POOL owners,, I need some advice.

fins4me

I have fought the construction of a pool for almost 4 yrs now. When we built our current house the family wanted to put one in then but I didn't want the headache. The family has worn me down on the issue and I am close to the point of relenting on the subject.. I know little about the selection, upkeep and design of pools.
I have plenty of level ground with good soil depth so that is not a concern.

Questions.
What construction or type would you suggest.
What size for a family of 4 and I am sure friends.
I hear about salt vs chemical treatment.
Accessories??
My backyard is surrounded by woods and large trees (within 100 ft of the possible pool location). Is this a problem??

Then I guess my biggest question or concern.. Maintenance. I don't have the time to be a pool cleaner. I live about 45 miles from the nearest pool service.

Am I better off just keeping up the good fight and avoiding the whole thing????

GETBENT

If you have the acres, just build a pond/lake.

Calusa

fins4me wrote: »

Questions.
What construction or type would you suggest. Gunite, with a pebble tec or diamond brite surface.
What size for a family of 4 and I am sure friends. 14x28 Roman shape is plenty big.
I hear about salt vs chemical treatment. Salt - better on the skin and eyes, and less maintenance and cost too I bleieve.
Accessories?? Brush, vacuum, water spigot and hot/cold shower.
My backyard is surrounded by woods and large trees (within 100 ft of the possible pool location). Is this a problem?? Cage the entire thing. It will keep leaves and debris out of the pool. It won't keep small bugs and dirt out though.

Give up - the women win this one. :rotflmao

hatcity

Calusa wrote: »

Give up - the women win this one. :rotflmao

X2
If momma aint happy, aint nobody happy

stringle

Do it. It is an extra source of water for when the SHTF. If maintenance and upkeep are a concern, go with the salt generator. I moved from a chlorine pool to a salt generator and it took me about 6 months to simmer down with worrying about the maintenance. Two year later, all the chemical expense I've had is two jugs of muratic acid (8 bucks total) and a bag of salt (4 bucks).

Big John

pools are not hard to keep up at all.

CaptTater

Pool robot..

Menzies

Pools are easy to keep. Just make sure you have a good filter and don't skimp on the hours you run its during the hot months. Get a chorline feeder that used the 3" tablets. And make sure you shock it monthly. Stick in a Polaris 360 pool cleaner and you will be good to go.

Find some neighbors who have pools and look at the styles and sizes. Up north I used to have a rectangular 34X16. In Florida we tend to have the kidney shapes, with edge seating, marcite step-ins rather than metal step downs, etc.

Having had the blue colored marcite, my leaning for the next refurbish is towards the darker color - it hides the dead algae that may gather at the bottom until the Polaris gets it better, and also hides the wear on the marcite you get over time!

Don't worry about the tree line. Your pool cleaner and skimmer will get all that. We have the "bird cage" which stops any leaves and bugs coming in and also keeps some of the UV out. Adds to the cost though.

Enjoy.

fins4me

IF I am going to go through with this,,, I wan't to have a hot tub above and next to the pool. Can I heat the hot tub and let overflow from it heat the pool or will it need 2 different heating systems.

intermingler

What construction or type would you suggest. Gunite, with a pebble tec or diamond brite surface.
What size for a family of 4 and I am sure friends. 14x28 Roman shape is plenty big.
I hear about salt vs chemical treatment. Salt - better on the skin and eyes, and less maintenance and cost too I bleieve.
Accessories?? Brush, vacuum, water spigot and hot/cold shower.
My backyard is surrounded by woods and large trees (within 100 ft of the possible pool location). Is this a problem?? Cage the entire thing. It will keep leaves and debris out of the pool. It won't keep small bugs and dirt out though.

This^^^^^

fins4me

It the bird cage a screen system over and around the pool???

intermingler

Yes.......

Hickory Dog

How much snow/ice do you get? Our winters would eat a pool screen.

fins4me

I am in a higher elevation,,, usually get a couple of feet every winter.

intermingler

scratch the cage and build a solarium with a retractable roof.

Ramblin' Reck

So many new styles and types for me to address that issue. However, I can address the psyche of owning a pool.

I had four teenagers at one time. Grasp that!!! I did it for them, but I knew I had to have the right attitude. I used it as my afternoon hobby, and tended it well. It became a very nice place to have an afternoon sip of the nectar. We had a large rec (not Reck) room with a juke box and coke machine (free, just push the button), along with a tiled patio, then the pool. Reck's house was a happening place!

The biggest problem I had, was a couple pine trees too close by. The smallest thunderstorm out of the Southwest, would load it up with pine needles. Keep it as far away as possible from tall, leafy trees.

Got lots of stories about that pool, including the time I had bass, bream and crappy in the winter time (no chlorine) with guests down from Atlanta. They still talkin' 'bout it! Make sure you have an underwater flood light.

Good luck, loser. Just write the check.

Sayin... Reck

FlyLow

fins4me wrote: »

IF I am going to go through with this,,, I wan't to have a hot tub above and next to the pool. Can I heat the hot tub and let overflow from it heat the pool or will it need 2 different heating systems.

Definitely do the hot tub, we didn't but sure wish we did. One heating system will be sufficient but you may want to look into a solar system, our electric pool heater really eats up the electricity whenever we use it.

We have very little maintenance involved with our salt pool, I'd certainly recommend one.

needsalth2o

Be sure to add some of these to the pool also, should be considered a must have!

written off

needsalth2o wrote: »

Be sure to add some of these to the pool also, should be considered a must have!

Yes, personal flotation devices are a must. More the merrier.

cpr

A Salt system is great, filter DE (diatomaceous earth) is the only kind, have a stand alone pipe for creepy type pool cleaner, gunnite diamond bright or something similar depending on how old your kids are, if they are teens go with a cheap plastic liner, they will out grow you and the pool sooner then later. The biggest wish I had is I wish my pool was only 5 feet deep and slanted to the middle, no deep end. Kids like to play basketball, volleyball and water polo, all would be more fun in a 3.5 to 5 foot pool. Also it would be cheaper to run for filter time and chemicals. As for the trees it going to be a PIA but with your winters an enclosure include yearly repair cost. Lastly a heater would make the season start earlier and last longer. And once your kids are grown you have the equipment to fill it in.

jakedge

My pool was originally conventional chlorine, algacide, shocks etc. Switched it to salt with the chlorine generator two years ago. Trust me, go with the salt! Maintenance is 100% easier and cheaper. The salt is less concentration than human tears...you can open your eyes underwater without irritation. Love it. In your northern climate I wouldn't attempt screening. Just get a cover for it when you winterize.

Menzies

Depending on your future plans you may also want to talk to a realtor. I know when I had my in-ground in PA it was actually a negative on selling the house as the majority of people do not want a a pool. Obviously the opposite here in Florida.

In fact, funny story. The description of the house we were interested in didn't even say it had a pool, nor did the agent say anything. We went round to look at the house and everything was going fine until we got to the master bedroom upstairs and went to the window that overlooked the back yard. My wife said "Oh look, that's another plus, our neighbor has a swimming pool!"
I said, "ah, I don't think so, it looks like that is in "our" yard!"

Bruce LB

When my pool pump is on the water overflows out of the hot tub into the pool like a waterfall. The flow is adjustable. When I turn the hot tub on it isolates the water in the hot tub, you would have to continue to have cold water comming in for hot water to overflow into the pool. I can either heat the pool or the hot tub but not both at the same time.

Lucky7Team2

needsalth2o wrote: »

Be sure to add some of these to the pool also, should be considered a must have!

He's in Tennesee, those don't exist, may need to import from South Beach.

RedBaron

In case you didn't pick up on it before.....

SALT.

I have had both....it is much easier, much more comfortable, and cheaper.

Spineyman

fins4me wrote: »

It the bird cage a screen system over and around the pool???

It is called a screened enclosure.

tag

You can have my pool. All you have to do is come over and dig it up. I don't deliver.

duke6543

My wife loves our pool and I hate it. Only once has she cleaned it since it was put in although she said she would take care of it, well that hasn't happened in eleven years now. If you take care of it the way you are supposed to you can count on it taking you at least one hour of your time every week for as long as you have it. You can't just turn your back on it. If there is too much rain you need to drain it and if there is the lack of rain you must add water. I you don't have a cage enclosure you must skim it about every day so any leaves don't fill the filter then burn up the pump. I will say every once in a while if my wife notices a frog or lizard in the pool she will get the skimmer net and remove it. But that is the only time.
Cost, my power bill went up about $40 a month once I had to run the pump about eight hours a day. Chemicals, about another $20-$40 a month depending on how often you check them and out of balance they might be. Easy way for me is take a sample to Pinch a Penny on Friday and they test it and give you a print out of what you need and take care of it over the weekend. Filter, I have a cartridge filter that you just rinse every week after vacuuming. My pump lasted ten years, I guess that is good but it cost me I think $450 last year to replace it myself and two extra trips to Lowes for PVC parts.

So good luck with this decision. My one saving grace is I keep the pool clean and ready for use for my wife and she never questions me about my fishing.

One more idea. Maybe try a nice above ground pool, see if everyone gets the use and joy out of it and see if it is going to work for ya' and if not poke a hole in it, drain the water and wash your hands of it.

Bottom line is an in ground pool is there till you move.

RRR

needsalth2o wrote: »

the entire back row and the entire front row
all together
6 times

Mackeral Snatcher

RedBaron wrote: »

In case you didn't pick up on it before.....

SALT.

I have had both....it is much easier, much more comfortable, and cheaper.

Absolutely correct sir.I got my first about two years ago.
The salt chlorine generator is the best thing I've ever bought for my pool. Wish I had gotten one years before.

bayourat

Placement is everything,,, freind has a pool in Brooksville {central florida} in back yard. Faces South,, but the tree line and black screen keep it at 78 or below. Direct sun is the only way to go. The more houres of sun the better. As a kid we did not care,, waterski on christmas,, but wished it was warmer,, Look at Tater heating his pool in south florida. Do your self a favor and place the pool in full sun,, could be 100 foot from the house in the front yard? Who cares,, sounds like you have the room!