Yes: Pools are worth it....

[Spaulding Smails 1552]

2 hours ago, El Tri said:

what was the cost of the chiller, and is the electricity cost similar to having a second AC unit?

$3,500 or so for the chiller.  It runs on 230V 50A.  PPE in Austin where I bought it told me the electricity cost would be about $20/week during the summer which seems about right.  So, maybe a little less than running an additional AC unit.  Probably comparable to a mini-split.

[ZB'Tejas 593]

On 6/10/2020 at 12:55 PM, Dahobbs said:

Thoughts on or experiences or with automated pool covers? The concern is safety of small children and it seems like the best way to do that. We'd have a fence too, but wife would like more assurance. 

To add to this I have an automatic pool cover and it's been great. You do have to get them maintained every now and then but I personally think it's better than either a fence or the "Catch a Kid".

Draw backs are that you either need to open them up when it rains or have a sump pump on hand to remove the water. I saw the note on the skimmer running which is interesting... definitely don't want too much water and the weight or a lot of water can cause issues. Interested if that skimmer can handle the massive rain storms that we tend to get. I also find myself opening it up over night by July/August otherwise I feel it acts as na oven and does not let the heat escape therefore keeping the water warm. 

Pros are it's easy to cover/uncover therefore you won't run into the issue of needing to help the wife take off the net and therefore keep any barriers away from not wanting to use the pool. You can lock the cover switch with a key so when you travel or just want to make sure you keep kids out. Also when closed you can keep the grass out of your pool when cutting/trimming around it if you don't have decking. During rain the pool stays cleaner since you are not letting a ton of dirty rain water wash into your pool.

 

[Bill Clay 48]

On 6/11/2020 at 9:31 AM, El Tri said:

can you post pics and items you bought to make it?

Pump sits in crate and is strapped in using a motorcycle ratchet strap since the pump's motor is so "torque-ey" I didn't want it wiggling around underwater. There's also a 10 lb. dumbbell in the carton just to weigh the kit down a bit. 1.5" PVC coming up to a tee with another 1.5" PVC running laterally above it. About 50 holes drilled in the lateral piece that spray water up at about a 45 deg angle and outward about 15' back into the pool. I made the lateral piece removable with that rubber connector just to keep the kit more portable.

Link to pump (1hp version): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017TWW1PI/

 

[williemackgarza 1826]

Cant see shit..ray charles.gif

[Bill Clay 48]

 

[Dbeasy 15042]

We have a company that does all of our pool maintenance for a rental house we own in Houston. I never learned pool maintenance as a result. I'm wondering about backwashing. I don't recall the company doing this on the pool. Is it possible they don't do it? If they don't, will that create issues?

[Buzzrock 14902]

I backwash my sand filter fairly frequently. Otherwise it gets clogged up and the water flow diminishes a lot. At this point I can glance out the window at the spillover from the spa and know if it’s time to backwash.

[fattyflattie 4639]

On 5/27/2020 at 7:53 PM, williemackgarza said:

Does the salt jack with your stone deck??

Did this ever get sorted, specifically with Travertine?  We are starting to kick the tires a bit more seriously on a pool.  I've got a look I really like (similar to @shadetree (awesome pool!))  but wife is 100% on the saltwater train.   Typical chlorine is a non-starter for her, which I have to remind her it's odd to be so hard line for a person who desires yet does not have a pool.  Neighbor is saltwater and has travertine, but the coping closest to the water is "sealed" and the rest is not.  The sealed portion looks kind of shitty imo.  It turned it gray, while the rest is your typical light tan.    

@williemackgarza as far as heat, it is fine every time I'm over there.  It gets a lot "grippier' when wet, on bare feet.  He said it gets really slick if wearing shoes/sandals.  

Y'all have got some really nice set ups; super jelly over here.

[HouTex 1866]

Did this ever get sorted, specifically with Travertine?  We are starting to kick the tires a bit more seriously on a pool.  I've got a look I really like (similar to [mention=52]shadetree[/mention] (awesome pool!))  but wife is 100% on the saltwater train.   Typical chlorine is a non-starter for her, which I have to remind her it's odd to be so hard line for a person who desires yet does not have a pool.  Neighbor is saltwater and has travertine, but the coping closest to the water is "sealed" and the rest is not.  The sealed portion looks kind of shitty imo.  It turned it gray, while the rest is your typical light tan.    
[mention=1561]williemackgarza[/mention] as far as heat, it is fine every time I'm over there.  It gets a lot "grippier' when wet, on bare feet.  He said it gets really slick if wearing shoes/sandals.  
Y'all have got some really nice set ups; super jelly over here.

Our travertine did fine with our salt pool. I used the sealer Impregnator### (I forgot the numbers) and it did not change the appearance of the travertine and it worked great. If I ever have another pool it will be a salt pool.

[gyroprotagonist 2592]

On 6/14/2020 at 9:49 AM, Dbeasy said:

We have a company that does all of our pool maintenance for a rental house we own in Houston. I never learned pool maintenance as a result. I'm wondering about backwashing. I don't recall the company doing this on the pool. Is it possible they don't do it? If they don't, will that create issues?

I have a DE filter and do it about 1x per month.  There should be a gauge that shows a pressure value.  higher the pressure, the more clogged the filter is.  You can normally notice that your jets are putting out less flow when it gets clogged up.  Backwash, then add fresh DE

Then once per year (some say twice) open up the filter housing, scoop out all excess DE gunk and power wash the filters inside.

[williemackgarza 1826]

We are going with charcoal leuder coping, travertine deck over concrete base, true beach entry, salt water.
Working thru permits with round rock. We have a drainage easement along our back fence.
But hopefully next few days get rolling.
Gonna do a semi grotto/waterfall slide/jump.
Anyone have one?
Im prolly doing some type of leuder cut boulder steps and overhang. Thinking maybe a structural concrete cantilever footer for the overhang/jump rock to sit on.

[ousuxndallas 65]

This thread has me kicking around the idea of adding a pool as well.  

Found a GIANT rabbit hole by downloading Realtime Landscaping Architect (free).  It lets you design a pool and then view it in 3D.  Once you get the hang of the features, well, it's a giant time-suck.  You can add spas, diving boards, features, change the depths, stairs, etc.

[RMac5 1551]

Maybe you should opt for the pay version and add scantily clad women. 

[troph 24781]

Can’t decide what we want. So which version do y’all like better - rounded or straight angled:

 

Rounded:

 

 

 

Straight Angled:

 

 

 

 

House is contemporary/mid-century with a butterfly roof / shed roof. Btw the gaps are where we will have decking etc.

 

Truthfully I want wider and completely squared off at the larger of the two widths but septic, set backs and other site plan restrictions prevent it. So if we go square it’s not very wide.

 

We lean toward the curved. My prior pool was curved and we liked it but it followed some curves in the lot that made it blend well. Here the house is geometrical and right angled everywhere. Still think curved is better.

[Poolflood 845]

I get the shape and all but that's poor use of poolstudio. Go curved. 

Oh and they do good work.

Edited June 21, 2020 by Poolflood

[troph 24781]

Davinci?

[Poolflood 845]

54 minutes ago, troph said:

Davinci?

Yes.  Or last I knew of them.

[Buzzrock 14902]

Are diving boards still allowed? Thought they went away due to liability.

[troph 24781]

Yes.  Or last I knew of them.

Still owner operated. Gf uses them exclusively on her builds. They seem to do good work but QA isn’t my specialty.

[bernorange 8359]

8 minutes ago, Buzzrock said:

Are diving boards still allowed? Thought they went away due to liability.

IIRC diving boards require certain dimensions on depth and length of deep end.  You have to have a pretty big pool to install one.  

We just got a fake boulder on the deck for kids to jump off.  Worked fine for our needs.

[Buzzrock 14902]

I have one but it came with the house/pool and I think the pool was built in 2005. I do worry about it a little: one of my kids scraped her head on the bottom once after diving in.

[Bevo 13566]

21 minutes ago, Buzzrock said:

I have one but it came with the house/pool and I think the pool was built in 2005. I do worry about it a little: one of my kids scraped her head on the bottom once after diving in.

Growing up, we had a lot of friends who were OL. I don't know how our board didn't snap with all those 300lb guys jumping from it.

[orange dream 1246]

Definitely curved.  Probably a stupid question, but is the whole thing really elevated as shown in the drawing or is that just to highlight shape?  if it is elevated are you building a deck around the house side?

[troph 24781]

House is upside down due to a significant slope from street to the back with main living on the top (first floor to the street) and kids on the bottom floor. So there is deck around the pool, yes. My last pool was like this is this way. House construction starts tomorrow assuming no more rain!

[Poolflood 845]

9 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

I have one but it came with the house/pool and I think the pool was built in 2005. I do worry about it a little: one of my kids scraped her head on the bottom once after diving in.

My 2 pennies.  Have the board removed before you sell the house.

Pools with diving boards are required to have a very specific dive envelope.  Also diving boards aren't what they used to be.  There's no bounce to them whatsoever. 

[Buzzrock 14902]

22 hours ago, Poolflood said:

My 2 pennies.  Have the board removed before you sell the house.

Pools with diving boards are required to have a very specific dive envelope.  Also diving boards aren't what they used to be.  There's no bounce to them whatsoever. 

Why is that? 

[conVINCEd 21469]

23 minutes ago, Buzzrock said:

Why is that? 

Because somebody had an accident and died, and an insurance company got bent over in court.  Those old school diving boards that were super bouncy, in a small home pool, you could easily veer off course and bounce your skull on the side of the pool.

[Poolflood 845]

5 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

Because somebody had an accident and died, and an insurance company got bent over in court.  Those old school diving boards that were super bouncy, in a small home pool, you could easily veer off course and bounce your skull on the side of the pool.

Accident.  Quadriplegic.   Big lawsuit.  Removing board limits your liability.   Shit like that happens the lawyer sues everybody. 

[conVINCEd 21469]

32 minutes ago, Poolflood said:

Accident.  Quadriplegic.   Big lawsuit.  Removing board limits your liability.   Shit like that happens the lawyer sues everybody. 

Yeah, from an insurance perspective, the quadriplegic is more often than not worse than a death.

[Poolflood 845]

4 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

Yeah, from an insurance perspective, the quadriplegic is more often than not worse than a death.

There was a case in the late 90's.  Diving board accident.   Plaintiff sued:  pool builder,  original home owner,  couple service companies,  board manufacturer and the industry organization that created the original standard even though pool builder didn't follow standard.   When you move,  remove the board. 

[joe dirt 285]

been a month since we signed the contract and we’re still waiting for city of derkaville permits. our hoa won’t even review the plans until the permits are complete, so who knows when we’ll get this mofo started. in the month of waiting, we started back on the decking debate, and it’s looking likely that lady dirt will be getting her travertine. i never win, only try to postpone the inevitable long enough. in this case, permitting taking this long is what’s getting me. fml. 

we also realized we had no fucking benches in the design, so we’ll have a call in with the builder tmrw to add a few. also going to have him remove the dedicated suction and polaris 280 cleaner. i’ll be going with a dolphin robot or similar. 

[Poolflood 845]

23 minutes ago, joe dirt said:

been a month since we signed the contract and we’re still waiting for city of derkaville permits. our hoa won’t even review the plans until the permits are complete, so who knows when we’ll get this mofo started. in the month of waiting, we started back on the decking debate, and it’s looking likely that lady dirt will be getting her travertine. i never win, only try to postpone the inevitable long enough. in this case, permitting taking this long is what’s getting me. fml. 

we also realized we had no fucking benches in the design, so we’ll have a call in with the builder tmrw to add a few. also going to have him remove the dedicated suction and polaris 280 cleaner. i’ll be going with a dolphin robot or similar. 

Have fun with build.  Be prepared, subs are stretched thin.  But be patient.  On robotic, pick one that has local warranty.  Most cleaners have a bench warranty only.  

[Your Mom 4805]

5 hours ago, Poolflood said:

Be prepared, subs are stretched thin. 

Reminds me of a short documentary I recently watched.

[woohorn 1131]

I get the hate on polaris 280 because it is always there, but don't robotic cleaners have to be put in to clean and then taken out and stored?

My 280 runs a couple of times a day and I only have to empty the bag once a week. What advantages are there to robotic cleaners?

[williemackgarza 1826]

Dirt u in pville?

Im in round rock. These gunite/shotcrete guys gonna turn me mad.

Still waiting to shoot mine.

We’re going with travertine as well.

All these pool guys are swamped.

[Fudbelty 2787]

I’ve cussed and screamed and threatened to fill this fucker in, but days like Saturday are worth it.

[troph 24781]

Southeast view? Man that’s a pretty sweet Big Sky view. I’d be on that porch quite a bit soaking up the easy breathing in the evenings. I bet the summer breeze after dark is great there. Very nice.

[Fudbelty 2787]

Pool and house go East/West. That is northeast view. We have a wrap around porch that creates a wind tunnel with the N/S winds.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10229]

7 hours ago, williemackgarza said:

Dirt u in pville?

Im in round rock. These gunite/shotcrete guys gonna turn me mad.

Still waiting to shoot mine.

We’re going with travertine as well.

All these pool guys are swamped.

I'm getting plastered this week (yes and yes)... design/dig/gunite were super fast for me... then sloooooow... motion set in with tile/decking/finish/ etc... lots of work, add in weather and COVID and long process. But can't wait for this week when pool is filled.

[HouTex 1866]

I get the hate on polaris 280 because it is always there, but don't robotic cleaners have to be put in to clean and then taken out and stored?

My 280 runs a couple of times a day and I only have to empty the bag once a week. What advantages are there to robotic cleaners?

I loved my polaris 280. Super easy to maintain with very few moving parts. It kept my pool very clean.

[Hate 20106]

Yeah, another good thing about the 280 is it’s inexpensive to repair. I can’t imagine how much it must cost to fix one of those remotes when it breaks...and it will break. I had our original 280 repaired servers times before it started to have too many issues too frequently. I recently bought a new one. It should be a few years before I have to replace parts on it.

[Poolflood 845]

10 hours ago, HouTex said:

I loved my polaris 280. Super easy to maintain with very few moving parts. It kept my pool very clean.

 

9 hours ago, Hate said:

Yeah, another good thing about the 280 is it’s inexpensive to repair. I can’t imagine how much it must cost to fix one of those remotes when it breaks...and it will break. I had our original 280 repaired servers times before it started to have too many issues too frequently. I recently bought a new one. It should be a few years before I have to replace parts on it.

You can absolutely repair 280's.  You cannot usually fix robots.  In fact Polaris makes enormous money on cleaner parts.  

And dont over look the booster pump required to run the 280.  Super inefficient pump.  I've seen anywhere from 100-300 a year in savings with robots vs 280's.

Just my 2 cents.

[joe dirt 285]

19 hours ago, williemackgarza said:

Dirt u in pville?

Im in round rock. These gunite/shotcrete guys gonna turn me mad.

Still waiting to shoot mine.

We’re going with travertine as well.

All these pool guys are swamped.

yep, we’re at the 130/45 split east of costco. our builder has 3 other pools going in right now in our hood. 1 ahead of us and 2 behind us.

 

11 hours ago, MonkeyDoughnut said:

I'm getting plastered this week (yes and yes)... design/dig/gunite were super fast for me... then sloooooow... motion set in with tile/decking/finish/ etc... lots of work, add in weather and COVID and long process. But can't wait for this week when pool is filled.

what type of plaster are y’all getting? we’re currently set to get quartzscapes in tahoe blue. we was at my bro’s up in dallas this weekend and they have pebbletec. my kids complained that it’s a bit rough. we’ll see how the quartz feels. 

[troph 24781]

Decided curved. Excavation just started! Stoked...

[Poolflood 845]

34 minutes ago, joe dirt said:

 

what type of plaster are y’all getting? we’re currently set to get quartzscapes in tahoe blue. we was at my bro’s up in dallas this weekend and they have pebbletec. my kids complained that it’s a bit rough. we’ll see how the quartz feels. 

Quartz will always be smoother than pebble.  Pebble will last longer than quartz with little to no mottling.

[freyguy 4264]

44 minutes ago, troph said:

Decided curved. Excavation just started! Stoked...

Know that we all hate you right now.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10229]

11 hours ago, joe dirt said:

what type of plaster are y’all getting? we’re currently set to get quartzscapes in tahoe blue. we was at my bro’s up in dallas this weekend and they have pebbletec. my kids complained that it’s a bit rough. we’ll see how the quartz feels. 

Going with WetEdge Prism - Southern Lights.  Pebble type product with glass beads thrown in.  Its a lighter blue color, hoping for more of a blue / Caribbean type color look.

I too contemplated the pebble vs quartz but after trying and talking with pebble owners they all said its great and I'll like it.

[El Tri 412]

13 hours ago, joe dirt said:

yep, we’re at the 130/45 split east of costco. our builder has 3 other pools going in right now in our hood. 1 ahead of us and 2 behind us.

 

what type of plaster are y’all getting? we’re currently set to get quartzscapes in tahoe blue. we was at my bro’s up in dallas this weekend and they have pebbletec. my kids complained that it’s a bit rough. we’ll see how the quartz feels. 

went with pebble tec. yeah it's not smooth like the older plaster, but it looks much better and will last a lot longer. 

it is rough on the swimsuits when you're sitting on the steps / beer ledge though. My wife has had to throw away a couple of bottoms because of it. 

Edited July 7, 2020 by El Tri

[troph 24781]

We had pebble Tec on our last pool I liked it and got used to the rough texture after a month or so. Kids never complained after that. Not sure what we are using this time around.

[orange dream 1246]

Our first pool had the pebbletec surface. My only complaint with it was that every year the first weekend of significant pool time would lead to scrapes on the bottoms of the toes (possibly the textbook definition of 1st world problems).

Our current pool is an old 80's plaster pool and it feels oh so good on the tootsies.

@troph, that view is outstanding!! Can't wait to see the finished project.