Build Thread: 18x36 Rectangle Vinyl SW Pool Installation (New England)

[NEBackYard]

Plans/Permits should be finalized this week, and we should be digging by the end of July!

If anyone sees any glaring problems, or things we're overlooking, feel free to chime in! I'd rather know now instead of after the concrete has cured!

Decisions we are consciously making:

• No hot tub (Not what we want to spend money/space on)
• 8' Deep end (Our family enjoys deep ends in other pools)
• Wood Fireplace instead of gas (Should put out more heat, be nicer to look at)
• Stamped concrete instead of pavers (trying to save money on items we aren't passionate about)
• No pool deck on far side (Approaching rear property line, ground slopes away from house)
• Propane instead of heat pump (Electricity is expensive in our area and our goal is to minimize heater usage)

Open Questions

• Can people jump off the auto cover vault lid? Would it be uncomfortable to be on the shallow end bench?
• Is pool automation worth it if we don't have any water features/hot tub?

Pool Info:

• Size: 18'x36'
• Depth: 3.5' to 8'
• Vinyl Color: Gray Granite Borderless
• Corner Walk in
• Shallow end full width bench
• Deep end swim out bench
• Automatic Cover

Pool Equipment

• Salt Water Generator
• Hayward Glass Filter
• Hayward Tristar VS pump
• 350 BTU/Hr Propane Heater
• Color LED light

Landscape/Hardscape info

• Stamped concrete pool deck "Light Cappuccino color" - Ashlar stamp pattern
• Stamped concrete pavilion floor "Light Cappuccino color" - Seamless pattern
• 16x16 Gabled Pavillion
• Fencing will be added

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP! Congrats on the new pool. Some things that caught my eye:
- How many return jets? I would say at least 4, perhaps 6 if possible?
- Did they mention the type of lighting? Maybe I couldn't read it on the details sheet.
- They are offering a 22" sand filter, but see if you can get a larger one. 30" or 36" perhaps. The larger the better for less backwashing intervals. Not thrilled about glass media, sand is traditionally more reliable, but you can always change that later I suppose.
- Insist on union fittings at the filter (MPV) for disassembly in the future.
- With two skimmer, try to ensure at least of them is positioned on the downward end of the pool where the wind blows.
- Try to get details on which SWG they are offering. It needs to rated for at least 2X the size of your pool.
- Try to confirm what HP motor will come with that Tristar pump.

As for automation, some people are all about that stuff. I get it. But for me personally, it's just something else to go wrong later. Just my 2-cents. A VSP will have some basic programming ability built in, so unless you if you aren't doing anything fancy but basically turning on the pump and SWG, I don't see a point. Other opinions may differ of course. Ha.

I'm sure more replies will follow. Good luck!

 

[Newdude]

Hey NeBY and Welcome !!!!


I'd recommend a 400 sq ft cartridge filter. All 3 styles will get the job done but we all have our preference.

Pool depth is wall height, not water height 99% of the time. Subtract about 6 inches so you're not surprised how shallow the shallow end will be. They can easily adjust your depths because you are doing custom steps.

 

[bmoreswim]

Did you copy and paste the specs of my pool? I should be able to provide good feedback since it's my pool, except for the heater which we don't have.

What type of autocover vault lid will you have? That is a huge factor in jumping off of it. We have a 12" x 24" stone lid. You can jump off of it, but I tell people not to. The stones are just sitting on the brackets (so they can be lifted of to access the vault) and they do overhang the brackets by maybe an inch? So theoretically there is some risk of tipping if a heavy person were on the edge. I suppose the real issue is how well the brackets are attached to the back wall of the vault by their screws into the gunite.

Is there one light or two? The contract does not state this. You want two full size LED lights for that size pool.

I would choose my Hayward cartridge filter again over a sand/glass or DE, but most people like what they have and all are viable options.

I highly recommend a gray autocover material.

You'll want the largest of the Hayward SWCG's. It's also cheapest to buy the largest cell for replacements on a $/specified gallon basis. And therefore you also replace them less often which is nice, because when they are failing, you'll have issues with them reading the salt level right so the less often that happens the better. It's one small way to make things more simple over time.

You can see our build thread in my signature for a view of some aspects of your pool.

 

[NEBackYard]

DIG DAY!

 

[Newdude]

Congrats!!! I did the pool and then that patio. The other way will be a beaut also, I'm sure.

 

[NEBackYard]

Seems like the majority of the excavation is complete! We didn't hit any ledge / bedrock / boulders! We have a 12'x10'x4' rock in our front yard, so I was assuming we would hit more, but it looks like we're good!

 

[NEBackYard]

Walls are coming along nicely!

 

[PoolStored]

Is the coping of the pool above or below the patio level?

 

[NEBackYard]

Anything I should do/request while we are still in this construction phase to make sure the makeshift rock wall stays in good shape?

The wall is 3' at the tallest and shrinks as it runs along the pool.
There is 18 feet between the pool wall and the rock wall, so my (baseless) intuition says that even if the rock wall crumbles over the years, there is no risk to the pool walls.

 

[NEBackYard]

Is the coping of the pool above or below the patio level?

There will be a single 7" step down from the existing patio to the pool deck / coping

 

[NEBackYard]

One last image showing the stairs (right), Shallow end bench (right), deep end ledge/swim out (left)

 

[PoolStored]

Which way is the patio going to slope between the step down and the pool?

 

[NEBackYard]

Which way is the patio going to slope between the step down and the pool?

There will be a deck drain running the length of the step

 

[NEBackYard]

Cement is in!
I wasn't thrilled about them driving on the driveway, but I don't see any damage and the downspout drainpipe that runs underneath the driveway still flows fine

 

[Newdude]

I put in a double wide gate when we did our fence specifically so the cement truck could drive though and when they showed up they didn't want to use the driveway so we were pulling 2 sections on the lawn anyway.

 

[NEBackYard]

Concrete on the pool floor and trenches for plumbing/electrical

 

[NEBackYard]

Should I be spraying the concrete with water? Its currently 80 outside

 

[Skelly_GSR]

Awesome progress! You are a little ahead of me with my build. Pool floor looks amazing!

 

[NEBackYard]

The pool building company has been blazingly fast, and the fact that we haven't hit any huge rocks is really helpful