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I didn't read all the posts here but I had a pool put in a few years ago by Keith Zars. Went with the Pebble Tec which is a bit more forgiving of dirt and stains if any at all.
I won't say don't get one but getting a pool is not something I would go through again personally if I ever move. I will make it a point to find a house without one.
Oh and skip the UV gadgets. They almost never work. I ripped my UV system out after a few years.
Location: Finally the house is done and we are in Port St. Lucie!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by City Guy997S
Note vinyl screen won't keep alligators out.....
I've seen news where alligators have just gone right through screens to get to the pool. I guess it depends on how dry and hot it is. (Dry as rain, not referring to the humidity factor)
Another interesting fact about alligators: they can climb chain link fences.
I didn't read all the posts here but I had a pool put in a few years ago by Keith Zars. Went with the Pebble Tec which is a bit more forgiving of dirt and stains if any at all.
I won't say don't get one but getting a pool is not something I would go through again personally if I ever move. I will make it a point to find a house without one.
Oh and skip the UV gadgets. They almost never work. I ripped my UV system out after a few years.
That must have been a while back. The UV systems have been improved and work GREAT!
1. Yeah, I love the trees and am not willing to cut them all down but at least one is definitely going.
2. We've got a high privacy fence so that's good.
3. No diving board!
4. We're doing a beach entry so I think we're OK on the exit thing.
5. Told my husband about the Pebble Tec finish - I really like that. Not sure of the maintenance on it.
6. Thanks for the advice on the filter system - I'm definitely going to look into all types.
7. I'm very intrigued by the idea of solar power for the pool. We have the perfect spot to install some sort of solar apparatus without it being seen from the front of the house.
Question - we're in NE Texas (not sure what part of Texas you're in and as you know, there's a wide variation in weather in this large state), so we have long, hot, humid summers and short, mild (but occasionally icy and even a few flurries) winters. Temperate springs and falls with temps in the upper 70s or lower 80s and lows in the 50s and 60s for a couple of months on either end of summer. How long do you think we would need to run a heater if we installed one? We are not interested in actually swimming in the pool in the winter but we wouldn't mind extending the actual swimming season as long as possible. I mean, I could see having to heat the water if the temps are in the 50s or 60s at night, even if they are in the 80s during the day.
I’m located in the North Dallas area. I learned a lesson quickly about heating the pool, it takes forever to increase the temperature by just a few degrees and it’s very costly. I used it now for the Spa/Jacuzzi only, even in the winter it heats up fast.
In this part of Texas, algae control is very important. Eliminate phosphates, brush the pool, circulate the water 10 to 12 hours daily during the summer, and shock the pool weekly.
During the hot summer, the pool will also be very warm.
We love our infinity pool! Think about that feature too. Birds swoop down and take a beak-full, or stand on the lip to bathe and drink. It is great fun to watch them. Plus you can hang on the edge and float.
We have next to no bugs, and no deciduous leaves---maybe the occasional bougainvillea flower, LOL.
I really love the idea of your "beach entrance"---what a fabulous idea! I know you are in good physical shape now, Kathryn, but a lot can change in a few years. Getting out on those steps in something I dread.
I'd put a rail on the beach entrance too, if they don't come that way.
The area around the pool is pebbled BUT there are some slick tiles done in a decorative design, and even on those narrow pieces, I almost slipped. So don't do that, LOL!
Even with the ocean steps away, we love our pool. No jellyfish!
Yeah, I got online and looked at our neighborhood from an aerial view, and about 1/4 of the homes in our neighborhood have pools (and it seems like every year several more build one). In our former neighborhood about 1/3 had them. We'd rather not build one either! LOL but when we were looking at homes, we never could find one with a pool, that didn't need extensive renovations on the house or property. Now, three years later, we've renovated the house and love everything about it EXCEPT it doesn't have a pool! But we stole this house price wise so we had a lot of room for renovations. The pool will push us over the threshold so if we build one, we sure better stay here for a long time!
We're looking at waterfall at one end, a beach entrance so our dogs don't drown, and three waterfalls (small ones) coming out of the retaining wall that we have to have on one side. I was thinking about lights but honestly, now I'm leaning toward those amazing glow in the dark tiles!
I think it will be beautiful to look at from all the windows in the back of the house - the kitchen and living room all have lots of windows. So yes, I agree, it will add even interior ambiance.
Thank you for your feedback and experience. Oh, question - do you have a heater? If so, do you use it often?
Yes, we have a heater, but it has since broke (probably due to age) and we haven't bothered to fix it. While we would like longer pool use we just don't want to spend the $3500. Our neighborhood is probably very similar to yours. It is an older established neighborhood that isn't master planned, so there isn't a "community pool" or anything of that sort. Instead the lots are large (usually at least .38 acres) to accommodate personal pools. I'd say at least half, if not more, have pools in our neighborhood regardless of the age of homeowner. Many of those who don't have one put one in.
Our pool is right beneath a HUGE red oak tree, so yes there is lots of debris in the pool at any given time (didn't want to spend $ for the cover and still don't). But during those 100 degree days when you'll burn in the water, our pool is mostly shaded so it's a good tradeoff. I'd definitely get a spa, that is worth the money. Many of the other things, IMHO, are "ok"...a water slide (especially with a grotto) since we have kids would have been nice, but "after construction", I don't want to pay for it. I'd rather sink the money into the mechanicals and maybe the coping/decking than adding some extra fountains. I do like LED lighting though.
I've attached a picture of what our pool looks like with some of the landscaping. We too have a wall of windows (the bay kitchen window plus a wall of patio doors in the family room) so that as soon as a guest steps down the foyer to the family room they can see into the backyard. makes for a nice visual. one of the reasons why we bought the house. Once you put a pool in, of equal consideration is great landscaping around the pool and around your entire lot. Behind the pool area (second picture) is a rose garden and one of the side yards has a path with shade plantings. Only one side has grass and for symmetry purposes I'll probably do a bit of development with that as well but not too much due to dog.
ETA - the picture makes the pool seem really big but it's not. It's a standard size, which is good as we don't want the pool area to dominate the .46 acre lot but be big enough to decently go from side to side. While my husband and I are swimmers, much of the time we just like hanging out in the water not really doing much of anything, and with the kids they just want to be able to splash and play and float. No use getting a super long pool if people are just casual swimmers like ourselves.
Yes, we have a heater, but it has since broke (probably due to age) and we haven't bothered to fix it. While we would like longer pool use we just don't want to spend the $3500. Our neighborhood is probably very similar to yours. It is an older established neighborhood that isn't master planned, so there isn't a "community pool" or anything of that sort. Instead the lots are large (usually at least .38 acres) to accommodate personal pools. I'd say at least half, if not more, have pools in our neighborhood regardless of the age of homeowner. Many of those who don't have one put one in.
Our pool is right beneath a HUGE red oak tree, so yes there is lots of debris in the pool at any given time (didn't want to spend $ for the cover and still don't). But during those 100 degree days when you'll burn in the water, our pool is mostly shaded so it's a good tradeoff. I'd definitely get a spa, that is worth the money. Many of the other things, IMHO, are "ok"...a water slide (especially with a grotto) since we have kids would have been nice, but "after construction", I don't want to pay for it. I'd rather sink the money into the mechanicals and maybe the coping/decking than adding some extra fountains. I do like LED lighting though.
I've attached a picture of what our pool looks like with some of the landscaping. We too have a wall of windows (the bay kitchen window plus a wall of patio doors in the family room) so that as soon as a guest steps down the foyer to the family room they can see into the backyard. makes for a nice visual. one of the reasons why we bought the house. Once you put a pool in, of equal consideration is great landscaping around the pool and around your entire lot. Behind the pool area (second picture) is a rose garden and one of the side yards has a path with shade plantings. Only one side has grass and for symmetry purposes I'll probably do a bit of development with that as well but not too much due to dog.
ETA - the picture makes the pool seem really big but it's not. It's a standard size, which is good as we don't want the pool area to dominate the .46 acre lot but be big enough to decently go from side to side. While my husband and I are swimmers, much of the time we just like hanging out in the water not really doing much of anything, and with the kids they just want to be able to splash and play and float. No use getting a super long pool if people are just casual swimmers like ourselves.
Wow, beautiful landscaping and garden, my backyard is a postage stamp.
That must have been a while back. The UV systems have been improved and work GREAT!
1. UV is inadequate to sterilize the water properly. I would read a link with scientific info to prove otherwise.
2. Outdoor pools receive all the UV they need for free. It's called the sun.
3. There are no sanitation methods that are as good and efficient as chlorine, either manually added or delivered via a SWG. Period. Any claims about Ozone, UV, minerals are snake oil at best, dangerous at worst. The problems most people associate with chlorine are from improperly managed pool water, either high combined chlorine from a public (bather load too high for chlorine to handle) or pH that is out of the 7s. Green hair comes from copper based algaecides, not chlorine. I have a manually chlorinated pool and I have had sparkling water 365 with very little effort. You cannot smell the chlorine, you cannot tell it on your skin or hair, and my swimsuits look the same as the day I bought them. I have never "shocked" my pool, everything I put in my pool comes from the grocery store or the hardware store.
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