[trumpetdoc]

Hello,
Have a new home with large, bare, back yard.

Really want a pool for the kids and family but as you know the costs are quite high.

Was getting an idea from a pool designer here in town and seemed the spa addition is around 10K!
I was "thinking" why not leave out the built in spa, prep an area near pool for future acrylic spa and enclosure, and use that 10Kish for upgrades to pool.

I have had many homes with built in spa but never experienced a nice acrylic spa myself.

Anyone have good reference for any particular pool builder?
Anyone down an owner/build and sub-out yourself and was that extremely painful?


Any thoughts on this?

Thanks all!

[Packrat1]

Several things, first get several bids and actually go to jobsites of previous customers. Be sure to get an autofill. Do not scrimp on the pool pump and heater and be sure it is sized correctly.

Consider either a quartz plaster pool or Pebble Tech. (Pebble Sheen or Pebble Tec) If you do get a Pebble Tec pool be sure they put tile around the top of the pool. Pebble Tec doesn't work well out of water you need tile at the waterline. Try out a Pebble Tec pool first to see if you like the feel underfoot. Some don't and it's more expensive. Be sure your water features aka waterfalls ect.. are driven by a separate pump and separate lines very important.

You then have a choice of either a traditional pool cleaner like Hayward Navigator or The Pool Cleaner. (I prefer The Pool Cleaner two wheel model.) The other option is rotating pop up heads at the bottom of the pool for cleaning. Both have their good and bad points.

Also be sure there is a remote for inside your home to turn on off the lights, waterfall and pool pump/heater. Be sure that you spec out the surrounding pool deck with something like cool deck and specifically spec out the color.

Check and double check the work while it is being done. Make sure you specifically spec out how you want your water features to look ie: type of stone formation as well as paint or stain color.

Just my opinion. Remember once the pool is in it is really hard to upgrade after the fact. Things like separate lines to water features and expensive to change out cheap pumps for better ones. You do get what you pay for in pool equipment. Ask a lot of questions and this board is a great place to do that.
Packrat.

[yellowsnow]

I redid my existing pool and it's a job!

Have you checked out the fiberglass pools all done in one piece? They are put in by a crane. Supposedly they use less chlorine/chemicals and are easier to maintain.

We actually use the spa more than the pool. It's great to come home and heat it up in the winter. And it can be good for kids to have a smaller, shallow play area too.

If you bite the bullet, get one with a real retractable cover. In the winter, you can leave it covered and save a lot in chemicals and electricity by only running the filter a couple hours a day. And no junk will be blown into the pool. Stays clean.

I love my solar heat but it seems to leak every year and I have to pay to have it patched up.

A pool is not cheap. It costs more than $100 per month for electricity and chemicals. And NVEnergy is going no where but up. Perhaps you could put in enough solar to run the filter?