SWIMMING POOL ADVICE: If you knew then what you know now.... (sales, contractors)

[HX_Guy]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

We've had three pools, only one of which we didn't inherit from somebody else. Prefer sand filter over DE. The pool we have now has no automatic filler feature. I can't imagine that it would have cost that much to put in. Big loss. If you have a play pool with shallow ends and a deeper middle, holes to accommodate a volley ball net is nice. Aerator is nice thing to have. We have a water feature that we manage to turn on about once a year. We have a heater that we have never used. Seats are a must. Somebody once described a pit with river rock in it that you backwash into. Sounded interesting but have never seen one. I like in floor cleaning better than something that swims around.

Good thought on the automatic pool water filler, that's a must.

Another must, at least in my opinion, that your post reminded me of is automation. Get a panel that allows you to program things like water features and pool lights otherwise you're likely to rarely use them out of inconvenience. Even better, there are ones that allow you to turn features on and off from your smartphone or a remote control. Ours came standard with one of these and I love it.

[meye4suns]

We had the very same thoughts on not getting the pool, AZDR0710.
That said, our kids will be home for the summer, we have lots of out of town guests and we are pool lovers. I think the view from your backyard can't be matched, so we're taking the "plunge"
Thanks for taking the time to put down your thoughts

[meye4suns]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

We've had three pools, only one of which we didn't inherit from somebody else. Prefer sand filter over DE. The pool we have now has no automatic filler feature. I can't imagine that it would have cost that much to put in. Big loss. If you have a play pool with shallow ends and a deeper middle, holes to accommodate a volley ball net is nice. Aerator is nice thing to have. We have a water feature that we manage to turn on about once a year. We have a heater that we have never used. Seats are a must. Somebody once described a pit with river rock in it that you backwash into. Sounded interesting but have never seen one. I like in floor cleaning better than something that swims around.

P Benjamin
Thanks for your thoughts....lots to consider. Another spreadsheet I have to build!

[Roger427]

[orphaned]

1. Pool builders don't do much of the actual pool building. Most are just general contractors that hire out the excavation, plumbing, electrical, shotcrete, plaster or finish, and landscaping. Some are landscaping companies and some are pool supply companies. Either way, you pay for project management as they all use the same sub contractors. For instance, if you get true PebbleTec, I believe there are 3 authorized installers in Phx metro, might just be two now.

3. What feature do you wish you had? More shade. I have swim up bar with pergola but still need more shade. Shade sails possibly this year.
4. What is a good size? Depends on use. Splash pools are basic 80 linear ft , 400 sf surface area. I think min should be 16 x 35, min with bigger being better. I would do 16 x 40+ next time. To me I'd sacrifice width for length for usability but that is limited by you available space.
5. What is the most important thing we should know to save $ and still have an enjoyable space. If you are willing to manage your own, you can save substantial amount by building your own. Check out owner builder. There is even a local company that assists owner builders buy outlining steps and providing names of sub contractors for all phases. I would do this if I did it again. Even if that is beyond your comfort level, consider doing landscaping on your own.

[meye4suns]

Originally Posted by Roger427

[orphaned]

1. Pool builders don't do much of the actual pool building. Most are just general contractors that hire out the excavation, plumbing, electrical, shotcrete, plaster or finish, and landscaping. Some are landscaping companies and some are pool supply companies. Either way, you pay for project management as they all use the same sub contractors. For instance, if you get true PebbleTec, I believe there are 3 authorized installers in Phx metro, might just be two now.

3. What feature do you wish you had? More shade. I have swim up bar with pergola but still need more shade. Shade sails possibly this year.
4. What is a good size? Depends on use. Splash pools are basic 80 linear ft , 400 sf surface area. I think min should be 16 x 35, min with bigger being better. I would do 16 x 40+ next time. To me I'd sacrifice width for length for usability but that is limited by you available space.
5. What is the most important thing we should know to save $ and still have an enjoyable space. If you are willing to manage your own, you can save substantial amount by building your own. Check out owner builder. There is even a local company that assists owner builders buy outlining steps and providing names of sub contractors for all phases. I would do this if I did it again. Even if that is beyond your comfort level, consider doing landscaping on your own.

Thanks Roger. My husband and I bought this house 14 months ago and have ripped out the flooring, taken taken down walls and gutted the kitchen and put in a new one with only two subs (flooring installer and guy to do drywall finishing and patch on the outside of the home). SO, we are BIG DIYers. We'd like to do the pool ourselves but didn't have an idea where to start. Do you happen to kinow the name of the company that assists people with their pools> I've heard the mark up is only 12% for pool builders over subs. if that's the case, it would be worth it due to the time it would take to do this on our own....Id like to have done by May. Something to think about. Thanks again for your advice!

[ijamez]

Originally Posted by kdog

Water features can give the sound of running water which is soothing and masks out any neighborhood noises. We had a water slide which was a total blast and got a lot of use everyone. We also had an automatic pool cover which is a real lifesaver in the desert to keep out blowing sand, tumbleweeds, critters, and to keep the water and chlorine from evaporating. Plus you don't need a pool fence or special locking doors/gates when you have an automatic cover.

This was our backyard in Kingman. To say I miss it is an understatement.

Awe man I think I just tinkled a little bit

[steigershark]

I love my pool ... wouldn't change a thing since I spent months designing it. The water features are great and give a nice soothing sound to the backyard. I also did the underwater pool lighting that changes colors which makes the backyard alot of fun at night. I'd say definitely get a spa if you can, because it's easy to heat up in the winter when it takes too long to heat up the pool. I also wanted to keep the pool on the smaller side so it would be easier to heat up in the spring and fall. The pool water temps gets to about the upper 80s in the summer which I find comfortable.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by meye4suns

I've heard the mark up is only 12% for pool builders over subs. if that's the case, it would be worth it due to the time it would take to do this on our own...

Spot on. I think you'd be nuts to supervise your own pool build. There's a lot of design work that goes into a pool. Who does that if you're your own GC? Good luck trying to get book-smart on building pools too. There's not a single book on Amazon for pool building (I've checked).

With a GC there are no finger pointing issues between subs if there's a problem that crosses two or more trades. Say your pool cracks when you fill it with water. Was that because of improper soil compaction, steelwork, gunnite or plaster? What happens if you have a pipe leak under your decking. The plumber says he pressure tested the lines, must have been the concrete guy or landscaper driving over the pipes. Good luck resolving that. With the pool builder you just say, "fix it".

Plus a lot of the trades in AZ are done by immigrants and there are often language issues. They really don't have a huge incentive to do good work for you. They get in, get out and wash their hands of your job. But it's the opposite when they work with pool builders. That's their bread and butter, so they'll do their best work.

And don't forget that pool builders warranty pools in AZ for three years by state law. Build it yourself, and who warranties the pool? You do. That's worth the 12% right there. We had tons of small warranty issues to deal with on our pool.

[grassfeeder]

I couldn't think of a more unenjoyable experience than trying to build a pool. I'd rather GC my house build than a pool build.

You'd be amazed at what a difference a case of Corona in an ice cold cooler on the patio does to the craftsmanship level

[Ponderosa]

A caveat on the automatic fill feature. I have it so this is not a rationalization of not having one. It will give you a "bathtub" ring in no time. Due to extreme evaporation and the hard water here you will get deposition of salts at the water line. Auto fillers keep the water at the exact same level and rainfall is rarely sufficient to change that for more that a day or so. So you end up with a thin line of salt deposits there that is nearly impossible to get off unless you are diligent about scrubbing them off regularly. Without auto fill the level fluctuates enough that the deposition is spread around a bit and the line is less noticeable and less thick and comes off with some muriatic acid.

Now, I would not be without the autofill. With auto fill and a salt pool you can actually leave town for several days or longer and not ask your neighbors to keep your pool filled for you or have to hire a pool guy. In summer you can lose a 1/4-1/2 inch a day of water from the pool.