Planning, designing new pool.

[Jeffski]

Thanks everyone.

More questions:

Regarding the salt system referenced above, two different pool company owners have told me they are no longer recommending salt because the long term effects are showing rust and corrosion. I was sold on the idea until I talked to them, and I think I am now going to skip that. Any thoughts?

Will I regret only putting 4 feet of concrete on the sides of the pool? Again, I have lots planned for each end.

[Bleach=Chlorine?]

Our pool comes off the back of the house so we have 4 ft deck around half the deep end then wrapping around the far side to halfway around the shallow end. The near-side deck is 20 feet X 40 feet so plently of room for patio furniture, grill etc. We do enjoy the 4 ft outer decking because people can lay on the grass, etc and still be only a few feet from the pool.

[beary]

We just had our 18 x 38 dug this weekend. We talked about 40 x 20 but our builder said he could only squeeze a 38 x 18 in on our $40000. The 38 feet does not include the six foot sun tanning ledge or beach entry as some are calling it, at one end of the pool. We are installing a diving board at the other end. We wanted the length for laps and the width for play. Most folks around here are doing lagoon pools, but we like the more traditional roman shape. I didn’t realize that we were building all that big of a pool until we started hearing comments from the builder's crews that our pool was really big. They hauled out 300 tons of dirt last Saturday.

We have, or will have a saltwater system. I have not heard anything about corrosion, but I can't think of what metal is exposed to rust. I didn’t want ladders or ledges sticking into the pool because it took away from the Roman lines, so we added swim-outs and tanning ledges in the natural roman design for easy exiting of the pool or just relaxing in shallow water.

Our goal for making the larger pool easy for us to maintain is adding options that make maintenance easy. Saltwater system, robotic cleaners and whatever else folks on these forums recommend from experience. I am open to all ideas; best cleaners, pumps, filters, heaters, timers, even placing lighting and electric receptacles.

One last thing, while you may have a $40000 budget to build a pool, we are realizing to budge a little more. Pool contractors don’t talk much on your responsibility to pay for electrical hook up and plumber for the heater. But also plan for the unplanned things like hitting your sewer line during the dig. That is delaying our build a few days and adding $1500 to the cost while the plumbers install a new sewer pipe around the pool. He is going to run my gas line at the same time however because the new sewer goes right by the gas meter. Lucky me.

Good discussion.

Beary

Edmond Oklahoma

[Jeffski]

The rail between the cement and liner was one problem area with the salt system. Maybe these guys are making a mountain out of a mole hill, I don't know. I was just shocked to hear these guys talk me out of something that would be more profitable for them.

At this stage of the negotiation/planning I am under $30k with the builder which leaves me plenty of room for fence and extras.

Thanks again for the advice.