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re: Very close to signing a contract on a new pool. What are the must/not haves to consider
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:49 am to sidewalkside
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:49 am to sidewalkside
We renovated an existing pool last year. Went with a darker plaster. It noticeably made the pool cooler than what was there before.
Also, learn how to do surgery on a polaris.
Also, learn how to do surgery on a polaris.
2
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:49 am to fcollins
A handle to help get in and out of the pool by the steps. 
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:49 am to sidewalkside
Best options
Variable Speed Pump
Sunpad - Small area where you can put a couple of chairs and an umbrella in the water.
LED lights
Control Center with Phone app
If you get a spa skip the bubbler pumps, you can only run them for about 30 mins anyway and they are loud.
Side Jets to spray water to cool it down or stop it from freezing.
Skip the suction side cleaner(polaris / Kreepy Krauler) and replace it with another water spraying feature.
Dolphin Robot to clean it
Variable Speed Pump
Sunpad - Small area where you can put a couple of chairs and an umbrella in the water.
LED lights
Control Center with Phone app
If you get a spa skip the bubbler pumps, you can only run them for about 30 mins anyway and they are loud.
Side Jets to spray water to cool it down or stop it from freezing.
Skip the suction side cleaner(polaris / Kreepy Krauler) and replace it with another water spraying feature.
Dolphin Robot to clean it
This post was edited on 6/23/25 at 8:50 am
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:51 am to fcollins
quote:
Don't do it, major pain to deal with and maintenance costs are ridiculous
I have a 30,000 gallon pool and spa with water features, heaters and chillers. I spent way too much on it and spend a lot maintaining it. I have no regrets, I use it constantly, and I will never live without one again.
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:52 am to BigBinBR
quote:
Biggest not have is a pool. Huge PITA and its not going to get as much use as you think - especially what you are going to pay for it.
The father’s curse.
Go to a vacation house and everyone loves playing foosball - get a table and nobody plays it after 2 weeks.
Everyone has a great time playing pool at a friends house - get a pool table and after 2 weeks nobody uses it.
Wife loves the hot tub at a VRBO….buy one and it gets used twice.
It goes in and on….
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:55 am to sidewalkside
We 86'd any sort of tanning ledge on our original design and opted for more open area. I sketched out a set of curvy steps that covers the shallow end for anyone with small kids or sitting area. That was a good move. We also have seating on two of the areas in addition to the steps.
I'd seriously consider a heatpump style cooler if doing it again. Our triangle shade, some natural tree shading and position within the yard helps keep the temps reasonable in the summer.
I can honestly say we didn't realize how much we'd enjoy having it. It totally made our Louisiana summers bearable. We justified it as "for the kids" (who were 6 and 8 at the time and had multiple years of swim lessons) But my wife and I get a ton of use. It extended our home creating a much nicer outside space than we had.
I love nothing more than doing my yard work and getting in to cool off. Can't be beat. Your millage may vary, but we use the shite out of ours and have absolutely already gotten our money's worth. I spend 5-10 minutes a week on maintenance. It mostly runs itself. Just clean filters, pool vac, add salt, acid, baking soda as needed.
I'd seriously consider a heatpump style cooler if doing it again. Our triangle shade, some natural tree shading and position within the yard helps keep the temps reasonable in the summer.
I can honestly say we didn't realize how much we'd enjoy having it. It totally made our Louisiana summers bearable. We justified it as "for the kids" (who were 6 and 8 at the time and had multiple years of swim lessons) But my wife and I get a ton of use. It extended our home creating a much nicer outside space than we had.
I love nothing more than doing my yard work and getting in to cool off. Can't be beat. Your millage may vary, but we use the shite out of ours and have absolutely already gotten our money's worth. I spend 5-10 minutes a week on maintenance. It mostly runs itself. Just clean filters, pool vac, add salt, acid, baking soda as needed.
This post was edited on 6/23/25 at 8:57 am
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:55 am to sidewalkside
The best option that you can get for a pool is someone else to take care of it.
Taking care of the pool zaps ALL of the enjoyment out of it.
So just budget in a couple hundred dollars a month for life for the pool guy, and put away a couple hundred more for broken pumps/equipment and the resurface that is necessary every 10-12 years.
I just had a resurface done...$13K. I have had 2 vacuum robots break, so I am on my third...$1400/ea. I have 2 pumps running my pool, they have each been replaced in the last 10 years...$1K/ea.
So just budget $400/mo in pool guy and repair slush fund. On top of the $125K it is going to take to put in a nice pool!
I was really close to just filling it in instead of resurfacing...$400/mo is a lot of fun money going into something that we use 15-20 times a year (twice a week during the Summer).
Taking care of the pool zaps ALL of the enjoyment out of it.
So just budget in a couple hundred dollars a month for life for the pool guy, and put away a couple hundred more for broken pumps/equipment and the resurface that is necessary every 10-12 years.
I just had a resurface done...$13K. I have had 2 vacuum robots break, so I am on my third...$1400/ea. I have 2 pumps running my pool, they have each been replaced in the last 10 years...$1K/ea.
So just budget $400/mo in pool guy and repair slush fund. On top of the $125K it is going to take to put in a nice pool!
I was really close to just filling it in instead of resurfacing...$400/mo is a lot of fun money going into something that we use 15-20 times a year (twice a week during the Summer).
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:55 am to sidewalkside
Please look up the Instagram series “frick this house” before going all in.
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:56 am to Chicken
Approx 15X32
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:56 am to sidewalkside
Changes we wish we had made on ours.
1: 2 different seating depths in Spa area. neck deep and chest deep.
2: Rolled edge on spa.
3: Slightly deeper sun shelf. Figure out your loungers and make sure its deep enough for them.
4: We have 2 umbrella holes in the sun shelf, but they are really too close to use at the same time.
1: 2 different seating depths in Spa area. neck deep and chest deep.
2: Rolled edge on spa.
3: Slightly deeper sun shelf. Figure out your loungers and make sure its deep enough for them.
4: We have 2 umbrella holes in the sun shelf, but they are really too close to use at the same time.
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:57 am to SquatchDawg
I’d agree with some of the sentiment. I would only build a pool if you’re truly pool rat types and will use it. We are water people, beaches, lakes, rivers, pools—I’m a junky for being in and around water, and our kids have had that since they were babies.
If I were just a guy who went in the water a few times a year and thought I’d do it more if I had my own pool, I’d be very cautious. I bet this weekend, Friday-Sunday, there was someone in or around the pool for 20+ hours. Kids have friends over all the time, I sit in the hot tub and toss a football to the kids so they can make highlight reel catches in the water. Endless entertainment for us that will never get old.
If I were just a guy who went in the water a few times a year and thought I’d do it more if I had my own pool, I’d be very cautious. I bet this weekend, Friday-Sunday, there was someone in or around the pool for 20+ hours. Kids have friends over all the time, I sit in the hot tub and toss a football to the kids so they can make highlight reel catches in the water. Endless entertainment for us that will never get old.
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:58 am to sidewalkside
Spa or no spa?
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:58 am to goat365
quote:
The best option that you can get for a pool is someone else to take care of it.
This is such a tired excuse.
Saltwater, learn how to test your water and how to adjust it, learn how to clean it properly. I spend maybe 1 hour a week maintaining my pool. In the fall and spring I spend maybe 5 hours opening or closing it.
We use our pool at least 5 days a week.
This post was edited on 6/23/25 at 8:59 am
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:58 am to sidewalkside
Heater and one that's sized for the job. I can have my pool like bath water in 20 degree weather. I found over flowing my hot tub into my pool heats it faster and better.
Salt water.
Cool deck or whatever it's called. shite is magic. No burned feet. If you do stone edging around the pool, get smooth edged. My wife wanted a more natural look and that shite will scour you. When we redo our pool, she'll listen to me.
Salt water.
Cool deck or whatever it's called. shite is magic. No burned feet. If you do stone edging around the pool, get smooth edged. My wife wanted a more natural look and that shite will scour you. When we redo our pool, she'll listen to me.
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:59 am to sidewalkside
1. Consider having a deep end. Our pool stays cool all summer without a chiller. Jumping in after exercising or yard work is awesome.
2. A tanning ledge is great. Sometimes you just want to sit and not paddle around. Lots of people also have a hole in the middle for an umbrella.
3. Don't plant anything near it that sheds frequently. I love a crape myrtle, but you will hate them anywhere near your pool.
2. A tanning ledge is great. Sometimes you just want to sit and not paddle around. Lots of people also have a hole in the middle for an umbrella.
3. Don't plant anything near it that sheds frequently. I love a crape myrtle, but you will hate them anywhere near your pool.
Posted on 6/23/25 at 9:01 am to goat365
quote:
So just budget $400/mo in pool guy and repair slush fund.
This.
Posted on 6/23/25 at 9:04 am to sidewalkside
- Salt water
- 27 mil liner (if going with liner)
- Cantilever coping (Stone/concrete); stay away from the cheap looking round top mount coping.
- Heat pump with cooling; extend you pool season in cool spring and fall days and helps cool the pool when it's really hot outside
- duel speed pump
- tanning ledge
- 27 mil liner (if going with liner)
- Cantilever coping (Stone/concrete); stay away from the cheap looking round top mount coping.
- Heat pump with cooling; extend you pool season in cool spring and fall days and helps cool the pool when it's really hot outside
- duel speed pump
- tanning ledge
Posted on 6/23/25 at 9:05 am to BoogaBear
quote:
Saltwater, learn how to test your water and how to adjust it, learn how to clean it properly. I spend maybe 1 hours a week maintaining my pool. In the fall and spring I spend maybe 5 hours opening or closing it.
This. 90% of our maintenance time is cleaning out the filter baskets and skimming leaves, etc... out of the pool. But that is because half of it sits under a huge oak tree. If we did not have the tree debris, our maintenance would just be occasionally brushing it and throwing in a bag of salt.
Posted on 6/23/25 at 9:05 am to BoogaBear
quote:
This is such a tired excuse.
I agree. I was a lifeguard in HS and even a bunch of HS dorks could maintain an Olympic size pool with just a little effort.
Sure some of the kids came out crying after we had to shock it - but those little nasty bastards needs a good disinfecting from time to time.
This post was edited on 6/23/25 at 9:06 am
Posted on 6/23/25 at 9:06 am to sidewalkside
Get back with us in a couple years and tell us how rarely you even get in it anymore.
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