Building a swimming pool advice

[HappyTrouble]

We are looking to build a swimming pool and would like suggestions. It is me, husband and 2 teenage daughters who love to swim! If you have built a pool what would you do different if you had a chance to do it over?? Would love to hear suggestions.......thanks!!!!

 

[FLAngie]

Last week I decided that an overflow drain was the best advise we received. The pool company didn't even want to put it in, we had to convince them to do this. It is basically a drain a little above water level that runs down and out into the yard for when the pool is too full. We had about 20 inches of rain here last week and most of my neighbors were dealing with draining their overflowing pools 3 or 4 time over that many days in stormy weather. We didn't have to do a thing! And our patio didn't flood like many others.

In normal months, most people around here have to lower their pool water levels about once or twice a month, usually more in the summer. If your area of Texas gets much rain, I would definitely suggest this. And it doesn't cost much either.

HTH,

 

[HappyTrouble]

Thanks!!!! That is something I would have never thought of. We are close to the coast, so of course when we get rain it is usually in the form of a storm. I knew I would get some helpful info. from the disboard!!!!!!!

 

[thomas998]

If you get a in ground pool make sure you get one with the vinyl liner, other wise the gunite bottoms will constantly be taking your skin off... I would also never go for a deep end or diving board... your typical home pool will never be deep enough for safe diving and a diving board or simply a "deep" end will encourage teens to dive into the pool... and diving into a backyard pool is a great way to break your neck, (neighbor's son is now in a wheel chair because of it and lucky that he isn't dead).

 

[HappyTrouble]

Any more advice??

 

[Nickimouse]

Hi I'm in Texas too. Outside of Houston.

Our house had a pool when we moved in so it was done for us. It has a saltwater generator (makes chlorine) that we really like. They are expensive up front,but compared to the cost of chlorine better in the long run.

Make sure you have plenty of concrete/cool decking around the pool for seating. Ours has a 3 foot or so walkway around the pool and isn't big enough for lounge chairs.

Also ours is gunite with wide stairs down into the pool in the shallow end. I like this much better than ladders on the side.

Ours is a funky kind of kidney shape. Pretty, but we want a cover (the kind you can walk on) and it will be more expensive than a standard rectangle size.

I would also suggest a light.

We have a waterfall that is very pretty but it is kind of loud when it's running.

Also our pool has smooth cobalt tile. It is a pain to keep clean. I would love a more natural stone and color.

Hope some of this helps.

We picked this house 2 years ago because it already had a pool. It's one of the few ways to enjoy Texas outdoors in the summer.

 

[JNorris]

We put in a pool in 2006. If I had it to do over again, I would have them install a salt water chlorinating system. I'm the one in my house that does all the pool maintenance, and we travel alot, so it would just be so convenient to have that system in place instead of having to add chlorine.

Of course, we can do it now, but when you are spending thousands and thousands of dollars, another thousand is not that big of a deal. Now it seems like too much money, especially to DH who does nothing with the pool except turn the Polaris on and off.

 

[Belle67]

I second the OP who suggested the cool deck, we are in TN and paid extra for it, not really sure if it was worth it, it so is!! Even on 100 degree+ days the concrete is comfortable to walk on and does not burn your feet. I cannot imagine if we had not splurged on it.

 

[JNorris]

Make sure you have plenty of concrete/cool decking around the pool for seating. Ours has a 3 foot or so walkway around the pool and isn't big enough for lounge chairs.

Ours is a funky kind of kidney shape. Pretty, but we want a cover (the kind you can walk on) and it will be more expensive than a standard rectangle size.

I would also suggest a light.

.

Thought of some more:

Yes, get more than the standard decking. It seems like plenty, but trust me, it won't be. I think ours came with a standard 1000 sf of decking, and we added another 500 sf.

And we have a funky shape too (3 bump kidney). Can't have an automatic cover or even a reel for a solar blanket because of the weird shape. It's pretty, but a rectangle would have been so much easier (and cheaper).

And look at getting 2 lights instead of one. Ours is in the middle of one side, and due to the way our pool is shaped, it is kind of dark in the ends. And make sure your light faces away from your house.

 

[HappyTrouble]

Thank You so much!!!! These are the types of things I wanted to hear. We are south of Houston and we do know we want the saltwater generator, wide stairs or beach entry, no hot-tub and husband likes the rock waterfalls and I do too but want to keep it small, maybe even a water ledge effect. Thanks Everyone!!!! I appreciate this because we have contractors coming this week to give us bids and we want to do it right from the start!!!!!

 

[candee0512]

I loved our saline pool. The saline system was very easy to maintain and very nice to swim in. Where I am in GA and possibly where you are, a heater made swimming possible 9-10 months out of the year.

The color of the water depends on what color the inside of the pool is. Our gunite pool was gray and the water appeared a beautiful dark blue. Tan makes the water look green.

Not sure why you say no to the hot tub; I loved it too. Very relaxing.

But I couldn't stand my husband anymore, and couldn't afford the house without him, so he got the house with the pool and etc. Not having to put up with him was worth losing the pool!

HTH,
Candee

 

[NHDisneyMom]

We are in NH and love our salt water pool. We put ours in about 4 years ago and we LOVE it!!!

We have a rectangle and it made it much easier to get a solar cover - we use a clear on because it heats the 8 ft. deep end much better! We have a liner pool but where your in TX you have so many options. For our short swim season up here, the liner made the best sense economically. If I lived in a warmer area of the country, I would consider a gunite.

Here are some good web sites to check out. I have found great information and I have no affiliation with either of them outside of finding great answers to my questions.

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/index.php
and
http://www.troublefreepools.com/

Good luck!

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

What about having a hole for an umbrella on the steps. Several of our friends have that and it is SO nice!

 

[Evans Family]

We have had our pool for one year. Ours is a traditional shallow to deep end pool with the deep end about 6-1/2 to 7 feet. If I could do it over I'd make it deeper. My boys (8 & 11) spend all of their time jumping in from the hot tub.

We also got Pebble Tech. We LOVE it. My kids have NEVER gotten sores on the bottoms of their feel even spending hours at a time in the pool. I can remember as a kid having to wear socks in the pool because the bottom of my feet were so sore.

We love the hot tub and use it year round here in GA. We also love the sound the waterfall.

We love the pool....best thing we ever did.

 

[Eno]

we spent a couple of years researching before putting ours in last year. We had an aboveground pool for 12 years first. We decided on a fiberglass pool from San Juan pools - there are dealers in most states/provinces. We love it. Shortly after it was in we had a terrible wind storm where all of our patio furnature ended up in the pool - with a liner it would have been ruined. Also our dog has fallen in a couple of times - just swims to the stairs and walks out. We also went with salt water.

 

[semo233]

We JUST finished putting in a pool. It was totally complete about 2 weeks ago. Although things are very different up here in the north, there is a great website where I got lots of information and suggestions. There are many from Texas who also visit:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/pools/?

You could even post questions there to get some advice. I knew a lot more about pool construction and options than my husband did! We also have a salt system. No problems!
We went with a liner pool with a raised deck on one side and the waterfall comes out just under the cantilevered pool deck. I went with a liner because I just thought that if something happens to the shotcrete, we're screwed. If something happens to the liner (with a 20 year guarantee) it's only about 4 grand.
The hardest decision for us was the pool deck....poured concrete or pavers? We ended up doing poured concrete for cost and ease.

Good Luck!

 

[della]

I have to second the idea of more lighting! Our pool is a rectangle. 16x36, I think. The light is at the deep end. Our entry steps are at the shallow end and have jets built in. It's nice to sit out there at night but it can get dark.

Our pool was supposed to be 16x32 we added 4 feet by the shallow end so that when you walked off the stairs you didn't start heading downhill to the deep end so soon. A lot of people comment on how much they like this. Originally it was because my kids were so little then and my late mother didn't swim. But I have to say at parties that is the place grown ups like to hang out at. I would definitely expand the shallow end if we add a pool to the new house.

 

[Feeln'Froggy]

I like my jets in the steps also and the polaris is a must.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

We had our pool built in 1994 & had the Diamond Bright finish put in the pool. I love it, doesnt' cut your feet & you do not have to worry about tearing a vinyl liner We have the cool deck and would not go any other way. We had extra decking done and are very glad we did. When the kids were younger it gave us much more room for walking around. I have a 14x28 pool but my deck is 23x41 and then a section off to the side of the pool with its own peak on the pool cage is 11x12, all totally seperate from my lanai. I did not use my lanai as my pool deck. I kept that seperate & closed with aluminum & vinyl windows to use as a play room & sort of extra security so the kids would not get out to the pool as easy, in addition to the pool fence. One thing that I wish I had but back then they weren't doing, was the muliti-color lighting in the pool. I also wished I had gotten a swim out, we only have the rail stairs in the deep end and the steps in the lower end.
Be sure to get extra jets too. We have a total of 4. I know the average pool doesn't get that many. 4 will really circulate your water. I also went with solar heating on my roof... only cost was the inital and the rest is done by the sun. Down where I am, solar is all we really need. We are really warm 10 months a year.

 

[HappyTrouble]

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions!!!!!! I feel much more informed and will be visiting the websites and forums that have been suggested. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!!!!!!!