Going it alone???

[captainx]

I am so glad the site is back up! I have been reading like crazy during the planning and construction of our pool, but recently, our relationship with our "pool contractor" has begun to disintegrate, and I am thinking we might have to finish this alone.

If I have learned one thing from this forum (well 2 things), you get what you pay for and no one likes to pick up a job that has been abandoned.

We went with a fledgling starter-upper who promised a low-cost show stopper for his "first solo pool" and it has cost us time, money, and lots of frustration. The pool is at the gunite stage, and we have picked pool tiles, coping, pavers and screening (all delivered and ready to go) but not the pool surface. We have secured all of these contractors ourselves and feel good about them.

I'm wondering in what order these things need to go in - coping, tile, surface, pavers and screen? The one step I'm really unsure about is the surfacing.

The only thing we haven't picked yet is the surface (PebbleTec, RiverRoc, Marbeltite, DiamondBrite) and quite honestly, it's down to cost and color.

I'd appreciate any advice you can give - I have learned so much from this forum and I'm anxious to get to the next step!

[Lenny]

I had a pool built last year.

The order is:
Coping
Tile
Surface (plaster in my case)

By pavers, do you mean the deck? That's next after the above.

You're thinking of doing this yourself? Man, I'm pretty nuts but I wouldn't go there.

There has to be someone who would pick this up for you. They obviously wouldn't be able to warrant the entire pool but if the gunite is satisfactory than I can't imagine why you couldn't find someone.

Good luck.

[captainx]

Yes, pavers are the deck.

I wouldn't go it alone if I hadn't already lined up all the contractors. We have an addition going on as well and the plumbers and electricians are doing both (same guys). The tile, coping, pavers, and screen guys have all been contracted BY US, not the "pool contractor". Like I said, his help has been sketchy at best. The few guys he has lined up have 1) been in a car accident, 2) been sent to jail (not kidding)! and 3) not shown up.

It always starts with "I know this guy...". So, we started passing on "his guys" and found our own. The contractor who is doing our addition, a real licensed trustyworthy contractor, has helped too.

[Lenny]

If a pool company won't take responsibility for completing the job, how about a good mason for at least the coping and deck? There's definitely a lot of old-school masons around.

The surface is the scariest part, IMO. I watched the guys do my plaster and they were impressive. Not something one could figure out on the fly. And that seems like a very specialized thing.

[captainx]

I didn't actually mean doing the work myself, I mean hiring the contractors and seeing it through to the end.

I'm not that crazy!

[Lenny]

I did get that eventually, but at first I though you were thinking about doing the work!

Good luck. The whole process is stressful enough even if the pool company does a pretty good job, which mine did thankfully.

[stever13]

You can do it yourself. I contracted my own pool. If you already have the list of contractors you have done most of the work. Just make sure they are licensed contactors. Check the status of their licenses with your state and check their references. NO license = do not use!

[Guido]

I would do the surface last after the pavers because you will fill the pool after the surface is done and when they come out for the pavers stuff might get dusty and things are dropping into the pool. Also make sure to pressure test the plumbing before the pavers and the surface. I had my pool build last year and they did the test just before the surface was done everything was looking good but now we lose pressure in the return pips. It looks like we have to jackhammer parts of the deck open to fix the leak. I don’t want to scare you just pay attention to the plumbing before you put the pavers over it.
Good luck the summer is coming

Guido