am sure with the dirt they will fade pretty fast. Can you believe the thinset? I was a bit shocked when it was removed.