- 6,392
- 8,402
Do you have a pool heater? And is this setup the ideal one for near zero maintenance?
TheBeagle
could you post a breakdown on decking material costs in tiers from concrete to pavers to stone?Thanks guys!
Last edited:
Let's build some pools!
- Thread starter TheBeagle
- Start date
TheBeagle
could you post a breakdown on decking material costs in tiers from concrete to pavers to stone?Thanks guys!
TheBeagle
JunkiesNetwork Donor
- 8,524
- 29,344
Concrete is generally the cheapest unless you upgrade to a colored finish or spray deck.Do you have a pool heater? And is this setup the ideal one for near zero maintenance?
Thanks guys!
Pavers will be a bit more but I don't really get into the weeds on exact pricing.
Travertine deck is probably going to be the priciest option
- 1
- 6,392
- 8,402
Thank you. Do you think you will be writing up the big intro post you were talking about?
TheBeagle
JunkiesNetwork Donor
- 8,524
- 29,344
Yep. I'm crazy busy at the moment. I have 17 pools going right now and by the time I get home the last thing I want to do is more pool shit. I am taking pics and will vomit it all out at some point.
- 5
- 25,424
- 37,545
Back in like 2008ish the wife got a deal on craigslist for a brand new above ground pool, 57" deep and IDK, 15ft wide 18ft? I forget? Anyway it came with a brand new sand filter, skimmer all thqat BS and she got it for $1000. All brand new in boxes still. Put that fucker in myself over the course of that summer. It was a bitch because my back yard is sloped as fuck, prob a good 4-5 ft drop over like 80 or 100 ft? Anyways I dug the hard packed clay like a mo-fo for a week by hand. Had to move some sprinkler lines I discovered on the unearthing. Then came the leveling job wich was a bitch, especially with he hard packed clay we have for dirt around here. Then had the pool sand bottom delivered and I spread, did the best job I could and then had the brother in law help with the actual set up of the pool and install, liner all that BS. shit is still there but about to remove it all. IT got plenty of use for the first 8-10 yrs but no one uses the pool anymore now that the kids are older. I have not opened it up in 2 yrs now and slowly draining it at night so no neighbors bitch about the puddle, lol.
Last edited:
- 1
Cad
scientia potentia est
- 24,498
- 45,439
Honestly I'd rather stay inside than have to be slathered with sunblock every hour, and if I miss a spot, my sunglasses rub my face wrong, or any number of other things, I burn like a magnesium flare.
I only go shady places (or nighttime) or I go long sleeve sun shirt, big floppy hat, and compression leggings. I completely realize it's stupid looking but skin cancer, leathery skin and wrinkles also look shitty.
Maybe I'm forced into this because my skin is delicate, I dunno. But I absolutely cannot just sit out in the sun.
- 25,424
- 37,545
Yeah, neither can I. Im white as a mo-fo and with some sun turn red and then the red turns to white again. But they way our pool was situated was it got sun for the first 1/2 the day then about 3-4PM it would get shaded by a big ass 100yr old maple tree we have in the back yard, which basically meant all evening swims in a nice warm pool in the shade.
Furry
WoW Office
- 19,680
- 24,925
Literally go swimming for the sun time. If you're so worried about it, buy a UV hat or something. It feels a little gay, but I wear one when I'm going hiking for extended period, or outdoors long hours closer to the equator. I can't imagine being worried about being out in the sun for an hour swimming though, and if that's a problem for you, I don't think a pool is an appropriate addition to the house. Get an indoor spa or something.
- 1
Sludig
Golden Baronet of the Realm
- 9,081
- 9,406
These certainly change my image of the chad Texas lawyer to some bubbles (tv not our weeb) looking awkward dude when out of your office.
I doubt you are going to really pop cancer from occasional bouts of sun especially if you are good about doing smaller doses of it rather than straight into hours outside.
- 1
Cad
scientia potentia est
- 24,498
- 45,439
I can't address this without attempting to brag about being muscular tall and attractive, and it doesn't matter anyway. I have sensitive skin, I don't give a fuck.
- 1
Edaw
Parody
- 12,357
- 80,250
Ishad
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
- 4,802
- 4,749
I’m a month into having a pool, and I’m firing the pool people I hired originally today. Took a little bit of time to ramp up the knowledge, but you’re right it’s really not that bad at all.
The pool guy today dumped the typical load of pool shock in and then sampled the chemical levels afterwards. I asked him what the cya levels were and he told me “they’re a little low, I’m going to toss some baking soda in”
Holy fuck, the stupid burns.
Sanrith Descartes
Von Clippowicz
- 41,535
- 107,628
If you have a Pinch-a-Penny near you, they will (in my area at least) give you a water bottle and you can bring in some pool water each week that they analyze for you and give you the readout of the exact chemical mix to throw in. No charge.
Ishad
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
- 4,802
- 4,749
That’s who I’m using for all my supplies going to have them do the testing as well.
TheBeagle
JunkiesNetwork Donor
- 8,524
- 29,344
Day One of a super simple, basic pool build. It's going to be a little play pool, about 7,000 gallons, 5' in the deep end. This one I think sold for about $65k.
When it comes to digs you have four tiers of pricing and it all depends on access. If you can get the trackhoe and dump truck in then that's the least expensive. Next tier is Trackhoe with a bobcat shuttle followed by a mini excavator with a bobcat shuttle. If the access is so tight that you can't even get a bobcat in then that's a special access dig that requires a little mini skid steer thing that you stand behind. Very rare we ever have to dig a special access.
This pool was a Trackhoe with a bobcat shuttle. Corner lot, so we were able to get the trackhoe in no problem. Most frequent complication in n Texas is hitting rock. If it's bad enough that we have to hook up the jackhammer to the trackhoe then it's $325/hr until the dig is finished. This one didn't have any rock, easy dig, they boys were done by 2 that afternoon.
When it comes to digs you have four tiers of pricing and it all depends on access. If you can get the trackhoe and dump truck in then that's the least expensive. Next tier is Trackhoe with a bobcat shuttle followed by a mini excavator with a bobcat shuttle. If the access is so tight that you can't even get a bobcat in then that's a special access dig that requires a little mini skid steer thing that you stand behind. Very rare we ever have to dig a special access.
This pool was a Trackhoe with a bobcat shuttle. Corner lot, so we were able to get the trackhoe in no problem. Most frequent complication in n Texas is hitting rock. If it's bad enough that we have to hook up the jackhammer to the trackhoe then it's $325/hr until the dig is finished. This one didn't have any rock, easy dig, they boys were done by 2 that afternoon.
- 1
- 1
Hateyou
Not Great, Not Terrible
- 16,353
- 42,504
They’re full of shit. I had one for ten years with no problems. It isn’t like ocean water, it’s 1/10 the salinity. It DOES rust metal faster but replacing something like a light ring (only metal thing I had to replace, one time over ten years.) a little more often is not even close to the amount of time and money saved on chemicals.
I really hated ‘pool experts’ when I had a pool. They always overblow problems. One guy was trying to sell me on spending around $1000 a season on some powder bullshit that would “save my filters”. I tell him I haven’t been using that chemical for the past five years or whatever and he’s like “oh yeah it’s a matter of time then, you need to start.” So I do the math and I’m like “this would cost me like $800-1k per summer right?” He’s says yeah but it’s worth it to make the filters last longer. I look up my filters and see they are $500 to replace…and they’re at least five years old already. I tell him I’ll just replace the filters if I have to, even if it was every single summer it’s cheaper than that crap you’re trying to sell. Of course he got butthurt I knew how to do basic math. I had to have similar conversations about several things like that when I would go to that store. “Water clarifier” or ph up and down, when you can use alternatives that are way cheaper. I hated those guys.