Charlotte Area Pool Builders (Sylva: house, buyers, contractors)

[lakeshow]

Anyone have any advice on inground pools? Are there builders in Charlotte that are reputable? Anyone used Anthony-Sylvan? We don't want to dump $50,000 and get burned and need advice from people who have had inground pools done.
Thanks

[Markh]

We used Shelton Pool and Spa out of Linconton. Great job and reasonably priced.

[lakeshow]

Finally a reply. Thank you. I'll check them out.

[Vicki3455]

Originally Posted by lakeshow

Anyone have any advice on inground pools? Are there builders in Charlotte that are reputable? Anyone used Anthony-Sylvan? We don't want to dump $50,000 and get burned and need advice from people who have had inground pools done.
Thanks

Our neighbor across the street is having a pool built by Anthony-Sylvan right now, and I asked him the other day how he liked that company. He says he's satisfied with their work -- when they bother to come!! He's frustrated that they only show up for the day about once every week or 2. I don't know why that is, but he seems resigned that that's the way it is with the company, and he's the type that would make a stink about it.

[U120]

I've heard horror stories about Anthony and Sylvan. Are you planning gunite or vinyl.

[lakeshow]

Gunite. I've read bad things about them as well.

[niknaxx]

We didn't build a pool here in Charlotte but we did in Tampa. What I learned while doing my research was not to go with national type builders, i.e. Blue Haven. They are in your area whenever they are there. If you have a problem they are going to come back when they have other complaints in the area, not because you are having a problem. They also build on their schedule, certainly not yours. I'd also research the surrounding counties' public records for lawsuits and check with the BBB. I'd get references and check them all, actually looking at the pools.

My husband is a civil engineer dealing with contractors and subs everyday of the week. Building the pool was a nightmare and he's experienced in the field! We did the research and thought we had a decent pool builder. Not! We had more problems with that pool than I'd care to mention! When we sold the house the buyers got stuck with the piece of junk!

Be careful of the gunite. If it's not think enough, the rebar will bleed through and rust. They also patch it with a different material than what you paid for. For the warranty on the nicer finishes, you need to have the water checked regularly by a professional pool company, it might even be weekly, for the warranty to hold up. It's just easier to pay someone if you are concerned about it because you will forget or go on vacation or whatever, and there goes your warranty. We didn't worry about ours because we knew we would move before the warranty expired. Also, do neutral tile. It sells so much better than blue dolphins. It happened to a friend of ours in FL, trust me. You can always put color around the pool with plants and decorations, keep your pool as neutral as possible.

I hope you have a better experience than we did. Good luck!