New pool owner - question on Diamond Brite pits

[PoolDoc]

Glad you were able to work it out.

[keschete]

Let me know how it goes with the Diamond brite. I am going to be using it in my new pool construction. Any advice also about your experience with the construction? It sounds like you pay attention to details like I do. Thanks, Kaya

[famousdavis]

We usually regret whatever contractor we select for anything, but, happily, we actually chose a good pool builder. We had a few bumps, but we worked them out. Some bumps: The subcontractor severed both our water main and our telephone line. The water main was, admittedly, barely buried, but still! The telephone line was not his fault, as AT&T said we didn't have an underground wire. I knew better, but the sub never asked me about it. So it's good to offer info to your builder, even if he doesn't ask for it! If you have a sprinkler system in your backyard, remove the sprinkler heads before construction, and find out where, exactly, your earth will be disturbed. It's better for you to cut-n-cap your sprinkler system before heavy earthmoving equipment digs into it.

The big question for me on the Diamond Brite was, What color to choose? There is hardly any good info on the web that shows pictures of real pools in sunny and shady conditions using different DB finishes. I did learn that some colors may be harder to take care of than others -- Tahoe Blue and French Gray being two of the more difficult colors to tend to, and which may expose flaws in the finish more readily. The look I wanted was a shimmering aquamarine blue in full sunlight, or a shimmering emerald green (think: the Carribean and white sand). But I couldn't find *any* pictures of the greenish finishes, and I worried that instead of emerald green, I'd get algae green or pond green instead.

So I chose Super Blue. It's *awesome*. Exactly the look I wanted. In full sun, with the pump running and water moving around the surface, it is just breathtaking how beautiful it is. Some have said that they thought was "too blue" but I don't think so at all. In fact, I've wondered what the other, similar shades would've looked like -- like just regular Blue -- because any lighter shading of blue from my Super Blue finish, and I don't think I'd like it quite as much. I definitely didn't want a pale or whitish looking finish.

If you have a few colors that you're interested in, maybe post in this forum asking for DB owners to share a few photos of their pools with you. You can try Googling, too, but it was hard to find real photos labeled with the specific DB finish that was used on them, and even then, often the photos were taken in poor lighting conditions.

[keschete]

I really like the Midnight blue and Tahoe blue. What makes the Tahoe blue so difficult? Do you think Midnight would have the same issues? Thanks, Kaya

[famousdavis]

From what I've read, yeah, Midnight Blue would have the same issue. The "issue" is using non-white plaster in the cement mix. Having a pigmented cement mixed with the aggregate makes it more challenging to retain the appearance of the DB finish, and flaws can be more noticeable. I liked Tahoe Blue, too, and was thinking that would be the color I'd choose, but 1) it was an DB "upgrade", and 2) I didn't want more trouble with my DB finish than what I was already going to get. This is, afterall, my first pool, so I didn't want to be more ambitious than what was warranted.

Also, with the darker pigments, be aware that they'd make your pool water warmer. I live in So. Fla., and I don't need my pool water to be any warmer than it already is right now -- that is, between 89 and 90 degrees. Not sure where you live and whether that would be a consideration to ponder over, but I did ponder over that matter before selecting a DB finish.

[vinper]

We went with French grey Diamond Brite . Its really wierd that its grey till you add water then it turns a nice blue ......

[famousdavis]

That was on my short list of DB colors, too!! But like Tahoe Blue, it was an upgraded choice. I liked the few photos I found on the 'Net that showed pools done in French Grey. I hope you like your pool when it's done!