New pool construction in Austin TX - Gunite Phase

[AQUA~HOLICS]

Here’s my experience with Shotcrete crews, they are absolutely the hardest crews on the rebar cage and plumbing.
Even with the picture I provided they still can bend the bars with their own weight by standing on them that are not directly under a block and shooting product as it’s sagging, not realizing that they are actually moving the bars closer to the dirt and the bars may not rebound back to the required height.
They also beat on their equipment (nozzle and hose) as it sits on top of the cage permanently bending the bars towards the dirt and loosing the required 3” minimum coverage.
Of all the trades they are the ones who I must keep the closest eye on because of this and multiple other situations that may come up during the application process and even afterwards such as dealing with the spoiled product left behind.
Having a competent Shotcrete crew is vital in order to avoid multiple issues with this process.

 

[Valier]

Wow, what an experience you’ve had! Sounds like the Shotcrete crew thinks the rebar is a trampoline! I’ll make sure to keep an eye on them—don’t want my pool getting extra bounce. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Valier]

Hey Pool Community! We’ve finished the gunite/shotcrete phase, and the pool is really coming together!

Next up: plumbing, tile, and more. Any tips for what we need to consider?

Thanks for all the advice so far, more updates to come!

 

[Valier]

With pics

 

[kimkats]

This gen is from @HermanTX :
some helpful hints for day of filling

• Do they have all the proper return nozzles and drain covers (type and color) to place after plaster installed
• Have you tested your fill water? Are you filling with softened water or regular tap water?
• Have your hose ready (and clean) as it will be laying in the pool.
• Tie a sock or cloth around the nozzle so it does not sit on the plaster. Also, consider tying a plastic jug to the nozzle such that it will float up as the water rises.
• Make sure the hose is put at the lowest part of the pool.
• Do NOT stop the flow of water once it starts as it stopping it could cause a ring on the plaster.
• Ensure you take note (or a picture) of your water meter reading before you start to fill
• Be prepared to take note of your water meter as the pool reaches certain levels, i.e bottom of bottom step, top of bottom step, etc. (it helps in the future to know volume of your pool at certain levels - should you ever have to drain portion of it)
• Plan to set an alarm every 4 hours (or so) to ensure hose is still in pool, no debris blew into pool, etc.
• Take a picture of any chemicals they bring on site that they plan to dump in when they start to add water to pool
• Continue to fill pool to center of water tile or center of skimmer. Take picture of water meter at end of fill
• Get clear instructions from PB as what to do the day the pool is full - how often to brush, will the pump be turned on, etc.

Define with PB when he will be back out to set up water chemistry

 

[RoyR]

Too bad…late to the party - nice work.

I would have made the water wall its own closed loop system. Going to have fun with controlling the pH…

IMO, it’s a very expensive addition, that now will only be used a little.

Pay attention to waterproofing, don’t want efflorescence on that wall…

 

[Valier]

This gen is from @HermanTX :
some helpful hints for day of filling

• Do they have all the proper return nozzles and drain covers (type and color) to place after plaster installed
• Have you tested your fill water? Are you filling with softened water or regular tap water?
• Have your hose ready (and clean) as it will be laying in the pool.
• Tie a sock or cloth around the nozzle so it does not sit on the plaster. Also, consider tying a plastic jug to the nozzle such that it will float up as the water rises.
• Make sure the hose is put at the lowest part of the pool.
• Do NOT stop the flow of water once it starts as it stopping it could cause a ring on the plaster.
• Ensure you take note (or a picture) of your water meter reading before you start to fill
• Be prepared to take note of your water meter as the pool reaches certain levels, i.e bottom of bottom step, top of bottom step, etc. (it helps in the future to know volume of your pool at certain levels - should you ever have to drain portion of it)
• Plan to set an alarm every 4 hours (or so) to ensure hose is still in pool, no debris blew into pool, etc.
• Take a picture of any chemicals they bring on site that they plan to dump in when they start to add water to pool
• Continue to fill pool to center of water tile or center of skimmer. Take picture of water meter at end of fill
• Get clear instructions from PB as what to do the day the pool is full - how often to brush, will the pump be turned on, etc.

Define with PB when he will be back out to set up water chemistry

Thank you @HermanTX and @kimkats for sharing these tips, we really appreciate all these helpful hints for the day of filling! Will definitely keep in mind as we get closer to that date.

 

[Valier]

Too bad…late to the party - nice work.

I would have made the water wall its own closed loop system. Going to have fun with controlling the pH…

IMO, it’s a very expensive addition, that now will only be used a little.

Pay attention to waterproofing, don’t want efflorescence on that wall…

Thank you @RoyR!

Yes, we’ve been researching water-repellent sealers that we might be able to use to help with maintenance. Besides regular cleaning, we’re hoping the sealer will help reduce the potential for efflorescence and keep the water wall looking pristine over time.

 

[setsailsoon]

For some reason I missed this build. Nice pool with a lot of cool features. I agree with other's comments on some of the features you've incorporated but things like that are not really right-wrong just owner preference. They may be difficult to keep clean and expensive to operate but they're also going to look stunning! Here are a couple things I would be looking out for at this stage of construction:

• Not sure how long it's been since the gunite was applied. But you should soak it thoroughly every day for at least 7 days and preferably longer. Is the builder doing this? If not, see if he's OK with you doing it. Your concrete will be significantly stronger. I did mine for 30 days with a temporary zone added above ground to my sprinkler system. The gunite sub was thrilled to see me do this and he wondered why no builders do it for residential pools. Many of their commercial pool builders require it. You can Google and read up on this. It's very well proven science.
• Find out if they are using a bond coat. I highly recommend this and also make sure if they are doing it you get adequate coverage around the entire surface. If you can be present and check while they are working you'll get a better installation. Many builders don't even check.
• Look at all the penetrations where there are dished out areas in the gunite. These will be filled with hydraulic cement or some other material that will seal in the pipe. Make sure they don't miss any and that it's installed properly to the surface.
• Before they plaster make sure you've read up on the application instructions from the manufacturer and you know the builder is planning to follow them before the day you plaster. Plaster is a massive piece of work and just like gunite application it's the worst time to be changing the installers plans. Make sure there's good alignment between you, builder, and their plaster sub before they start work.
• When you plaster do the same thing to observe. Amazingly many builders don't show up for this either and its a critical step. Check thickness in any area you're worried about with a toothpick.
• When they install the spa and return fittings be sure to check that the pipes are cut to the right depth and cleaned up as needed for good fit.
• Now is a great time to read up on Pool School, get your test kit ordered and start running tests on the fill water.
• Talk to your builder about his plans to fill and what if any, obligations you have in your contract. If there are no requirements let us know TFP has great startup guides in the Wiki but your contract requirements should be adhered to for warranty protection.

Can't wait to see the finished product!

Chris

 

[Valier]

Hi @setsailsoon, thank you for all these pointers. I’ll be looking out for them once I’m home.

Also, when we were soaking our pool this past weekend, we noticed these spots/cracks (attached photos). Does anyone know what these are, and if they require remediation before moving forward? Appreciate any feedback!

 

[Valier]

For some reason I missed this build. Nice pool with a lot of cool features. I agree with other's comments on some of the features you've incorporated but things like that are not really right-wrong just owner preference. They may be difficult to keep clean and expensive to operate but they're also going to look stunning! Here are a couple things I would be looking out for at this stage of construction:

• Not sure how long it's been since the gunite was applied. But you should soak it thoroughly every day for at least 7 days and preferably longer. Is the builder doing this? If not, see if he's OK with you doing it. Your concrete will be significantly stronger. I did mine for 30 days with a temporary zone added above ground to my sprinkler system. The gunite sub was thrilled to see me do this and he wondered why no builders do it for residential pools. Many of their commercial pool builders require it. You can Google and read up on this. It's very well proven science.
• Find out if they are using a bond coat. I highly recommend this and also make sure if they are doing it you get adequate coverage around the entire surface. If you can be present and check while they are working you'll get a better installation. Many builders don't even check.
• Look at all the penetrations where there are dished out areas in the gunite. These will be filled with hydraulic cement or some other material that will seal in the pipe. Make sure they don't miss any and that it's installed properly to the surface.
• Before they plaster make sure you've read up on the application instructions from the manufacturer and you know the builder is planning to follow them before the day you plaster. Plaster is a massive piece of work and just like gunite application it's the worst time to be changing the installers plans. Make sure there's good alignment between you, builder, and their plaster sub before they start work.
• When you plaster do the same thing to observe. Amazingly many builders don't show up for this either and its a critical step. Check thickness in any area you're worried about with a toothpick.
• When they install the spa and return fittings be sure to check that the pipes are cut to the right depth and cleaned up as needed for good fit.
• Now is a great time to read up on Pool School, get your test kit ordered and start running tests on the fill water.
• Talk to your builder about his plans to fill and what if any, obligations you have in your contract. If there are no requirements let us know TFP has great startup guides in the Wiki but your contract requirements should be adhered to for warranty protection.

Can't wait to see the finished product!

Chris

The builder soaked it for a few days and I did over the weekend and yesterday. The masons are currently applying the thinset for the waterline line and I was informed to no longer water.

 

[Valier]

I discussed with PB on the slope for the overflow spa. Based on these threads: proper slope and spa, it seems that it's about 1.25" to 1.75" inwards. The builder said they can only do 1". I'm wondering whether it will be sufficient for good drainage and overflow performance. Please pardon my lack of knowledge. Other than that, everything else is moving along and we're excited to see how things will turn out!

 

[setsailsoon]

The builder soaked it for a few days and I did over the weekend and yesterday. The masons are currently applying the thinset for the waterline line and I was informed to no longer water.

You get the most benefit first 7 days and a lot more over the next 28 days. But your builder is at least aware of the benefit to soak and is doing it. That's putting him in the top quartile based on what I see around here!

 

[Blackdirt Cowboy]

I never understood why builders leave this up to the homeowners. It’s literally the foundation of any project, pool, home, or otherwise. I wonder how many warranty issues could be avoided down the road if the builder took responsibility for the concrete curing.

That being said, it’s pretty easy to set up sprinklers on a timer to water several times throughout the day.

 

[setsailsoon]

I never understood why builders leave this up to the homeowners. It’s literally the foundation of any project, pool, home, or otherwise. I wonder how many warranty issues could be avoided down the road if the builder took responsibility for the concrete curing.

That being said, it’s pretty easy to set up sprinklers on a timer to water several times throughout the day.

Yep,

That's exactly what we did:


Turned out pretty nice:

 

[Valier]

Nice one, thanks for sharing. Here’s our poor man’s version with oscillating sprinklers and watering timer.

 

[setsailsoon]

Nice one, thanks for sharing. Here’s our poor man’s version with oscillating sprinklers and watering timer.

All that matters is getting the whole thing wet each day so there's plenty water of hydration for the concrete cure. Yours looks like it's doing a great job! Sooo easy to do, right?