T1B

If so, what tips and lessons learned can you bestow upon me? I'm starting to shop around and looking to have one put in next spring.

Maybe I can get one piece of decent advice from the inevitable barrage of smart ass and worthless comments. :)

Translation: I'm getting a pool and I wanted to let all of you know. I just used the "got any tips?" query as a cover-up.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:Translation: I'm getting a pool and I wanted to let all of you know. I just used the "got any tips?" query as a cover-up.

Nice try, scooter. It's a fucking pool, not like I'm buying a Gulfstream.

I'm in the initial stages of shopping around and would like to know what pitfalls lie ahead. This thread is at face value. I've spoken to a couple people in the neighborhood and a couple of co-workers and each one has added a piece of advice. Just looking for additional perspective from some of the fine folks here.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:Translation: I'm getting a pool and I wanted to let all of you know. I just used the "got any tips?" query as a cover-up.

I want to see pics of Magoos pool.

Christ, is there any thread that you won't insert your idiot self in around here?

This just in.

Nobody gives a fuck what an ankle biting dingleberry punk like you thinks.

Wow.

Fu creates a thread.

I respond to Fu.

WW responds to me without any exchange between us prior to...

And I'm the ankle-biter? Do you not see how you just fucked up?



Oh...and this obsession of you wanting pics from me has you bordering on the ignore feature.

If in ground don't go the plaster route. Don't get a weird shaped pool if you ever want to cover it up and have it stay covered in the winter. rectangular pools are easier to lock down. Make sure it will work with one of those creepy crawly cleaners, it'll save you much cleaning effort unless you employ a pool boy.

slides are over rated. They are never high enough to really be fun for more than a few times. Not worth the expense. Diving boards are always fun.

Mister Bushice wrote:Diving boards are always fun.

I agree!!

Not to disagree with Bushice, but....

Mister Bushice wrote:If in ground don't go the plaster route.

Are you talking vinyl here? I've installed (or...had installed for me) both plaster and vinyl pools. Sure, vinyl pools are cheaper and more comfy on your widdle toesies, but the only reason to put in a vinyl pool is if you can't afford a real (read gunite) pool, or if you're not sure you really want a pool and you want to have the option of easily removing it in a few years. A vinyl pool is basically a hole in the ground, the top few feet lined with treated lumber, the sides and bottom covered with sand and the whole thing covered with a plastic sheet. A gunite pool is a permanent structure.

Don't get a weird shaped pool if you ever want to cover it up and have it stay covered in the winter. rectangular pools are easier to lock down.

Rectangular pools are boring and, to tell the truth, generally ugly, unless you're going for the ancient Greek baths look or something. The only reasons to get a rectangular pool are: a) you really like rectangular pools, or b) you have little kids and want to be able to "lock it down" with a tight cover. You live in a warm climate, you don't need to cover it in the winter. Why would you want to? You spent $50,000 + ( almost as much as a new 2WD Navigator with spinners ;) ) on this beautiful gem in your backyard and you want to cover it with an ugly plastic sheet for half the year? Uh uh. If you have kids there are removable fence systems that work fine. My kids have had pools in their yard since the day they were born and neither one has ever drowned.

Get somebody who really knows what they're doing design the pool for you. The owner of the company that eventually did our current pool took our mostly lame in hindsight ideas, ignored most of them and sketched out a design that we could tell even at first glance would be something that would act as the anchor for the rest of our landscaping and improve our yard by 1000% before anything else even went in. We got a cover with the pool, but in 7 years I've never even cut it to fit, because we want to look out the window in the winter and see the pool as much as we do in the summer. Admittedly, we have a pretty much non-rectangular yard with a steep bank going up the back, but look at these before and after pics and tell me a rectangular pool would be nearly as nice.

BEFORE


AFTER, before any landscape plants had grown in


Also, don't skimp on the decking and any hardscaping to go with the pool. Once you get it in, you'll probably not have a good chance to change it around.

Make sure it will work with one of those creepy crawly cleaners, it'll save you much cleaning effort unless you employ a pool boy.

Good advice, but usually not a problem. We have a Hayward Navigator, and the only part it won't clean is the steps, seats (2 in the deep end) and the spa. You gotta brush those occasionally.

slides are over rated. They are never high enough to really be fun for more than a few times. Not worth the expense. Diving boards are always fun.

Slides CAN be fun, if you get the right slide. Try one with four foot drop at the end.

This one's not just a slide, but a water feature with a seat behind the waterfall. Admittedly the slide doesn't get as much use as it did when it was new, but it's definitely fun.

More advice in a few minutes...

Are you going to get in the shape of the Robot?

More advice:

DE filter, not cartridge.

Get a salt chlorination system. Adds some $$ to first cost (around $500 - $800) but you don't have to keep adding chemical chlorine, you never get the noxious chlorine odor or stinging eyes, and the water has a nice soft feel to it.

If you decide to do this, be prepared to have your yard torn up for at least 6 months. It could be less, but it could be longer too depending on how busy all the different subs are when your builder is contracting out the work. If he does all the work himself, there can still be lots of delays.

Be involved in EVERY stage of construction. When they layed out the shape of our pool on the ground the area on the side closest to the house that curves out into the pool was curving out farther than in the design. When the slide was built, it was originally supposed to point sort of diagonally across the pool, with a flat spot on top of the water fall that would sort of launch you. When I looked at it as they were building the forms for the slide I noticed that it was going to launch you right into the side of the pool. It was too late to change the pool, but we re-aimed the slide and made it drop straight off. It came out fine, but not exactly to the original plan.

Also, they built the pool a couple of inches higher than they were supposed to. Our concrete guy, who was doing the deck and walls pointed this out that it might screw up the drainage at the place where the pool is closest to the house. We had to adjust the height of the cement at the last minute.

We don't have a diving board, but we do have a diving rock. They're cool too.

BTW, this is my first pool, built around 1989. It was a vinyl pool (what we could afford), and rectangular except for the half hexagonal "swimout" at the close end. I wanted a lap pool, and it was 25 yards long and the only shape that would really fit in the yard. It was rightup against the back fence. We really liked that pool but lived in constant fear of leaks, especially after once finding a dead jackrabbit at the bottom.

Mikey wrote:Not to disagree with Bushice, but....

Mister Bushice wrote:If in ground don't go the plaster route.

Are you talking vinyl here? I've installed (or...had installed for me) both plaster and vinyl pools. Sure, vinyl pools are cheaper and more comfy on your widdle toesies, but the only reason to put in a vinyl pool is if you can't afford a real (read gunite) pool, or if you're not sure you really want a pool and you want to have the option of easily removing it in a few years. A vinyl pool is basically a hole in the ground, the top few feet lined with treated lumber, the sides and bottom covered with sand and the whole thing covered with a plastic sheet. A gunite pool is a permanent structure.

Plaster can be a bitch to keep clean and smooth. I have a plaster pool and if you don't brush it daily it gets rough and the pores can get dirt particles in them.

Don't get a weird shaped pool if you ever want to cover it up and have it stay covered in the winter. rectangular pools are easier to lock down.

Rectangular pools are boring and, to tell the truth, generally ugly, unless you're going for the ancient Greek baths look or something. The only reasons to get a rectangular pool are: a) you really like rectangular pools, or b) you have little kids and want to be able to "lock it down" with a tight cover.

The tight cover and kids was my thing.

You live in a warm climate, you don't need to cover it in the winter. Why would you want to? You spent $50,000 + ( almost as much as a new 2WD Navigator with spinners ;) ) on this beautiful gem in your backyard and you want to cover it with an ugly plastic sheet for half the year? Uh uh. If you have kids there are removable fence systems that work fine. My kids have had pools in their yard since the day they were born and neither one has ever drowned.

Warm climate yes, I agree a cover is not critical, unless you have cold winter nights and want to use it during the day without excessive heating costs and warm up times. Not everyone lives where the avg temp is 70 though, mikey. :)

Mikey, that is a goddamn amazing pool. That is also a goddamn amazing plot of land. I am wholly impressed.

Mister Bushice wrote:

Mikey wrote:Not to disagree with Bushice, but....

Mister Bushice wrote:If in ground don't go the plaster route.

Are you talking vinyl here? I've installed (or...had installed for me) both plaster and vinyl pools. Sure, vinyl pools are cheaper and more comfy on your widdle toesies, but the only reason to put in a vinyl pool is if you can't afford a real (read gunite) pool, or if you're not sure you really want a pool and you want to have the option of easily removing it in a few years. A vinyl pool is basically a hole in the ground, the top few feet lined with treated lumber, the sides and bottom covered with sand and the whole thing covered with a plastic sheet. A gunite pool is a permanent structure.

Plaster can be a bitch to keep clean and smooth. I have a plaster pool and if you don't brush it daily it gets rough and the pores can get dirt particles in them.

True, but any pool is going to come with maintenance. I'm about ready to replaster because of just what you're talking about, but still a gunite pool is a lot more permanent.

Don't get a weird shaped pool if you ever want to cover it up and have it stay covered in the winter. rectangular pools are easier to lock down.

Rectangular pools are boring and, to tell the truth, generally ugly, unless you're going for the ancient Greek baths look or something. The only reasons to get a rectangular pool are: a) you really like rectangular pools, or b) you have little kids and want to be able to "lock it down" with a tight cover.

The tight cover and kids was my thing.

I can see the reasons for that. For our first pool we got one of those nylon fences that they core the patio for, and you can remove when you don't want to look at it. Those things work fine as long as you keep them closed.

You live in a warm climate, you don't need to cover it in the winter. Why would you want to? You spent $50,000 + ( almost as much as a new 2WD Navigator with spinners ;) ) on this beautiful gem in your backyard and you want to cover it with an ugly plastic sheet for half the year? Uh uh. If you have kids there are removable fence systems that work fine. My kids have had pools in their yard since the day they were born and neither one has ever drowned.

Warm climate yes, I agree a cover is not critical, unless you have cold winter nights and want to use it during the day without excessive heating costs and warm up times. Not everyone lives where the avg temp is 70 though, mikey. :)

We don't use the pool in the winter - we just look at it. With a propane heater (the solar is basically useless in winter and we don't have gas) it would be impossible to keep it swimmable, even with a cover, for any affordable amount amount of $$.

WhatsMyName wrote:Mikey, that is a goddamn amazing pool. That is also a goddamn amazing plot of land. I am wholly impressed.

We've got minimum 1 acre lots here, mostly because there's no sewer. I'm lucky to have built the pool in 2000 because by the end of 2001 (and still) there was no way we could ever afford it. :(

4 bits of advice, Fu:

1. Don't wear your $90 polo shirts in the pool- the chlorine will bleach them out

2. Mikey may be a dipshit about most thingies, but he does know his pools

3. Bushice is a dipshit about most things too, and pools is one of them. Whatever he advises, do the opposite

4. You know how paranoid you get about grass clippings & your $50k (2 wheel drive{giggle}) SUV? That goes double for the pool

Rectangular pools are boring and, to tell the truth, generally ugly, unless you're going for the ancient Greek baths look or something. The only reasons to get a rectangular pool are: a) you a) you really like rectangular pools, or b) you have little kids and want to be able to "lock it down" with a tight cover.

What about for swimming laps? Odd-shaped pools suck in that department.

Also a rectangular pool is easier to cover with a floating mat when you're trying to keep the heat in at night.

As for diving boards, you need a deep diving well and insurance can be a headache. Most pool builders won't install diving boards anymore because of the liability risk.

Rack Fu wrote:If so, what tips and lessons learned can you bestow upon me? I'm starting to shop around and looking to have one put in next spring.

Maybe I can get one piece of decent advice from the inevitable barrage of smart ass and worthless comments. :)

Increase your homeowner's liability insurance to at least $300,000 if it's not there already and consider an Umbrella policy too.

jiminphilly wrote:

Rack Fu wrote:If so, what tips and lessons learned can you bestow upon me? I'm starting to shop around and looking to have one put in next spring.

Maybe I can get one piece of decent advice from the inevitable barrage of smart ass and worthless comments. :)

Increase your homeowner's liability insurance to at least $300,000 if it's not there already and consider an Umbrella policy too.

Make the shallowest part at least 4 feet deep so you can tell your neighbors that it's too deep for their little kids.

Don't let smackaholic use it either. He has a reputation for peeing in pools.

The definition of "screaming dumbfuck"?

A parent of an infant who wants to install in in-ground pool.


Absolutely reprehensible. Putting the parents whims above the better interest of the child -- deplorable.

Definition of "screaming dumbfuck"?

Somebody who mouths off like he knows anything when he has no idea WTF he's talking about.

No infant ever got through one of these:




unless some screaming dumbfuck parent left it open.

Mikey wrote: Somebody who mouths off like he knows anything when he has no idea WTF he's talking about.

Kettle, pot, back, much?

In the "warm-weather-states," what's the number one cause of accidental (as opposed to "intentional," I suppose) deaths in children under 5?

Remind me again of those statistics, Dude Who Really Fucking Knows What He's Talking About?

Nothing you're going to do or say will convince me, or ANYONE ELSE WITH A WORKING BRAIN that an inground pool is worth the risk it poses to small children.

Matter of fact, a friend just had one in their family. Story goes, it was less than 3 minutes out of full-view of the "responsible" adult. Tragic.

And Mikey, just because YOUR spawn were retarded, and couldn't figure out a simple gate latch by age 5, it doesn't mean everybody else's kids are that dumb.

Think however you like -- you're wrong, and I'm right. The numbers CLEARLY back me up. Sorry, bud -- defend it how you like...you lose this one.

Yeah, I suppose until scientific studies prove that it's actually the water, and not some other unknown factor that provides the LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN SMALL CHILDREN, we should err on the side of carelessness.

Dinsdale wrote:

Mikey wrote: Somebody who mouths off like he knows anything when he has no idea WTF he's talking about.

Kettle, pot, back, much?
In the "warm-weather-states," what's the number one cause of accidental (as opposed to "intentional," I suppose) deaths in children under 5?
Remind me again of those statistics, Dude Who Really Fucking Knows What He's Talking About?
Nothing you're going to do or say will convince me, or ANYONE ELSE WITH A WORKING BRAIN that an inground pool is worth the risk it poses to small children.
Matter of fact, a friend just had one in their family. Story goes, it was less than 3 minutes out of full-view of the "responsible" adult. Tragic.
And Mikey, just because YOUR spawn were retarded, and couldn't figure out a simple gate latch by age 5, it doesn't mean everybody else's kids are that dumb.
Think however you like -- you're wrong, and I'm right. The numbers CLEARLY back me up. Sorry, bud -- defend it how you like...you lose this one.

Uh, no dipshit.

The dumbshits are parents who leave their infant unattended near an unprotected pool for any period of time at all. Oh, and you of course. They (including your friend) should be thrown in jail for criminal negligence. That never happened around my pool.

Remind me again how many infants have ever gotten through a latched pool fence? Just because there are parents who don't strap their kids into a car seat when they drive doesn't mean that any adult who drives with a child in the car is being negligent, does it?

I don't know about the U&L, but in these here "warm weather states" a 5 year old is no longer considered an infant. My kids had been swimming for at least 3 years by the time they were 5.

The numbers CLEARLY back you up? You don't even know what the numbers mean.

BTW, just how many kids have you raised again?

mvscal wrote:I guess teaching your "small children" to swim is out of the question....right?

Stupid fuck.

It's not my kids I worry about. It's the neighbor kids who might find their way in. I keep all property gates locked, but about 3 years ago this neighbors kid, under the false impression she had an open invitation to swim by herself in our pool, just walked right into our house in the middle of the day no knock or doorbell, wearing a bathing suit ready to go, and headed for the pool.

And this little tard was a marginal swimmer at best.

Needless to say that was the last time she got anywhere near the pool without her parents in tow, and I installed door alarms on the one door leading directly out to the pool from inside.

You just never should underestimate the stupidity of other peoples kids.

And I'll bet if she had drowned those people would have sued my ass off, despite the fact the kid let herself in uninvited. I'll bet, they would have won too, despite the fact all exterior gates were padlocked and the only way in was through the house itself. There really isn't much protection for the pool owner from being sued, even if someone climbs over the fence and dies.

I've found a lot of dead gophers in my pool, but no dead neighbors yet. Local building code requires a least a 5 foot fence with self closing lockable gates around the entire swimming area. The fence I put in encloses about 1/3 of our lot. Wrought iron type fences have requirements as to the maximum space between and/or under the bars. All exit doors leading from the house to the fenced pool area have to have audible alarms installed. Nothing's 100% secure no matter what you do, but who wants to live in a sterile room with rubber walls anyway? I took those door alarms off the day we passed final inspection. If a neighbor kid came into my yard uninvited, he/she would probably be dead before hitting the pool.

mvscal wrote:

Mister Bushice wrote:You just never should underestimate the stupidity of other peoples kids.

And I'll bet if she had drowned those people would have sued my ass off, despite the fact the kid let herself in uninvited. I'll bet, they would have won too, despite the fact all exterior gates were padlocked and the only way in was through the house itself. There really isn't much protection for the pool owner from being sued, even if someone climbs over the fence and dies.

None of that is your responsibility. You have done everything as a homeowner that you can be expected to do. They certainly would not win any lawsuit under those conditions.

Tell that to my legal defense bill. :x

Why are you trying to screw Darwin out of his bode?

Cuda wrote:Why are you trying to screw Darwin out of his bode?

Don't get me wrong -- I'm quite sure Darwin will, at some point, visit the Fu household...it's inevitable.


I just hate to see Darwin's victims take children with them.

Cuda wrote:Why are you trying to screw Darwin out of his bode?

I was trying to save on chlorine. fat kids are dirty.

Rack Fu wrote:If so, what tips and lessons learned can you bestow upon me?

Dump some dioxin in it, and invite mvscal to be the first one in. Then we can test these theories once and for all

"Attractive nuisance" laws are asinine.

If you're such a neglectful parent that you cease watching your little brats so long that they trespass onto my property and takes themselves out of the gene pool in the process, then I don't think it's my damned fault.

Fucking nanny state is willing to give "pity-points" and cash to parents who can't or won't watch their kids.

Mikey wrote:They (including your friend) should be thrown in jail for criminal negligence.

For the record, it was a relative of a friend, who I don't know. But apparently, dude left his wife over the deal, since she was the one who was watching them.

And really, as far as those little kids getting out of your sight for a few minutes...let he who is without sin cast that first stone. Most of the time, it doesn't result in tragedy, but find me a parent who isn't guilty of that offense at least once. If you are that person, then props to you, and you have my admiration. Responsible parenting certainly isn't the norm in this day and age.

Mister Bushice wrote:It's not my kids I worry about. It's the neighbor kids who might find their way in. I keep all property gates locked, but about 3 years ago this neighbors kid, under the false impression she had an open invitation to swim by herself in our pool, just walked right into our house in the middle of the day no knock or doorbell, wearing a bathing suit ready to go, and headed for the pool.

And this little tard was a marginal swimmer at best.

That, in a nutshell, is my biggest worry were I ever to get a pool. My wife has been complaining that she wants one now for a couple of years. I've managed to put her off with the argument that our lot is too small (which it is, unless we're willing to cut down on our driveway size and/or take down the deck that was here when we moved in) as well as the cost and mess (see above as to taking deck down). In these parts, if we're very, very lucky, we might get 3 1/2 months use out of it a year. Not worth the risk, cost and work, imho. And if anything, around here it'll actually decrease the property value, as the plusses aren't worth the minuses for most people.

And btw, I am teaching my one-year-old how to swim. My soon to be eight-year-old already knows how, but even he still has to go to swimming lessons in the summer.

My sis has 6 kids and an indoor pool.

A few rules, some common sense, and there's no problem.

Mikey,
I'll got some questions for you later but I don't have the time right now. Thanks for the responses so far.

And Dins...

Dinsdale wrote:

Mikey wrote:They (including your friend) should be thrown in jail for criminal negligence.

For the record, it was a relative of a friend, who I don't know. But apparently, dude left his wife over the deal, since she was the one who was watching them.

And really, as far as those little kids getting out of your sight for a few minutes...let he who is without sin cast that first stone. Most of the time, it doesn't result in tragedy, but find me a parent who isn't guilty of that offense at least once. If you are that person, then props to you, and you have my admiration. Responsible parenting certainly isn't the norm in this day and age.

It's not letting your kids out of your sight for a few minutes that's the problem. Obviously it's not possible to watch them 100% of the time. But if you have little kids, you better make damn sure your pool is absolutely kid proof. That's my point. And it's not impossible to do. When we moved to Vegas into a house with an existing pool the first thing we did was get one of those removable pool fences. They work.

If you have your kid at a neighbor's house with an unprotected pool then you'd better convince yourself that you're not there for your own good time because you need to be holding his/her hand 100% of the time.

Mikey wrote:It's not letting your kids out of your sight for a few minutes that's the problem. Obviously it's not possible to watch them 100% of the time. But if you have little kids, you better make damn sure your pool is absolutely kid proof. That's my point. And it's not impossible to do. When we moved to Vegas into a house with an existing pool the first thing we did was get one of those removable pool fences. They work.

If you have your kid at a neighbor's house with an unprotected pool then you'd better convince yourself that you're not there for your own good time because you need to be holding his/her hand 100% of the time.

Yeppers.

And like I said before, if your kids frigging deliberately trespass on a neighbor's property and drown in the neighbor's pool, it sure as hell isn't the neighbor's fault, despite what some shitstain shysters and clueless, doe-eyed jury may believe.

I'm definitely going with a gunite pool with a saline filtration system.

This seems to be the company that gets a lot of kudos in my neck of the woods: South Shore Pools .

Living in Houston, an obvious warm climate city, I'm not worried about covers and all of that. Pool water temps are in the 90's here from May-Sept. I'd like something that looks good... obviously. A nice patio/decking and whirlpool surrounding the pool. I'm not sold on waterfalls and rock slides and all of that. I'd like to have the bottom colored to get that Tidy Bowl blue look. Multi-colored lights and underwater sound system and all that other stuff doesn't interest me.

A pool like this looks nice as my backyard has a seemingly similar layout.

You don't need to color the bottom. A white plaster pool looks blue when there's water in it.
Some people use a dark colored "pebble-tec" surface. The dark color helps absorb heat from the sun, but you don't need extra heat where you live, and in my book pebble tec is more trouble than it's worth.