OT - Pool advice

[Seinfeld]

We’re in the design phase of completely re-doing our back yard, and the current plan is to put in a gunite pool this summer/fall. The downside is obviously the cost, but I’ve had 3 different guys come out and all say the same thing. Due to the slope of our yard, a fiberglass would require extensive retaining wall work, and by the time you do all that, you may as well just go the gunite route which allows you to design exactly what you want from scratch.

Anyway, we’ve never had a pool of any sort, so it’s a little weird starting with a blank canvas like this. Any of y’all pool owners have tips for what we should be thinking about? We’ve got 2 fairly young kids, but we’re not looking for a water park. Just something to dip into, catch some sun, and be able to use throughout as much of the year as possible

 

[Drebin]

Gunite is expensive up front but it will save you money in the long run.

Saltwater is far easier to maintain in my opinion than chlorine, although you will have some added expense of replacing the t-cell cartridges and more wear and tear on your pumps from the salt. But in my pool, I just open it, dump in the amount of salt I need, and I don't add any other chemicals to it for the duration of the summer, except the occasional bag of salt.

If you're going to have a concrete pad around the pool, make sure the dirt is firm enough that you won't have extreme settling. You don't want the concrete around your pool cracking.

Get the hard pool cover. A little expensive but worth it.

 

[SheltonChoked]

Some of this will depend on where you live.

If you can, get a pebble tech (or similar) finish. Plain Gunite/plaster has to be re done every 5-10 years or so. Pebble tech lasts 20+.

Saltwater pools are cheaper on Chemicals, but remember salt water corrodes Aluminium and 304 Stainless steel.

How warm does the water have to be to swim in? if you like a hot pool, get a dark color bottom.

Zero entry is a possibility with a gunite pool, as in an infinity edge.

Get a pool fence until the kids get to be great swimmers, or can stand up in most of the pool. You can get a removable one.

 

[Seinfeld]

Thanks Drebin. Have you heard about these newer ozone systems? It’s allegedly another option that’s a little more expensive up front, but it virtually eliminates the ongoing maintenance for bacteria and contaminant treatment

It’s funny you mention the concrete pad because it’ll be a part of the yard that does tend to get a little soggy at times. We’re going to have to make sure that we’ve got the right drainage to keep rain moving out of that area, and I don’t know... I’m assuming they can possibly mix something into the dirt under the pad area to give it more stability?

 

[Go Budaw]

Nothing more fun than an above ground model….just my two cents***

 

[CochiseCowbell]

 

[Drebin]

Thanks Drebin. Have you heard about these newer ozone systems? It’s allegedly another option that’s a little more expensive up front, but it virtually eliminates the ongoing maintenance for bacteria and contaminant treatment

It’s funny you mention the concrete pad because it’ll be a part of the yard that does tend to get a little soggy at times. We’re going to have to make sure that we’ve got the right drainage to keep rain moving out of that area, and I don’t know... I’m assuming they can possibly mix something into the dirt under the pad area to give it more stability?

I've heard about the ozone systems but I don't really know much about them.

Your dirt guy should be able to take care of you. I would just point out to him that you are a little concerned about it so he takes a little extra time to get it right.

 

[bulldawg989]

Built an 18' x 32' with a liner last spring (couldn't afford Gunite), sitting bench in the shallow end and 6 FT deep end (hit rock so that was as deep as I could go without getting a ram-hoe for $3000/day). Slide for the kids, mine are 9 & 6.

Salt and UV...the salt is fairly low maintenance as previously mentioned but you do have to watch pH as it tends to drift upward - not hugely significant but the pump and other equipment have language in their warranty re: pH - if it's out of range it voids the warranty. The UV acts a polisher for organics but won't replace chlorine or salt as the primary disinfectant. I have never had issues with algae or green water either. The quartz tube has to be cleaned twice a year, I'll likely replace the bulb mid-season.

I recommend a variable speed pump, it provides a lot of flexibility in turn-over and filter runs. I did not shut it down over the winter, adjusted the pump timers to run low speed and high speed cycles throughout the day and overnight. I just opened it and added salt, adjusted alkalinity and phosphorus and that's about it.

I also recommend backfilling with gravel under concrete, my pool builder defaults to dirt backfill but that's a no-no, gravel will compact much better/consistently than dirt.

Add an extra LED light, it makes a difference.

 

[johnson86-1]

Gunite is expensive up front but it will save you money in the long run.

Saltwater is far easier to maintain in my opinion than chlorine, although you will have some added expense of replacing the t-cell cartridges and more wear and tear on your pumps from the salt. But in my pool, I just open it, dump in the amount of salt I need, and I don't add any other chemicals to it for the duration of the summer, except the occasional bag of salt.

If you're going to have a concrete pad around the pool, make sure the dirt is firm enough that you won't have extreme settling. You don't want the concrete around your pool cracking.

Get the hard pool cover. A little expensive but worth it.

Does the gunnite save money in the long run compared to fiberglass? I think the gunnite looks better but was led to believe that the fiberglass was cheaper on chemicals and wouldn't need to be redone like gunnite. Is that just BS put out by fiberglass pool manufacturers? I was already a little skeptical because the only person I know that installed a fiberglass pool was unhappy about cracks in the pool, which the manufacturer claimed was an install problem (I think claimed they didn't compact dirt enough or do a good enough job shaping dirt to pool shape?).

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

My last career venture pre-covid had me meeting with a lot of pool owners and pool builders for structural repairs. (All gunite.) I built my own pool with subs in 2018-19 using the advice I am going to share from meeting with lots of pros and homeowners.

1. Make sure your pool builder uses #4 vs #3 rebar... It's a cheap date for much more integrity. Trust me.. You do not want a cracked shell.

2. Make sure there is a hydrostatic relief plug in the bottom of the pool. Never drain the pool below the returns (jets) without using the relief plug. Water under the gunite pool will absolutely float that sucker. I have seen it many times.

3. Stay away from salt. We started using them in 2008-10 in Texas and its much harder on the equipment, natural stone coping or decking, and especially the plaster. Re-plastering a pool was $5-6K on average and you tend to get 10-12 years with chlorine and 6-8 with salt. Everyone I met that had a 5-6 year or older saltwater pool was having issues.

4. In the same spirit, stay away from the automatic chlorine tablet feeder on the pump. I have been told the high concentration of the chlorine at the pump severely cuts down on the lifespan of seals. Just buy a $20 floating chlorinator. It's easy peasy.

5.Make sure they put 50% or more quartz in the plaster. It extends the life big time.

6. Variable speed pump is the only way to go.

7. Absolutely get the polaris pool cleaner and booster pump. Your best friend.

8. Absolutely get a safety cover that blocks out 99% or more of UV light. First, its great peace of mind for the 5 months you won't use the pool. Second, it will keep all of the leaves out and make your life wonderful compared to the poor saps that have to scoop leaves all winter. Finally, it will really extend the life of your plaster by preventing algae. Also, it will massively reduce chemical usage in the winter. I would just shock mine once every 6 weeks through a skimmer to keep it perfect all winter and spring opening was a breeze. As an added bonus, it keeps water temps warmer in a cold spell. This winter when the deep freeze hit Texas, the water temp never got below 40 degrees in my covered pool and everyone else iced over and had water freeze in pipes. (I bought my cover online from leisure living, 24 X 40 custom made for $1650. Took me and a buddy 2 hours to install the anchors and about 1 hour in the fall in spring to install/remove by myself. Absolutely worth it.)

9. We went with a sports floor pool instead of diving. Number one reason is diving is fun for about 30-45 minutes and gets exhausting. Everyone ends up hanging out in the shallow end and there is little room to play games. Ours was 3.5' on both ends and made it to 5.5' in the middle. Great for volleyball and you can still have a slide for the middle if you want. Also, lots of home insurers won't cover diving. Most people I met with a deep end regret not having more shallow space. The other option if you have the space and $ would be L or T shaped with a big shallow are and a deep area for diving.

10. The Spa is overrated and a future source of potential problems. The number one structural issue I saw was the spa settling away from the rest of the pool. Typically the pool is dug 5-10 feet into the ground on stable soil. The spa usually is elevated above the pool a few feet and is not very deep, so that area is only 1.5-2.5' deep into the native soil. But, it probably weighs 12-20,000 lbs when full of water and if you have clay that shrinks or sandy loam the is subject to erosion, either way you are looking at a cracked shell and plaster if you get any movement... Plus their are massive amounts of plumbing leaks that happen under spas. Since you are on a slope, if you do build a spa, you absolutely want it on the uphill side.

11. The pool heater. I didn't get one. It's expensive to install and operate. The reality is we swam in Texas until Mid October in an unheated pool. By that time you are kind of done for the year anyway. Wore out. Plus with the leaves falling, I was ready to put the cover on. The value would come in the Spring. You could probably get it going 4-6 weeks earlier. The coolest thing I have seen is an HVAC heat exchanger that heats the pool with the return line from your AC. It actually save you money on the electricity by making your AC run more efficiently. In Texas we usually started running the AC during the day in March some days and by April you were running it everyday. The guy I met with the heat exchanger said it would heat his pool about 5-7 degrees in a week. He was swimming in 80 degree water when everyone else is at 72 or 73... I promise, that is a huge difference and probably extended his pool season by 2 months. Again at zero energy cost and a slight savings on the AC bill. I highly recommend exploring. Before I moved, it was going to be my next purchase... About 1/3rd the price of a getting a natural gas pool heater installed.

https://www.hotspotenergy.com/titanium-pool-heat-exchangers/


I could go on for days and have already, but these are some of the things that jump out. For the record I think the gunite/plaster pool is the only way to go. They just look so much higher end when done right. Completely customizable too. Good luck. Shoot me a message if you would like to discuss further. I have tons of pictures of my pool build and my buddy's that I helped on.

 

[Drebin]

Does the gunnite save money in the long run compared to fiberglass? I think the gunnite looks better but was led to believe that the fiberglass was cheaper on chemicals and wouldn't need to be redone like gunnite. Is that just BS put out by fiberglass pool manufacturers? I was already a little skeptical because the only person I know that installed a fiberglass pool was unhappy about cracks in the pool, which the manufacturer claimed was an install problem (I think claimed they didn't compact dirt enough or do a good enough job shaping dirt to pool shape?).

I've heard nothing but bad things about fiberglass. Vinyl liner pools can look good but you have to be careful about ripping the liner and have to replace it every few years. Gunite will last longer if it's done right, which is what I was suggesting.

 

[hdogg]

Not sure if this is something you'd be interested in, but we got one of those swim-spas about 3 years ago. It's the Michael Phelps pool with jets that you can swim into.
It's a Hydropool, is 14x8 feet and temperature controlled, so you can literally use it all year. It's not as big as a pool and is only 4 feet deep, but kids love playing in the jets.
A pool was going to cost us about 80K, this cost about 25K and we've loved it.
Having said all that, the kids would slightly prefer a pool in the summer, but they can still enjoy this in the winter, so it's a trade-off.
And I am one of those people who does enjoy a hot-tub, so that was a big factor in our decision.

 

[johnson86-1]

I've heard nothing but bad things about fiberglass. Vinyl liner pools can look good but you have to be careful about ripping the liner and have to replace it every few years. Gunite will last longer if it's done right, which is what I was suggesting.

I have a thought that I will put in a pool in 5 or 6 years when kids no longer play in the yard as much and I don't have to worry so much about them getting into the pool when I'm not looking and thought the fiberglass might be an easier install to deal with. Access is potentially going to be a problem either way, so may be irrelevant.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I would echo what Drebin said. Especially on the hard cover.

The house we currently live in came with a pool and the kids like it. That being said, whenever we move Im not having another pool. It’s going to be always something going out or going wrong after it gets a few years on it.

 

[dorndawg]

I would echo what Drebin said. Especially on the hard cover.

The house we currently live in came with a pool and the kids like it. That being said, whenever we move Im not having another pool. It’s going to be always something going out or going wrong after it gets a few years on it.

This is my biggest reason not to get one. Our POA has a neighborhood pool and that seems like a good compromise. Doesn't get too crowded, they have lifeguards, and somebody else does all the BS.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I’ve had to replace the motherboard in the salt generator, the temp sensor, the pump motor twice, and just normal maintenance yearly. I’m about to have to put a new liner in next year. That’s going to be about 4 grand.

 

[Drebin]

I’ve had to replace the motherboard in the salt generator, the temp sensor, the pump motor twice, and just normal maintenance yearly. I’m about to have to put a new liner in next year. That’s going to be about 4 grand.

Dude, I have to sink money into this pool every year now that it's 10 years old. Same expenses you mention. I've replaced the pump motor twice, the booster pump once, I bought a new pool cover after the tornado last year (insurance depreciated more than half the cost of it), accessories for the Polaris which are expensive as 17, two new t-cells which are expensive, etc. I also had to replace both the water and air sensors after a squirrel got to the cords and chewed through them, and a couple of years ago I had to replace the motherboard on the control system, too. Every year now it's something, it seems like. For the first five years I didn't have to do anything to it and it was awesome.

 

[stateu1]

We finally bought a polaris that plugs into the wall after replacing the booster pump motor it seems like every year. So far, so good.

 

[SheltonChoked]

We finally bought a polaris that plugs into the wall after replacing the booster pump motor it seems like every year. So far, so good.

If it is the Polaris make of the robot pool cleaner, take it out of the water immediately after its done cleaning. The seals that "protect" the electronics, suck. I got one 3 years ago, and each one lasted a summer. Replaced 2 under warranty. The last one died after our freeze (not in the pool, but the cold messed up the seals they said), and needed $1200 in parts (motor x2 and a new cord). I got a $400 robot with a 3 year warranty.

The pressure side polaris I had needed a new pump, and i'd Frankensteined that thing over the last 5 years enough. I like the robot better as it's only in the pool when it's cleaning, and otherwise is out of the way.

 

[Seinfeld]

Man, a lot of good stuff there. Thanks

As mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve got a backyard that can get a little soggy at times, so pool integrity and proper drainage is of huge importance. I appreciate the time to write all that down

 

[oxfordrebel22]

Thanks Drebin. Have you heard about these newer ozone systems? It’s allegedly another option that’s a little more expensive up front, but it virtually eliminates the ongoing maintenance for bacteria and contaminant treatment

It’s funny you mention the concrete pad because it’ll be a part of the yard that does tend to get a little soggy at times. We’re going to have to make sure that we’ve got the right drainage to keep rain moving out of that area, and I don’t know... I’m assuming they can possibly mix something into the dirt under the pad area to give it more stability?

Drebin has already given you my best advice. But, yeah, if you can spend the money upfront to save you headaches and extra work, it’s 100% worth it. I like our saltwater pool, but it’s a little more work than I was led to believe. But it’s not bad.

You hit the nail on the head with the drainage part. That’s so important. I’m in the process of having to redo the gutters and drainage around mine and it’s a pain in the ***. Also, make sure they go ahead and put your filter somewhere to where when you need to backwash it (and you need to fairly often) that the water has somewhere to go. No one told me that, and my dumb self didn’t think about it, so now I have to run, no joke, 80+ feet of PVC pipe when I backwash it to keep the water from just pooling up and standing right there in a high traffic spot. With the pipe I can just run it down hillside. I’m going to try and run some pipe underground to fix it while working on drainage, but I’m no MSU engineer, so I haven’t quite figured out how to go about doing it, yet.

 

[grinnindawg]

We've had a vinyl liner pool for 23 years. Once you figure it out, maintenance only takes a bit more time than the yard space would have.

I use calcium hypo, borax, and occasionally baking soda. Cyarunic acid every year or 2. Search BBB pool method.
I try and run the PH high, but that's getting more difficult as an oak now hangs over some of the pool.
Every few years someone will get in from the ocean without washing a suit. Then you have to buy magic in a bottle(poly-quat).
Get a safety cover. A safety fence close to the pool deck saves a ton on dust, leaves, and grass getting in the pool.

Helpful websites
https://www.looploc.com/
https://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html
http://www.poolsolutions.com/gd/spring-swimming-pool-startup-problems.html

I was about to buy a salt water system several years ago.
Found 2 salt water installation companies(Texas and Australia) that strongly recommended not using them in old galvanized pools.
With Gunite it shouldn't matter.

 

[MSUDOG24]

A lot of good input here based on my experience. As with most things, a lot of trade offs based on the various options. Had a pool in Florida 30 years ago and swore I'd never have another. Of course I turned around and put one in 4 years ago in Starkville so have been through the choices recently.
- dark gray gunite (looks less like a "bright blue resort pool" but depends on the look you want) Gunite in FL too so no experience with the others.
- straight chlorine. fretted through all the pros/cons noted above and just stuck with what has worked for as long as pools have been around
- never shut my pool down. Have a thermostat on the pump for the winter and has worked like a charm so far
- no cover. fair number of tress around and have to use the dip net after bad storms and keep an eye on / clean out the skimmer but other wise hasn't been a problem or much of a pain
-my must have is a Polaris. Dragging the hose out to vacuum and brushing the walls is a royal pain in the ***. Didn't have one in FL but do now and haven't had to either of those things
- might think about prepping for a heater and lay a gas line while they are digging up your yard if you want to wait to see how much you really use it. Going though that now as I didn't.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I spent about 250 bucks having mine rebuilt by Splash Pools in Hernando last year. He did a good job.

 

[mcdawg22]

We've had a vinyl liner pool for 23 years. Once you figure it out, maintenance only takes a bit more time than the yard space would have.

I use calcium hypo, borax, and occasionally baking soda. Cyarunic acid every year or 2. Search BBB pool method.
I try and run the PH high, but that's getting more difficult as an oak now hangs over some of the pool.
Every few years someone will get in from the ocean without washing a suit. Then you have to buy magic in a bottle(poly-quat).
Get a safety cover. A safety fence close to the pool deck saves a ton on dust, leaves, and grass getting in the pool.

Helpful websites
https://www.looploc.com/
https://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html
http://www.poolsolutions.com/gd/spring-swimming-pool-startup-problems.html

I was about to buy a salt water system several years ago.
Found 2 salt water installation companies(Texas and Australia) that strongly recommended not using them in old galvanized pools.
With Gunite it shouldn't matter.

This is me too. I keep my pool levels good year round so I have to add chemicals once a year CYA maybe 2 or 3. I adjust my salt generator and how long the pump runs according to Chlorine levels and add salt every now and then. Unless we have a hurricane or a really strong wind, I rarely have to skim it and the Polaris keeps the bottom clean. I’m fortunate to be in a warm climate where the liners don’t shrink and expand as much as other areas so most people I know with liner pools say expect 10-12 years out of them.

 

[PirateDawg]

Same here! Had one for 5 years at our house in CA. Great relief when I sold the place. When I lived in AZ I had friends that bulldozed theirs and I thought they were crazy until I had to deal with one. The kids loved it the first year, after that it was just there and I got to enjoy the upkeep.

 

[NWADawg]

I've heard about the ozone systems but I don't really know much about them.

Your dirt guy should be able to take care of you. I would just point out to him that you are a little concerned about it so he takes a little extra time to get it right.

I've never dealt with ozone systems for pools but I have dealt with them for food plants. Ozonated water is pretty effective as an antimicrobial and is very safe for people. Pretein industry sprays it on raw meat and poultry fairly commonly. You can usually drink it without fear of chemical contamination. Reacting to bromine in water is only risk to drinking that I know of but some think it is actually therapeutic. I doubt you plan on drinking your pool water but incidental ingestion is less dangerous and less offensive.

The ozonated water actually gives a really fresh clean odor.

The one real watch out would be the ozone generating system can give off some dangerous gas. Needs to be vented correctly.

 

[mcdawg22]

View attachment 20329
I had mine built 3 years ago. 40X20, 28,000 gallons, vinyl with a cozy cove. It has a variable speed pump and a booster pump for the Polaris. All Pentair. People have given great advice so I won’t step on any toes I’ll just give my observations.

1. The electric bill didn’t go up as much as I thought. Maybe at most $80 and that was after Sally where I had to run the pump non stop for a week to clean out debris.
2. Darker colors do heat up faster. My neighbors pool the same size but is lighter than mine and last week mine was 80 and his was 75.
3. Check what your insurance will allow, some will actually allow diving boards and slides. It’s rare but I know of friend’s whose insurance did.
4. Plan for the future. If you are thinking about eventually screening in or a covered patio make sure you put the pool in the spot where you can do that.
5. I guess you have to cover if it gets really cold but I don’t cover my pool at all. Just weekly skimmings in the off-season and chemical tests that any pool store will do for free, and it stays in good shape.
6. As everyone else has said spend on what you want. Don’t sacrifice what you want for a few extra dollars, because you don’t get to adjust once that thing goes in the ground.
7. A warning about zero entry from a friend that has one. If you have a lot of critters around you, they will help themselves to a dip. But at least the frogs and snakes can get out.
8. You are going to love it. There are times where I am floating watching a baseball game and it just doesn’t get better.

 

[Dawgbite]

I would reconsider the fiberglass pool if it's possible. My fiberglass pool is over 20 years old and has been practically trouble free. Cheaper to operate, easier to keep clean, it's just better period. You would think that water is water and the container wouldn't matter but it does. A safety cover is a must. Uncovered ours last Saturday and could have swam in it that day if it wasn't so damn cold, put a bubble cover on it and it warmed up in a few sunny days. FYI, the safety cover will hold an elephant, a cow, a flock of turkeys, and a fat *** dawg fan but deer hooves will punch through it like a knife. Flex Tape to the rescue.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

View attachment 20329
I had mine built 3 years ago. 40X20, 28,000 gallons, vinyl with a cozy cove. It has a variable speed pump and a booster pump for the Polaris. All Pentair. People have given great advice so I won’t step on any toes I’ll just give my observations.

1. The electric bill didn’t go up as much as I thought. Maybe at most $80 and that was after Sally where I had to run the pump non stop for a week to clean out debris.
2. Darker colors do heat up faster. My neighbors pool the same size but is lighter than mine and last week mine was 80 and his was 75.
3. Check what your insurance will allow, some will actually allow diving boards and slides. It’s rare but I know of friend’s whose insurance did.
4. Plan for the future. If you are thinking about eventually screening in or a covered patio make sure you put the pool in the spot where you can do that.
5. I guess you have to cover if it gets really cold but I don’t cover my pool at all. Just weekly skimmings in the off-season and chemical tests that any pool store will do for free, and it stays in good shape.
6. As everyone else has said spend on what you want. Don’t sacrifice what you want for a few extra dollars, because you don’t get to adjust once that thing goes in the ground.
7. A warning about zero entry from a friend that has one. If you have a lot of critters around you, they will help themselves to a dip. But at least the frogs and snakes can get out.
8. You are going to love it. There are times where I am floating watching a baseball game and it just doesn’t get better.

As an ETA. Mcdawg22 has a lot of pool deck. He probably wants more. Everyone wants more pool deck.

 

[JML105]

I too purchased a house once with a nice pool. I calculated that it cost me around $200 per month for all expenses involved. Also had a $100/month contingency fund for unplanned maintenance that I dipped into twice for a pump replacement and getting underwater lights repaired. I honestly can't imagine ever going to the expense and trouble to install one from scratch. There are just too many negatives... What does an average pool cost these days to install? $40k? That's $40k + annual maintenance costs that you will never get back.

 

[o_Hot Rock]

I absolutely agree with the sports pool depth. I had not thought of both ends being one depth and deeper in the middle but that's a great idea. Diving is just not that big of a deal.

I had a 18 x 36 and that is no where near long enough but plenty wide. I loved to swim laps and found it lacking, a few strokes and turn etc..

 

[mississippi architect]

Let me add a couple thoughts:

Good advice here for sure.
I would add:
1. Don't go with the lowest bidder. (if you do you might as well throw out any other advice).
2. Rebar size really needs to be determined based on structural need. A lot of that will depend on your soil, shape of pool, etc.
3. Design not just for your kids now, but down the road. If you are doing Gunnite then think about cast in things you would like long term. Tanning ledges, bar stools, etc.

overall I tell people each of the 3 main types (Gunnite, Liner and Fiberglass) have pros and cons. I would highly suspect a well-done Gunnite pool with a good finish long-term is cheaper but much more on the front end. They end up out of most people's price range.

 

[ronpolk]

As an ETA. Mcdawg22 has a lot of pool deck. He probably wants more. Everyone wants more pool deck.

Very true here regarding the pool deck. I grew up in a house with a pool that had lots of deck. My first house I bought had a pool with what I would consider standard but maybe slightly smaller pool decking. First time I cut the grass I knew that was a problem.

I don’t have much else to add to the pool tips. I’ve always had a vinyl. I remember it being replaced twice as a kid, so I guess that is probably about 10 years or so. That was in Tampa where it’s warm year around and we had little in the way of trees.

Don’t let the pool detractors scare you away. Perhaps it’s cause I grew up with and was used to it being a chore as a teenager, I don’t think keeping up a pool is much work. Didn’t think it was much work as an adult either. We are planning to have one installed at our house in Madison within the next year.

 

[mcdawg22]

As an ETA. Mcdawg22 has a lot of pool deck. He probably wants more. Everyone wants more pool deck.

I wish I had a bigger pool deck. But the wife says it’s a good size so I guess it’ll do.

 

[Joe Schmedlap]

It’s an expense that never stops taking, but if you have kids old enough to swim, build it anyway. You will never get your money back from this investment if you sell the home, but it’s only money. Spend it before the gubment takes it. Live and enjoy life

 

[patdog]

Word of experience from my parents' pool. It'll get a LOT of use while the kids are still home. After they're gone, not nearly as much, but the maintenance cost is still the same. And you've just cut yourself completely off from about 75% of potential buyers when you want to sell. On the flip side, there's a core group of maybe 10% of buyers who are looking for a pool, so you've got limited competition for those buyers.

 

[Seinfeld]

Thanks for all the advice

I’ve been on the fence about something like this for years, but like some of y’all have said, when my kids are older and out of the house, I’m not one to be thinking about the $60K I saved by not taking the plunge. I’ll be thinking about all the fun we could’ve had by just sacking up and doing it.

We’re looking at a pool/spa combo, and the spa part is one thing that I feel like I may regret at some point, but it also turns your backyard into something you can pretty much use year round, so I think it’s a fair trade off. I’m also looking at having shallow ends on both ends because like I said, I have zero interest in screaming kids jumping off diving boards, swimming laps, etc... I’m looking for relaxation. Lots of awesome advice about structure, drainage, planning for the future though. This is for sure phase 1 of a plan that includes a larger gazebo than what we currently have, a fireplace, and frankly.,.. a complete re-do of our entire backyard. Thanks again for all the tips

 

[oxfordrebel22]

My last career venture pre-covid had me meeting with a lot of pool owners and pool builders for structural repairs. (All gunite.) I built my own pool with subs in 2018-19 using the advice I am going to share from meeting with lots of pros and homeowners.

1. Make sure your pool builder uses #4 vs #3 rebar... It's a cheap date for much more integrity. Trust me.. You do not want a cracked shell.

2. Make sure there is a hydrostatic relief plug in the bottom of the pool. Never drain the pool below the returns (jets) without using the relief plug. Water under the gunite pool will absolutely float that sucker. I have seen it many times.

3. Stay away from salt. We started using them in 2008-10 in Texas and its much harder on the equipment, natural stone coping or decking, and especially the plaster. Re-plastering a pool was $5-6K on average and you tend to get 10-12 years with chlorine and 6-8 with salt. Everyone I met that had a 5-6 year or older saltwater pool was having issues.

4. In the same spirit, stay away from the automatic chlorine tablet feeder on the pump. I have been told the high concentration of the chlorine at the pump severely cuts down on the lifespan of seals. Just buy a $20 floating chlorinator. It's easy peasy.

5.Make sure they put 50% or more quartz in the plaster. It extends the life big time.

6. Variable speed pump is the only way to go.

7. Absolutely get the polaris pool cleaner and booster pump. Your best friend.

8. Absolutely get a safety cover that blocks out 99% or more of UV light. First, its great peace of mind for the 5 months you won't use the pool. Second, it will keep all of the leaves out and make your life wonderful compared to the poor saps that have to scoop leaves all winter. Finally, it will really extend the life of your plaster by preventing algae. Also, it will massively reduce chemical usage in the winter. I would just shock mine once every 6 weeks through a skimmer to keep it perfect all winter and spring opening was a breeze. As an added bonus, it keeps water temps warmer in a cold spell. This winter when the deep freeze hit Texas, the water temp never got below 40 degrees in my covered pool and everyone else iced over and had water freeze in pipes. (I bought my cover online from leisure living, 24 X 40 custom made for $1650. Took me and a buddy 2 hours to install the anchors and about 1 hour in the fall in spring to install/remove by myself. Absolutely worth it.)

9. We went with a sports floor pool instead of diving. Number one reason is diving is fun for about 30-45 minutes and gets exhausting. Everyone ends up hanging out in the shallow end and there is little room to play games. Ours was 3.5' on both ends and made it to 5.5' in the middle. Great for volleyball and you can still have a slide for the middle if you want. Also, lots of home insurers won't cover diving. Most people I met with a deep end regret not having more shallow space. The other option if you have the space and $ would be L or T shaped with a big shallow are and a deep area for diving.

10. The Spa is overrated and a future source of potential problems. The number one structural issue I saw was the spa settling away from the rest of the pool. Typically the pool is dug 5-10 feet into the ground on stable soil. The spa usually is elevated above the pool a few feet and is not very deep, so that area is only 1.5-2.5' deep into the native soil. But, it probably weighs 12-20,000 lbs when full of water and if you have clay that shrinks or sandy loam the is subject to erosion, either way you are looking at a cracked shell and plaster if you get any movement... Plus their are massive amounts of plumbing leaks that happen under spas. Since you are on a slope, if you do build a spa, you absolutely want it on the uphill side.

11. The pool heater. I didn't get one. It's expensive to install and operate. The reality is we swam in Texas until Mid October in an unheated pool. By that time you are kind of done for the year anyway. Wore out. Plus with the leaves falling, I was ready to put the cover on. The value would come in the Spring. You could probably get it going 4-6 weeks earlier. The coolest thing I have seen is an HVAC heat exchanger that heats the pool with the return line from your AC. It actually save you money on the electricity by making your AC run more efficiently. In Texas we usually started running the AC during the day in March some days and by April you were running it everyday. The guy I met with the heat exchanger said it would heat his pool about 5-7 degrees in a week. He was swimming in 80 degree water when everyone else is at 72 or 73... I promise, that is a huge difference and probably extended his pool season by 2 months. Again at zero energy cost and a slight savings on the AC bill. I highly recommend exploring. Before I moved, it was going to be my next purchase... About 1/3rd the price of a getting a natural gas pool heater installed.

https://www.hotspotenergy.com/titanium-pool-heat-exchangers/


I could go on for days and have already, but these are some of the things that jump out. For the record I think the gunite/plaster pool is the only way to go. They just look so much higher end when done right. Completely customizable too. Good luck. Shoot me a message if you would like to discuss further. I have tons of pictures of my pool build and my buddy's that I helped on.

I most definitely wish we had more shallow end and less deep end. That’s my biggest regret with the pool. The deep end is mostly unusable, with the exception of diving, which like you said, you tire of pretty quick. I do wish we’d installed a slide, but we have a beautiful view looking out past the deep end towards a lake, and I didn’t want to block it. I may eventually remove diving board and have slide installed there.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Good move. You won't regret it. And for the record, anyone that says it doesn't add value to your home is misinformed. Sure, it may turn off some buyers, but brother, after Covid, everyone with kids wants a way to entertain them at home. It was a lifesaver for us last summer. It's like having mini vacations all summer long. It's the family gathering place from May until September... You can't beat a pool in the south.

For the cost its a cheap date. $60K is what half the people I know spend on a pickup. The reality is if you build it smart and maintain it it will cost you about $1500-2500 a year in expenses and depreciation over the first 10 years. At year 10, its time for a remodel. Coping, tile, plaster and pump. $10-$15k as a reasonable budget. Now you have an updated pool that looks and performs great. Kind of like a kitchen in that way. It becomes dated every 10 years or so and if you want it to be nice, you need to put money back into it.

I had my house appraised in May of 2018 when we bought it without the pool and then again when we sold it in October of 2020 when we sold it with the pool. My APPRAISED value rose by 17%. Some of that was a little Covid Bump, but it was small at that time since all 3 of my comps were sold in May of 2020. It said right on the Appraisals I was getting dinged $30K when I bought it for it not having a pool. The Fannie/Freddie required appraisal form (UAD) has a section when valuing comps that lists out about 10 different things one has may have different from the others, including the pool. Every house I have ever bought or sold has had a comp with/without a pool and its been a $25-$30K swing. May be more or less in other areas.

I actually sold the house for quiet a bit more than the appraised value, because MFer's be wanting pools in the hot *** south. Especially after they realize public pools and community pools can be shut the 17 down. You will not regret the pool. Now that I don't have one and summer is coming, I'm going to miss the following 3 things without even considering how much the kids enjoyed it.

#1. Not much feels better after a morning run in June-September than jumping in the pool for about 15-20 minutes to cool down.
#2. One thing that does feel better is cracking open an ice cold beer and sitting out by the pool listening to some music after a hard day's work.
#3. I never had good looking women in bikinis hanging out in my backyard all the time until we put in a pool... You will be Griswolding out the window in the winter waiting for the kiddos to bring over their friend's hot mom's.

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