[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by Jaime Stevens

Well, I live in Las Vegas and was planning on getting a pool put in. We had hoped to do it ourselves, meaning subing it out, but now after reading all this.......I don't know where to begin!! Concrete/premade? Errrr...enough to give you a migrane!!!

Yup, it can be- especially if you don't know what you're doing. If you work in the construction field, deal with subcontractors, contracts, scheduling, etc., maybe it makes sense to sub a pool out on your own- if not, leave it to a turnkey company. Even though you're paying for their sales commissions, supervision, and profit, you're likely to spend the same as you do subbing it yourself by the time you consider mistakes, hidden costs, and the fact that subs won't work for you at the same price that they'll work for a company that's giving them 20 or 200 pools a year.

[AA702]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

Yup, it can be- especially if you don't know what you're doing. If you work in the construction field, deal with subcontractors, contracts, scheduling, etc., maybe it makes sense to sub a pool out on your own- if not, leave it to a turnkey company. Even though you're paying for their sales commissions, supervision, and profit, you're likely to spend the same as you do subbing it yourself by the time you consider mistakes, hidden costs, and the fact that subs won't work for you at the same price that they'll work for a company that's giving them 20 or 200 pools a year.

I agree, but some people save almost 1/2 on the cost vs. turnkey. Its all about if you know what your are doing. If you dont, let a turnkey company handle it and you will have no headaches. Make sure you dont skimp on the quality of the equipment (very important).

[Ghiamann2]

I posted some things earlier in this thread and now my pool is just about completed. Gunite was shot last week, tile has been put in and the decking is going to be poured in a week or so. I bit the bullet and went with a midsize regional company and am extremely pleased. The site manager has been present every step of the way to answer questions and to make sure that the subs are doing the job right. As the excavation was being finished the crew hit my gas line and my main water line. (no fault of their's, the gas and water lines were too shallow) The site manager was at my house after dark with flashlights to make sure my water was back on and supervised the gas company's work. This type of work is a big PROJECT and your money is well spent if you find a reputable company. One other point: if you go with a good pool company they have certain crews that they work with all of the time to insure quality. The comapny's reputation is on the line and dependent on the quallity of the work. Not necessarily the case if you sub it yourself. IMO, do your research, find a good company and let the pros do the work. I do a lot of work on my home myself, floor tiling, landscaping but this is a WHOLE different ball game!!!

[Ghiamann2]

I posted the last note quite some time ago. The plaster was done (traditional white plaster), the pool was filled and I was given instructions by the pool company to brush the pool twice a day. I did that for over a week and after no cloudiness appeared I was told to stop. The filtration system was turned on and was left on 24/7 after the pool was filled but no chemistry was added. I've noticed slight irregularities in the plaster surface (dark and light spots) and in a couple of places dark amber/brown spots have appeared. I called the company and they are sending out the plaster company to inspect it. Is this typical with white plaster? I'm expecting new plaster to be pretty perfect but is this realistic??? The pool site director is supposed to come out early this week to give me a tutorial with the equipment and I will point this out to him too. Any feedback would be helpful. The company has assured me that they will stand by their work but I thought if I knew what to ask it might help.
Details about the pool can be read earlier in this thread. Thanks!!!

[AA702]

Originally Posted by Ghiamann2

I posted the last note quite some time ago. The plaster was done (traditional white plaster), the pool was filled and I was given instructions by the pool company to brush the pool twice a day. I did that for over a week and after no cloudiness appeared I was told to stop. The filtration system was turned on and was left on 24/7 after the pool was filled but no chemistry was added. I've noticed slight irregularities in the plaster surface (dark and light spots) and in a couple of places dark amber/brown spots have appeared. I called the company and they are sending out the plaster company to inspect it. Is this typical with white plaster? I'm expecting new plaster to be pretty perfect but is this realistic??? The pool site director is supposed to come out early this week to give me a tutorial with the equipment and I will point this out to him too. Any feedback would be helpful. The company has assured me that they will stand by their work but I thought if I knew what to ask it might help.
Details about the pool can be read earlier in this thread. Thanks!!!

I've seen this time and time again. Sometimes when companies build a pool or someone gets their pool refurbished "replastered, retiled..etc.." they leave it up to the owner that has no clue what to do. When you say no chemistry was added? do you mean that no startup chemicals were added? At the minimum there should be Liquid Chlorine with no more than 12% by volume. This will kill bacteria and prevent algae blooms. When you say there are amber/brown spots? Can you feel them with your hand or are they in the plaster? Did you have a black algae problem before you replastered? Sounds like you either has an algae bloom or metal staining.

Startup consists of:

Liquid Chlorine 1 gal per 12 gallons
30-40 PPM Conditioner
Total Alkalinity (used as a buffer for easy alkalinity balance)
Soda Ash or Acid (depends on the Ph) Must balance as quickly as possible
3 inch trichlor tabs (1 tab per 5-6K gallons)
Cal Hypo or Dichlor shock (1-2 lbs per 10K gallons)

When you were brushing the pool 3 times a day, did you have your main drain valve to about 80%MD 20%Skimmer? When its not cloudy anymore, you can clean your filters to get rid off all that excess plaster residue. If you have a metal staining problem (usually caused by a heater that has a copper core) then you can buy products that will get rid of that staining.

Send me a PM if you have anymore questions and I can help you out with 2nd opinions.

[BobKovacs]

It's not going to be perfectly white like a painted wall- there will be some color inconsistencies. What concerns me is the brown spots, which could be caused by rebar being to close to the surface and rust bleeding through- though usually it takes a while for that to occur.

See what the plaster company says, and then have AAA take a look.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by AAPoolServiceLV

I've seen this time and time again. Sometimes when companies build a pool or someone gets their pool refurbished "replastered, retiled..etc.." they leave it up to the owner that has no clue what to do. When you say no chemistry was added? do you mean that no startup chemicals were added? At the minimum there should be Liquid Chlorine with no more than 12% by volume. This will kill bacteria and prevent algae blooms. When you say there are amber/brown spots? Can you feel them with your hand or are they in the plaster? Did you have a black algae problem before you replastered? Sounds like you either has an algae bloom or metal staining.

Startup consists of:

Liquid Chlorine 1 gal per 12 gallons
30-40 PPM Conditioner
Total Alkalinity (used as a buffer for easy alkalinity balance)
Soda Ash or Acid (depends on the Ph) Must balance as quickly as possible
3 inch trichlor tabs (1 tab per 5-6K gallons)
Cal Hypo or Dichlor shock (1-2 lbs per 10K gallons)

When you were brushing the pool 3 times a day, did you have your main drain valve to about 80%MD 20%Skimmer? When its not cloudy anymore, you can clean your filters to get rid off all that excess plaster residue. If you have a metal staining problem (usually caused by a heater that has a copper core) then you can buy products that will get rid of that staining.

Send me a PM if you have anymore questions and I can help you out with 2nd opinions.

Uhh two thousand gallons of chlorine to start a 24,000 gallon pool? I think a decimal got mis-placed.

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by olecapt

Uhh two thousand gallons of chlorine to start a 24,000 gallon pool? I think a decimal got mis-placed.

What's the matter Capt? Don't you like green hair and red eyes????

[AA702]

Originally Posted by olecapt

Uhh two thousand gallons of chlorine to start a 24,000 gallon pool? I think a decimal got mis-placed.

SORRY! Correction 1 gallon Liquid Chlorine for every 12,000 Gal of pool water.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

What's the matter Capt? Don't you like green hair and red eyes????

That would dissolve the eyeballs...Like swimming in domestic clorox....