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Message
Building Pool - Recommendations?
Posted on 12/17/20 at 5:42 pm
Posted on 12/17/20 at 5:42 pm
We decided to get a gunite pool. I'm trying to make sure I'm not missing anything I'll wish I would've done later. Our dig date is January 20th. We are going with an 18x36 rectangle sports pool, a 7x7 square spa, and a sun deck big enough for 3 of those in water lounge chairs. The 18x36 is the main pool and the spa and sun deck protrude out from it so they won't interfere with main pool. Depths will be 3.5'x5'x3.5'. We have steps entering pool on each side and seats built into the sides of the pool in several places. I'm debating between the Marquis Magic(upgrade over standard white) plaster and the little more expensive but rougher pebble plaster. We are doing silver travertine coping. The builder is including a Dolphin DX3 cleaner. It'll be fully automated through an app. We have 3 LED lights in pool, 1 in spa, and 2 LED bubblers on sun deck. In our quote is 800 sq feet of concrete decking around pool. We are going with traditional chlorine. We'll be getting a 400k BTU heater. Are there any must haves I'm missing or any advice on anything?
11
Posted on 12/17/20 at 7:34 pm to BentonTiger7
Go to troublefreepool.com, join, read, and do what they say. You will save many headaches and eleventy billion dollars.
Posted on 12/17/20 at 9:45 pm to Mizooag94
quote:
Go to troublefreepool.com, join, read, and do what they say.
This.
They will at LEAST teach you ways that Leslie’s and other box pool stores are full of shite.
Buy the water test kit they suggest. Taylor brand but I can’t recall the model number.
Posted on 12/17/20 at 9:46 pm to BentonTiger7
Don’t listen to the one’s that say not to build it.
Posted on 12/17/20 at 10:28 pm to BentonTiger7
Look into a Baja shelf or tanning ledge, i've seen them named both
Posted on 12/18/20 at 5:38 am to Weekend Warrior79
quote:
Look into a Baja shelf or tanning ledge, i've seen them named both
We are doing one that is big enough for 3 of the in water lounger chairs and 2 tables/umbrellas.
Posted on 12/18/20 at 6:53 am to BentonTiger7
Sounds like exactly what we want to do
Mind sharing ballpark cost?
Mind sharing ballpark cost?
Posted on 12/18/20 at 8:36 am to BentonTiger7
That's going to be a nice pool.
A couple things. A shallow pool will heat up the water and since you are going with a sports pool there is not much you can do about the depth. Might want to consider a chiller which will make the pool very refreshing in the summer heat.
Do you have trees nearby? If so, maybe consider a pool cover that is easy on/easy off and looks attractive when it is on. Not only will it help keep the pool clean but will help prevent dropping that will stain the bottom if left to sit down there for a day.
A couple things. A shallow pool will heat up the water and since you are going with a sports pool there is not much you can do about the depth. Might want to consider a chiller which will make the pool very refreshing in the summer heat.
Do you have trees nearby? If so, maybe consider a pool cover that is easy on/easy off and looks attractive when it is on. Not only will it help keep the pool clean but will help prevent dropping that will stain the bottom if left to sit down there for a day.
Posted on 12/18/20 at 9:17 am to BentonTiger7
What's that costing you?
Posted on 12/18/20 at 10:38 am to wileyjones
Looking to be in the $75k range with all the upgrades.
Posted on 12/18/20 at 10:40 am to fwtex
quote:
A couple things. A shallow pool will heat up the water and since you are going with a sports pool there is not much you can do about the depth. Might want to consider a chiller which will make the pool very refreshing in the summer heat.
Do you have trees nearby? If so, maybe consider a pool cover that is easy on/easy off and looks attractive when it is on. Not only will it help keep the pool clean but will help prevent dropping that will stain the bottom if left to sit down there for a day.
Between my house and the trees my pool should get a decent amount of shade. I'm hoping between the shade and running water features at night I can keep it comfortable. I don't like the idea of a cover but I don't want to lose too many trees so it may be unavoidable.
Posted on 12/18/20 at 10:44 am to BentonTiger7
quote:
75k Range
Fair price. That's a starter pool in Houston.
Posted on 12/18/20 at 10:50 am to FlyinTiger93
quote:
Fair price. That's a starter pool in Houston.
Yeah I had other quotes closer to $90k for the same pool, equipment, finishes, etc. I sent the itemized quote to other builders so they bid the same exact thing. I would be scared with it being so much cheaper but I personally know 5 people that have used this builder in the last 6 years and all have said they'd use this builder again in a heartbeat.
Posted on 12/18/20 at 12:24 pm to BentonTiger7
Do your research on best/easiest maintenance of plumbing and equipment.
Over the years, you're likely have the need to replace a valve or repair an elbow leak. You'll definitely need to pull your filer (assuming you're using a DE filter). Save yourself a ton of aggravation now by demanding your equipment to be set up a specific way. Organized, yet far enough apart to make maintenance easier - which means a much larger pad than most builders want to make. Pay special attention to the placement of the filter.
If your filter is way behind your plumbing -- it will make pulling the filter and cleaning it that much harder.
Above pic isn't the best example, but if your equipment is crowded like this, you'll have a bigger chore than necessary when it comes to cleaning your filter. I bigger pad, spreading the equipment out, gives you more room to operate.
Pay the extra money to get variable speed pumps. It saves you money, and extends the life of your equipment.
Since you have 3 basic light zones and 6 total lights -- here's my suggestion. Get the builder to wire the lights into as many zones as possible (individually is more expensive, but my preference). The idea here is, if all of your lights are on a single zone, they're going to be all the same color at the same time. If you set up multiple zones, you'll be able to set up theme-style colors easier (LSU colors during game parties?). This is more of a "Man, I wish I had done that" type of thing.
Lastly, triple-check the design layout of the images they produced to tell you, "here's what it will look like" with your actual contract.
For instance, My house is on a hill, so my back door/patio is actually about 6 feet from the ground. I built my pool and deck up at floor level with my house so that I can see the pool out the back windows instead of having to go outside and look down. My builder included coping on 3 different sets of stairs I have for my build in the computer design pics (one on side of house facing the street, two on each side facing the back.).
Yet, in the contract he specifies, "Coping on 3 steps". Yes, that MFer got me. During the build he starts wrapping up, and I told him that he still had to do the coping on the stairs. His response, "No, the contract states we only do coping on 3 steps. Anything else is extra." MFer!
Anyway, words were exchanged, and we ended up negotiating that he'd put coping on all of the steps that face the street on the side of my house for free. And I promised not to raise hell about how he played word games with the contract.
Moral of the long-arse story. The computer design does not matter. Only thing that matters is the words in the contract. I knew better, and the error was mine. But I still felt like he intentional played word games.
Over the years, you're likely have the need to replace a valve or repair an elbow leak. You'll definitely need to pull your filer (assuming you're using a DE filter). Save yourself a ton of aggravation now by demanding your equipment to be set up a specific way. Organized, yet far enough apart to make maintenance easier - which means a much larger pad than most builders want to make. Pay special attention to the placement of the filter.
If your filter is way behind your plumbing -- it will make pulling the filter and cleaning it that much harder.
Above pic isn't the best example, but if your equipment is crowded like this, you'll have a bigger chore than necessary when it comes to cleaning your filter. I bigger pad, spreading the equipment out, gives you more room to operate.
Pay the extra money to get variable speed pumps. It saves you money, and extends the life of your equipment.
Since you have 3 basic light zones and 6 total lights -- here's my suggestion. Get the builder to wire the lights into as many zones as possible (individually is more expensive, but my preference). The idea here is, if all of your lights are on a single zone, they're going to be all the same color at the same time. If you set up multiple zones, you'll be able to set up theme-style colors easier (LSU colors during game parties?). This is more of a "Man, I wish I had done that" type of thing.
Lastly, triple-check the design layout of the images they produced to tell you, "here's what it will look like" with your actual contract.
For instance, My house is on a hill, so my back door/patio is actually about 6 feet from the ground. I built my pool and deck up at floor level with my house so that I can see the pool out the back windows instead of having to go outside and look down. My builder included coping on 3 different sets of stairs I have for my build in the computer design pics (one on side of house facing the street, two on each side facing the back.).
Yet, in the contract he specifies, "Coping on 3 steps". Yes, that MFer got me. During the build he starts wrapping up, and I told him that he still had to do the coping on the stairs. His response, "No, the contract states we only do coping on 3 steps. Anything else is extra." MFer!
Anyway, words were exchanged, and we ended up negotiating that he'd put coping on all of the steps that face the street on the side of my house for free. And I promised not to raise hell about how he played word games with the contract.
Moral of the long-arse story. The computer design does not matter. Only thing that matters is the words in the contract. I knew better, and the error was mine. But I still felt like he intentional played word games.
Posted on 12/18/20 at 12:38 pm to BentonTiger7
quote:
Yeah I had other quotes closer to $90k for the same pool, equipment, finishes, etc. I sent the itemized quote to other builders so they bid the same exact thing. I would be scared with it being so much cheaper but I personally know 5 people that have used this builder in the last 6 years and all have said they'd use this builder again in a heartbeat.
What builder are you using?
Posted on 12/18/20 at 1:07 pm to BentonTiger7
The one thing I would change about my pool/spa build is the seating in the spa. We have a seat all the way around at one level which is about 1 foot below the water line. I wish there was some seating where I could be submerged to my neck. Its nothing I considered before hand and I wish I would have paid attention.
Posted on 12/18/20 at 2:17 pm to Floating Change Up
quote:
Floating Change Up
Good info! Thanks!
Posted on 12/18/20 at 2:19 pm to Gauge
quote:
What builder are you using?
LBK Luxury Pools. Formerly known as Jeff's complete Pools before the divorce. They are out of East Texas but do a lot of work in the Shreveport-Bossier area.
Posted on 12/18/20 at 3:27 pm to BentonTiger7
Electric heat or propane? how many jets? chiller?
I'm glad your not using the same guy I used, I'm in Benton too.
I'm glad your not using the same guy I used, I'm in Benton too.
This post was edited on 12/18/20 at 3:34 pm
Posted on 12/18/20 at 4:55 pm to 24nights
quote:
Electric heat or propane? how many jets? chiller?
Gas. My quote says 2 skimmers, 2 main drains, and 5 directional returns. Plus I'll have 2 lighted bubblers on sun ledge/layout deck. I don't have a chiller but live in WLS and have a ton of mature trees and my back yard gets a lot of shade. I'm hoping I won't need one since I've read that running water features at night can keep temp down.
quote:
I'm glad your not using the same guy I used, I'm in Benton too.
Do you mind telling me who or at least initials of the company?
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