[airics]

Originally Posted by tiger08

Break it up and bury it??? He said he wanted a pool. Why would anyone destroy something that costs more than $30,000 bucks to have installed?

that was a figure of speech... and in no way should that pool cost 30k,,,, closer to 18-20 .

[tiger08]

Originally Posted by airics

that was a figure of speech... and in no way should that pool cost 30k,,,, closer to 18-20 .

Affraid I have to argue on that one. That same pool, 9 feet deep, would probably run well over $ 40,000.

[lyra33]

Originally Posted by airics

that was a figure of speech... and in no way should that pool cost 30k,,,, closer to 18-20 .

Tiger is right. I put in a modest 6 ft deep, 30 feet by 18 foot pool that was about 42,000 two years ago.

[lyra33]

Originally Posted by winknod

I'm closing on my new house next week. The pool "looks" okay, no cracks. It appears to be concrete (but then I know nothing about pools). The house was built in 1963 and I assume the pool is original.
I was thinking that it would be a good idea to have it resurfaced/coated since it is empty and I hope to never have to empty it again. Then again, since the pool has no coating (that I can see), maybe adding a coating would be a bad idea.

I saw a similar house in another part of town (roughly the same age) where it was evident that the pool leaked into the ground, the yard smelled like sewage and the house foundation had serious problems (rising).
This house and yard show no signs of having had this type of problem and the "google map" photo shows the pool full as do the last sales listing photos (2007)

I'm a do-it-yourselfer and don't want to spend a lot of money. I had thought that I would give it a good power washing and maybe a scrub down with oxyclean (less toxic than TSP), and then just fill it.

Should I go ahead and just fill it as is once it's clean? I was thinking of having a couple of pool contractors look at it, but I don't want to waste money or have work done that I'll later regret (like bubbling paint).

I would be concerned. I only have 2 years of pool experience and I know that when we drain the pool we only leave it empty for a few hours to clean since we have been told that the weight of the water keeps the composition of the pool intact.

I would have someone knowledgeable about pool construction look at it.

[winknod]

Originally Posted by lyra33

I would be concerned. I only have 2 years of pool experience and I know that when we drain the pool we only leave it empty for a few hours to clean since we have been told that the weight of the water keeps the composition of the pool intact.

I would have someone knowledgeable about pool construction look at it.

I have heard that before in different parts of the country. I don't think it's "as" true in Las Vegas because of the dry, sandy soil pools don't tend to rise.

It is common practice in an REO for the bank to drain the pool. It takes several months from Foreclosure until they get the property closed and they don't want to have to deal with pool maintenance / cleaning.

Once the listing agent got the property she did some yard work and got someone to take care of the mail and keep the toilets and drains from drying out, but basically the property sat vacant for about 3 months.

Happily, the bank did not do any interior renovations. I have seen a lot of REOs where they slap on a new coat of paint and put down cheap floor tiles to mask a lot of defects.

The pool equipment all appears to be in fairly new condition and there is a brand new (huge) gas heater that the most recent owner had added, so I might just get lucky.

Since even the smallest pool starts at $20K and typically takes 2 months to complete, even if I end up spending $10K I'm way ahead!

[winknod]

Originally Posted by airics

yes, it definitely looks like it needs work.. you should have had the inspection.. i think you are going to spend more than a "couple thousand" on the pool alone...probably closer to 5 or 6k.. how old is the equipment. you could always break it up and bury it

You Funny!
It would cost more to break it up and bury it that it would cost to repair even in the worst case!!!

Spending $6K to repair something that would have cost over $40K to build (and that I think of as a "must have") is still a bargain in my world!

[lyra33]

Originally Posted by winknod

I have heard that before in different parts of the country. I don't think it's "as" true in Las Vegas because of the dry, sandy soil pools don't tend to rise.

It is common practice in an REO for the bank to drain the pool. It takes several months from Foreclosure until they get the property closed and they don't want to have to deal with pool maintenance / cleaning.

Once the listing agent got the property she did some yard work and got someone to take care of the mail and keep the toilets and drains from drying out, but basically the property sat vacant for about 3 months.

Happily, the bank did not do any interior renovations. I have seen a lot of REOs where they slap on a new coat of paint and put down cheap floor tiles to mask a lot of defects.

The pool equipment all appears to be in fairly new condition and there is a brand new (huge) gas heater that the most recent owner had added, so I might just get lucky.

Since even the smallest pool starts at $20K and typically takes 2 months to complete, even if I end up spending $10K I'm way ahead!

I agree the cement-like soil here is definitely different. I asked my husband and he said that the plaster can crack and dry out. So if the plaster is in good condition you are probably in good shape. Enjoy your pool. It certainly makes living through the summer in Vegas tolerable.

Oh, by the way...we have been told that you drain your pool every other year. It's not too bad. We have a pump that pumps that water through a hose into the clean out port.

[MediocreButArrogant]

Personally, with my limited knowledge of geology, I would rather not take a $40k gamble on my prediction of the hydrostatic pressure in the soil after a heavy rain. I live on relatively high ground, so I know I'm pretty safe. But the guys at NPS warn people that live in low lying areas not to leave their pools empty if heavy rain or thunderstorms are forecast. I'd rather heed their warning than take a chance.

Maybe some of the long time residents can tell us if they've ever heard of anyone popping a shell out of the ground after a heavy rain, and whether their elevation was a factor.

Rules like "drain your pool every other year" are for people too dumb to understand simple concepts like total dissolved solids and stabilizer level.

[airics]

Originally Posted by lyra33

Tiger is right. I put in a modest 6 ft deep, 30 feet by 18 foot pool that was about 42,000 two years ago.

mine is 34x24, beach entry, pebbletech, waterfalls, spa jets, pentair equip, and ALOT of cooldecking, heated with pentair heater.. cost just under 25k.. prices are nowhere near what they were 3yrs ago..

[winknod]

Originally Posted by airics

mine is 34x24, beach entry, pebbletech, waterfalls, spa jets, pentair equip, and ALOT of cooldecking, heated with pentair heater.. cost just under 25k.. prices are nowhere near what they were 3yrs ago..

That's great news! Hopefully my repairs will be less expensive as well. I was told by a neighbor that my pool would have cost over $40K to install.

I had given up hope of finding a house in my price range with a pool so I had budgeted over $10K for an nice above ground (with ground prep, wiring, plumbing, decking...).
The current equipment looks to be fairly new and there is a brand new gas heater.

Fingers crossed that I'll be swimming within 1 month of closing and have money left over...

I don't expect there will be any drenching rainstorms in Las Vegas over the next month, but it can't be good for the plaster to be exposed to that heat.