El Duderino's Pool Build

I'm Still Alive...

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:53:00 +0000

The Dude has been away for awhile. Part of my absence was due to business related travel, but the rest is due to enjoyment of our new pool.

To my loyal followers who have lost faith, I assure you I will update the site with new pics soon. The pool project has more or less come to an end, but the overall project still has a ways to go. This blog has only touched on the other portions of this project, namely the outdoor kitchen and bathroom, so I'll continue to update as those pieces slowly come together. The latter portion (the outdoor bathroom) deserves a dedicated site all to itself. One piece of advice relating to this effort...don't hire a plumber from craigslist.

Back on topic, like child birth, most of the pains of the project have begun to fade and we've just been enjoying our pool. I don' think we have any real regrets. We made a decision to move forward in a recessionary economy and in some ways that probably wasn't the best move. However, I truly believe that we played a big part in keeping our pool builders afloat through parts of the last eight months. We had our pains and the process was dragged out way beyond where it should have, but the end result is better than we ever imagined, and in the end our pool builders delivered on their promises.

We had a major issue with a recent storm that put half of our new landscaping into the pool. While El Duderino was across the pond in a foreign land, the dear La Wiferina was left to cope with the mahem. Our pool builders really stepped up to the plate and helped get everything squared away, so much so, that upon my return, there were no signs that anything had ever happened.

More pics to come in the next few days...

Money

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:09:00 +0000

Today marks one month since we were plastered and the six month mark since this saga began. Sadly, there has been very little progress in the last month.

Ironically, today also marks the first day the "monetize" function has appeared in my console. This site gets an unbelievable (to me) number of unique hits each day. It really shocks me how much interest this blog has generated over the last few months with no "advertising" or concerted effort to drive viewers. There have seriously been days where La Wiferina and I have looked our web stats in disbelief. These days obviously coincide with time of major progress on the pool.

Now, I haven't researched the Google AdSense program much, but it appears as though this little blog has reached a point where the boss man is interested in placing some ads for my readers to click.

I'm conflicted on this issue, but have decided to give it a go for a short time and see what happens. I'm certainly not looking pay for my pool with earnings from the ads here, but hey, it can't hurt to see if we can supplement it, even just a little bit!

So, thank you to all of you loyal readers who continue to monitor the progress of our pool build. It's been fun having online and offline conversations and learning a lot from different people along the way. Feel free to boycott the links if that's not your thing, or click them if they interest you. It has never been my goal to make money off of this documentation of our build, and I really doubt it would ever amount to anything substantial, but it could be fun to see what happens.

Thanks!
El Duderino

"Looking For Water"

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:32:00 +0000

The pool started filling up yesterday at 5:23 pm CST and completed this morning just before 9:00 am.

Based on my very rough meter reading, it was right at 64 kilowatt hours. Yes, that's right, I read the electric meter. Guess we'll never know how many gallons the pool is. A (much) smarter man than me could probably figure out the GPM of the water and calculate based on the time. But that's obviously above me, since I wasn't sharp enough to even read the right meter.

Here is the picture before filling. My only advice is if you ever decide to use Midnight Blue Diamond Brite, try not to be around during the day of actual plastering.

La Wiferina, testing out the bar stools as the pool fills. Watching a pool fill is close cousins with watching paint dry. So, it helps to add some adult beverages to the process.

Here are the after pictures. There is still a long way to go before the true color emerges, but this change from yesterday is enough to allay my fears! With this type of plaster, it is imperative to brush the pool down twice a day for 7-10 days until the blue dust stops coming off during brushing. This exposes the quartz aggregate and will bring out the true color of the plaster. For this job, I've enlisted the help of the Wall Whale, an inexpensive product that gets universal praise for taking most of the work out of brushing.

Even with the rest of the yard in complete disaray, having some non-earthtone color in the yard and water is calming.

"Tangled Up In Blue"

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:34:00 +0000

Our pool saga officially began on October 6th...pretty much 5 months ago to the day.

While there are a million loose ends until completion, technically, we have a pool. If you concur with the American Heritage Dictionary definition of a swimming pool being "a structure, often a concrete-lined excavation of rectangular shape, that is filled with water and used for swimming" then I think we could say we're done.

Today our pool was plastered. The one decision that we didn't belabor was this one, and as the play-doh like material started coming out of the tube this morning, La Wiferina and I looked at ourselves in disbelief. We have seen several live examples of pools done in "Midnight Blue" Diamond Brite, and both agreed on the color. However, as we saw it for the first time, we both unanimously started to second guess this decision.

As the day progressed, we came to the conclusion that white plaster or any color would probably look a little strange in it's wet state, and given the fact that the acid wash was yet to be done and the aggregate exposed, we relaxed a little. Our pool builders assured us that they had checked our blue glass tile with the Midnight Blue plaster and it looked good, but we have never seen it with our own eyes. Once the acid wash took place and it was wet, we began to see what it's really going to look like and are very happy. As we speak, it's dark and the pool is filling up so no completed pics yet...will add them tomorrow.

We still have the final details to be completed. The final decking needs to be formed and poured (over the plumbing), gas line hooked up, and the fire pit completed. Then we can get the irrigation back together and our yard back. I can't tell you how ready we are to be done with tracking in sand and dirt!

Can't wait until the weather warms up a bit and we can actually start using this bad boy. I stated in my original post that I would wait until the end to decide if I should advertise or blast my pool builder. Even though the pool itself is pretty much completed, I will save that decision and diatribe for another day.

"Let It Be"

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:26:00 +0000

I haven't updated in awhile, because frankly, nothing very sexy has taken place lately. Unless you find plumbing a bathroom and setting pool equipment sexy.

We seem to be back on track with progress and the end is in sight. I will hopefully have some updated pics soon.

"Shine On You Crazy Diamond"

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:43:00 +0000

Inclement weather has kept major progress at bay. I will let the pictures do the talking for today's blog:

"Been a Long Lonely, Lonely, Lonely, Lonely, Lonely Time"

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:13:00 +0000

Sorry, dear loyal blog readers, for the long delay in posts...almost a month! Chalk it up to my lame love of using trite song lyrics for captions or lack of progress. Your choice :-)

Things are moving along. We've had some unpredictable weather of late, so our project has crept along accordingly. After a bit of a "come to Jesus" meeting with our pool builders, things seem to be back on track and moving along at a little more of a clip.

With Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and Lost Tile behind us, things are nearing completion. We're so close we can almost taste it. Of course, the last mile will probably be the longest, with many loose ends to tie up.

All of the tile is now done. On the left is a pic of the negative edge wall coming together (and the beautiful La Wiferina). The picture definitely doesn't do the clear iridescent glass brick tile justice! I'm so glad we were unable to find non-iridescent tile. We looked high and low and couldn't come up with anything that would work and I think we'll be more happy with the result. After much deliberation on tile for the negative edge spa, our pool builders persuaded us to go with the blue glass tile. Once the midnight blue plaster goes in, I think it's going to look awesome. Right now, it looks a little naked with the plain gray concrete as contrast.

"Everybody Wants to Get Stoned"

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:04:00 +0000

In Today's post, I will live up to my reputation as a man of few words. I will let the updated pics do the talking:

The masonry work is coming along very quickly. Our tile is lost in transit (thanks UPS), but the work continues on the decking.

Today is pretty dreary in Austin, with a dense, creepy fog hanging around. However, despite the gloomy day, the moisture actually helps bring out the true color of the tan Leuders stone.

There are a few things that need to be tweaked here and there, the cap needs to be added to the retaining wall and the lower deck by the basin needs to be done, but we're almost there with the masonry work!

I'm anxious to find out when/where the tile is and when we can start getting that underway. With Christmas coming up, I'm sure we're about to hit a major delay, so I am very happy to see so much progress. Would love to have the tile done prior to the wait, as the grout needs time to set before adding water, but that is looking less and less likely. BTW, how do you lose 700lbs of tile??

We are probably looking at holding off on the bathroom/kitchen underneath the wood deck for the time being, just to let things play out for a bit with the current economic situation. There are some MAJOR plumbing issues to contend with since this future bathroom is beneath grade and getting the bathrooms' "output" to the sewer at the front of the house is a real ordeal and involves tanks, pumps, grinders, and long/big pipe run under the driveway! Probably doesn't take a genius to figure that equals money and since it's not a necessity at this point, we've decided that it might be smart to keep this as a true "phase 2" as originally planned.

The Joy of Progress

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:26:00 +0000

Today has been VERY productive. The masons dropped off some sand at around 11:00. They then proceeded to create this artwork. Oh yea, they chiseled a bit of the rock ledge away too.

File under sarcasm

Snow Falls in Central Texas

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:25:00 +0000

"Snow fell across Central Texas Tuesday night. No accumulation was expected on most roads because the snow followed record highs of 81 degrees earlier in the day."

In lieu of updating, as there is nothing to update, I'll leave you with the above quote. Gotta love Austin weather. Needless to say, no work is being done on the pool today, even though the temperatures will most likely be in the 50's today and high 60's tomorrow.

A few updated pics...

Tryptophan Makes Me Sleepy

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:59:00 +0000

While the busy Thanksgiving holiday has kept me from updating this blog recently, much work has been done since my last report. Apparently, Mexican Americans don't typically recognize this holiday and are more than willing to work.

All decks (save one) have been poured and the coping is well on it's way to completion. True to form, we've had a few delays and setbacks, but nothing dramatic. The crazy Americans who work the stone supply were not open so our willing non T-day observers were unable to get the stone as planned. This set the coping work back a few days, but we're back on track.

"Amaw" and "Papa" were in town for the holidays, and in addition to doing a fine job of raising El Duderino, Papa is a self professed expert in sprinkler systems. One of the things pool builders fail to mention is that they will absolutely decimate your irrigation system, and in fact, seem to enjoy doing so. One thing they also fail to mention is that sprinkler and irrigation professionals pretty much insist on abandoning your existing system, preferring to install a brand spanking new sprinkler system. Convenient, huh? Talk about a major conspiracy. That would be a major expense we hadn't quite budgeted for. Lucky for me, I was reared by a bona fide sprinkler pro, so we got to spend a fair amount of the holiday week working on restoring the destruction. It's by no means back to functioning, but we at least got things in order as to avoid having to go around the pool. Once they pour the final deck, we would no longer have that option.

For stone, we have opted to go with Leuders stone. As it's been explained to me, Leuders stone is quaried only in Leuders, TX and is essentially a deeper, more dense limestone. The Texas Governor's Mansion, which was burned down by arsonists earlier this year, is being rebuilt and this is the stone of choice, so we were told we might have to wait a long time to get it. Two days later, it was ready to be picked up.

We have been assured it is much less porous than the more common limestone typical to the area and will coexist with the salt water generator. We chose the tan color after seeing a few completed projects with it installed.

We have made final tile selections and the delivery of that will probably be our next major hold up. Our little project is really starting to look like a pool. The coping should be done in another day or so and then the tile will start going in. They are currently working on the stone work on the raised beam wall. I'm sure the neighbors appreciate the constant stream of leuders stone dust that continues to blow around the neighborhood.

Dos Mas...huh?

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:26:00 +0000

Today the crews finished up the forms for the two remaining decks. It is all rebared, if that's a word, and I will make sure they block it up this time prior to pouring concrete. That is scheduled for tomorrow. The swim up bar benches are ready for the pour as well! Since our pool builder wasn't around this week (out of town), I got to test out my mad spanish speaking skills. I said we needed two more steps on the backside of the pool, leading to the fire pit. I'm sure they laughed at my attempt, but dos mas steps we got!

I looked at my early photos. It's crazy, the transformation our yard has gone through. The changing weather combined with no sprinklers and/or rain has left the grass looking very brown. With the exception of the huge concrete hole in the backyard, that was my biggest observation.

Hopefully, the decks go in tomorrow without issue. Then, the masonry work begins.

Update: LOL

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:41:00 +0000

I don't even know what day it is anymore in relation to this pool build. There is so much idle time, that I have a hard time keeping track of "working" days, as I originally planned. I do see the builders almost every day, but some days it's simply to pickup the bobcat or load up their tools.

Don't take this as a sign of frustration. It's really not. Honestly, I'm pretty satisfied with the progress of the pool. I knew that it would take awhile, and frankly we're in no hurry. It's winter, for crying out loud! However, it does get a bit tiresome looking at the wreck in our backyard. It really is starting to shape up and we're getting very excited. Hence, the desire to hurry. But I also understand, that haste leads to mistakes, and that's the last thing we want.

The update to progress will be very short. They removed the wooden forms last week, and the tedious duty of "watering" the pool is no longer required. Spending approximately 20-30 mins spraying down the concrete 2 times a day, seems like the biggest exercise of futility I've ever experienced, but I've been assured by both my pool builder and the trusty internet, that it is worthwhile. I just approached it like meditation, and gave me a little time outdoors with me and my thoughts. And in all fairness, I delegated much of the watering to El Kiddo numero uno, who did a subpar job at best, but kept me from having to do it EVERY time!

We did make a few changes to the original plan last week. We have decided that all 3 decks will be natural stone, instead of just the main deck. This decision was a major financial decision, but one we thought long and hard about. We will be much happier in the long run with this decision, me thinks. As a result, we need to get the other two decks formed and poured so that the masons can begin work on coping, decking and tile. After some discussion about the sizes of the remaining decks, we are supposed to be formed and poured by Saturday. However, no one showing up for the past two days leads me to doubt that timeline.

We are almost decided on ALL of our materials with the exception of tile. We're getting close though. I actually had a dream about the pool (not sure if that's a good or bad thing), and as a result, I now have some clarity on how it should look. And no, I didn't smoke any peyote before going to bed. I don't think I even had a drink...scary.

For those loyal followers of this blog, here are updates to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:

1. Spa. The spa remains "unfixed" although I know it will be taken care of. Much like tinnitus, the ringing is still there, I just don't notice it anymore.

2. The right angle. What right angle? This issue has been long forgotten. Our bad ass pool doesn't need no stinkin' right angle. Next...

3. Step. La Wiferina no likey. I don't have the energy to push this issue. I think in the grand scheme of things, we'll be fine without a larger step. I would rather worry about world peace and move on.

4. Rebar. The former assures me that he raised the rebar. He offered to break it up to prove it, but I would have to pay to replace if he is wrong. Rather than call his bluff, I'm going to trust that with all the eyes on the ground that day, it got taken care of. If not, I will be testing out our pool builder's guarantee/warranty. I hope I don't regret not taking Carlos up on his offer someday!

So, that about sums it up for now. Not a lot of progress, but this is to be expected. For those reading, please feel free to play along at home. Comment...this is much more exciting if this is interactive. I spend enough time talking to myself at home without having to do it over the internet.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:51:00 +0000

I would be doing the community a disservice if I didn't talk about some of the negative aspects of this project. I've read countless tales of woe from people's pool builds. We felt very confident that we would avoid most of these issues with our pool builder, but as with any large scale project, there are always problems.

So, let's begin.

1. The day prior to shotcrete, they finished up the plumbing and pressurized the lines. This is to ensure there are no leaks. Now, I had been warned that there was a good chance of a leak, as the bobcat had been up and down the path directly over our plumbing for days on end. Turns out, that was not the case. No leak under the trench of pipes. There was a leak in the spa plumbing, however. See, I told you I had doubts about heating the pipes to the point of liquidity. No worries, I am told. I was assured they would be out first thing in the morning before the concrete to fix the plumbing and not to be concerned since they shoot the spa last anyway.

Fast forward to shotcrete day. While getting ready for work, I take a peek out the window to see what progress the shotcrete crew has made. Much to my surprise, I see they are shooting the spa. And no, the guy has not been out to fix the leak. No worries, I am told. They will leave a hole in the shotcrete and they will fix it. I don't want to belabor this story, but the pipes have yet to be fixed and we've had shotcrete for 4 days.

2. In our pool design, there was an interesting right angle. Our pool is free-form, so this added a unique design element. This issue was pressed hard by our pool builders when we requested that the pool be moved a little further from the house and La Wiferina and I did a little redesign. We were told "we do NOT build kidney shaped pools." After some thought, we agreed and simply shifted the existing design of the pool.

Fast forward to shotcrete day. AFTER the shotcrete was shot, my pool builder informed me that while forming the pool, his guys missed the right angle and rounded off that portion of the pool. End result; kidney shaped pool. Oops!

3. One of the issues we had with the design was the size of the first step. We wanted a place where the kids could sit and play. Not a tanning ledge per se, since we have the entire basin for that, but a place to hang out. We added this to the design and noone had a problem with it.

Fast forward to shotcrete day. The step was formed. I notified pool builder that it was too small. He instructed the guy to make it bigger and after much discussion we agreed on the size. The guy went to work. Upon completion, when I looked at it, the step is much smaller than we discussed. We're not too happy with it. Once the coping goes in, the step will even be smaller. Darn.

4. The plan for our "main deck" was to do the pour the day of shotcrete to save expense on the pump machine. For those following this blog, you are aware that that did take place. When they formed the pool, they also formed up the decks. They placed rebar on the deck at 12" centers. They did NOT block the deck up (raise it off the ground), since it was such a high traffic area and having to negotiate a grid of raised rebar is dangerous. However, I was assured it would be raised prior to pouring to ensure strength and stability.

Fast forward to shotcrete day. In all the confusion, the shotcrete crew handed off their equipment to our PB's crew. They poured the concrete, leveled it out, etc. However, after the fact, I realized I never saw them raise the rebar. In fact, I was walking on it mere moments before the pour. I'm about 95% sure they didn't do it. Hmmmm...

Up to this point, things have been going very smoothly. The shotcrete is the most FINAL stage of the process. Not much you can do once things are set in stone...literally. I've raised these issues with the Pool Builder. They claim that they've never seen a deck poured without raising the rebar. I would like to be wrong, but I'm almost certain they did not raise. We're pretty much stuck without the angle, disappointing, but honestly probably not something that will ever be missed. The step is still a sore spot and every time I look at the leaking spa joint, it angers me.

To be clear, the intent of this posting is not to crucify my yet-to-be-named pool builder. I believe the true test will be how these issues are resolved. I'm most interested to see how the poured concrete deck situation will be handled. I'll keep you updated as this drama unfolds. I still believe that our pool builders will do right by all of these things.

Day 17: Today We Were Shot

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:38:00 +0000

As of Today, election day, we actually have a pool. I won't bore you with the "shotcrete vs. gunite" argument, you can research that on your own here if you're as bored with the election results as I am. I'll also refrain from voicing my political opinions here, but the good news is we actually have a pool. Back on topic, our pool builder only uses shotcrete, so that's what we got. The term "gunite pool" is therefore out the window for us, but I'm not sure what else to call it. At any rate, it is concrete and it has fibers in it, which supposedly makes it less likely to ever crack. If you want to research that, please do, and let me know what you find.

The process was fascinating to watch. They shoot wet concrete out of a tube and build up the walls of the pool in layers. Then, they smooth it out with amazing speed and accuracy, much like frosting a cake. It is really quite a production. The funniest part to me was watching them smooth everything out to a beautiful sheen, only to rough it up with a broom so that the plaster (MUCH later in the process) will be able to adhere to the concrete/shotcrete/gunite. The guy who will be rebuilding our wood deck came to watch a portion of the shotcrete, as he actually enjoys watching it. He actually had nothing to do at our site today, just came by to check it out.
They poured the main decking today as well. Things are really coming together. The downside is that things will more than likely start moving much more slowly from this point. We are at the point that we need to make final decisions on tile and stone. We're throwing around the idea of doing more stone decking and trying to determine what type of stone to go with. As previously mentioned, it's pretty overwhelming; the amount of decisions that have to be made.

I'll post a better pic of the completed status tomorrow...I have to go regroup in preparation of our new President.

Day 15: "Come Together"

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 22:35:00 +0000

Nothing too exciting to report today. The past few days have been "ahead of schedule" waiting for shotcrete (gunite), meaning the crews have been sparse and have been wrapping up loose ends. The last few days involved re-doing the stairs as some of the workers mis-measured. Good thing our PB spends a good amount of time on site! They completed the plumbing of the pool, water sheers, equipment pad, and finally, the spa. Watching them heat up and bend the PVC pipe is quite a sight. Probably one of those things best left unseen. I have a hard time believing the pipes aren't compromised by heating them up to the point of being practically liquefied and then bending them. I'm assured that they are sound. They put a bonding wire across all of the steel to keep the pool from getting electrified and put in some drainage pipes to keep the water flowing away from the pool. The main decking area and stairs are going to get poured with the pool on Tuesday. The last picture shows a view from the bottom of the pool on the back side of the negative edge. To get a good idea of the layout, the tree at the top is at 0 feet, with a retaining wall to the next level, approximately 2 feet lower. Go down another 2 feet to the main decking area and then 3 feet down to the negative edge basin.

Day 12: Underwater Basket Weaving

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 21:12:00 +0000

While watching the pool start to take shape, I became curious exactly what goes on in this phase. Rather than disrupt the guys, I did a little research of my own. I actually found this link on poolnerd's site pretty informative. Warning, it is long and highly technical, but really clarified to me what goes on during the creation of an "expansion joint" and what keeps the pool in place and the deck from moving and/or cracking.

Here is where they left us yesterday (Day 11). As you can see, the plumbing is stubbed and the steel is going up. Our pool builder uses 60 grade rebar on 9" centers. Most of the other builders we talked to use 40 grade on 12" centers. I'm not sure of the functional difference this makes, but I feel fairly confident that more substantial steel placed in a tighter grid is a worthwhile feature. The picture on the right shows the plumbing trench. 15 pipes to and from the pool. Pretty impressive. They filled it all in with sand so they can get the bobcat in and out of the yard.

The negative edge wall is starting to take place, with the basin (with play pool/tanning ledge) and spa on the back side of that wall. This picture is looking "through" the negative edge, with the basin behind it. We really liked the idea our pool builders came up with in the design phase to place the spa in the infinity edge basin and create an area there. One of our requirements was to make use of our existing "under deck" space and the current plan puts an outdoor kitchen/bar and future bathroom in that space. This area will be on the negative edge side of the pool, so it made sense to utilize this space. Our thoughts are it will be a great gathering area and make a nice visual area with the water features from the negative edge wall and negative edge spa. Our next door neighbors have a similar area that they do not use. However, it is on the opposite end of the pool from where they normally congregate. As a result of talking to them, we had a little bit of doubt. Now that it's starting to become a reality, I feel good about that decision.

In our discussion with the pool builder the other day, they suggested putting natural stone in the shallow part of the NE basin instead of plaster. We're more than likely going with Midnight Blue DiamondBrite for plaster, and it looks best in deeper areas. It is very "BLUE" and doesn't look it's best in super shallow water such as our basin. The two areas are completely separate, so this sounds like a cool idea. When I saw the Midnight Blue plaster in one of our PB's pools, I knew instantly that I wanted it! It was the color I had in my mind. Of course, after deciding that, I learned that it is the one DiamondBrite color that is an upcharge.

Tomorrow should wrap up the steel and plumbing...and then we'll wait for Shotcrete. We're scheduled for a week from today, so unless something changes, we'll most likely be idle for awhile.

Day 10: Starting to Take Form

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 18:27:00 +0000

The absence of recent posts is a result of little exciting activity (continued excavation) combined with the fact that I was out of town for a week and La Wiferino wasn't interested in updating. And frankly, there wasn't much progress made in that time. Very groundhog day!

We made it through the rain delays and all told, 8 days were spent excavating. What a process. Good thing, we didn't have some crazy "rock clause" which I've heard about. Now that we're done with that chapter, we're actually starting to see some progress!

Day 10 (actual working days, it's been 3 weeks since we started), things are actually starting to take shape. The gravel "french drain" is about 12 inches deep and should keep the water in the rock moving under the pool versus trying to go through it and essentially popping the pool out of the ground. Sounds pretty scary, but our pool builder assures us that this is common in this part of the world. Five guys showed up this morning (Saturday) and have been getting after it all day "bagging". The picture below shows our dog helping out. She loves all the excitement going on in her backyard! It's pretty amazing how much fill and rock is still left. Even more amazing is that our PB says the excavator took too much away and they're going to need more.

While I consider myself to be pretty good at getting the vision from the 2D drawings, as things are starting to come together, I realize just how many details I've missed. I joked with my pool builder that this is why I have my job and he has his. At this point, I can't even imagine doing an "owner build" and trying to manage the process myself. I feel like our project is way too complex and that would quickly get out of control. I never considered going that route, although several people did suggest it. In fact, as we watch this project evolve, it really makes us glad we made the choice of pool builders we did. We talked to MANY companies and the majority of them wanted to build what would essentially be an out of ground pool. Our goal was to take advantage of our view, yet work within the confines of the terrain and natural lay of the land. Very few pool builders were able to deliver on this vision, and as I watch this slowly unravel, I can see why. I must say, I'm glad we're not going to end up with a huge structure in our backyard with massive walls on the backside. Some companies said there was no way to do it without have 8-foot walls on the back of the pool! I know we're not talking about some engineered bridge or high-rise, but the scope of this "little" project never ceases to amaze me.

We're now in the forming stage. They will continue bagging the negative edge walls and spa and then they will do the steel and plumbing. We are scheduled for Shotcrete in a week, so this is the meat and potatoes of the build. They're also going to pour the main deck and turndown on that day so that everything stays solid through the process. I'm anxious to get to that point, as things will really be clear. It's amazing how hard it is to articulate how this pool is actually going to end up looking to people. We have multiple levels and this is far from a standard design.

So far, we've been very happy with our yet to be named pool builders. Despite the length of time we've been at it(relatively long for where we are), the factors were out of their control. They've been communicative about everything. They also took our change request in stride and didn't miss a beat.

Tour of Homes

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:10:00 +0000

During our rain delay period, I went on a mini tour of some of our pool builders' completed pools. We're getting to the point where we need to start making a lot of decisions about stone, decking, coping, tile, plaster...the list goes on and on. It's something I never really realized. I've been in a million pools and hardly notice any of those finer points, but they're all decisions that have to be made. It's daunting!

Our pool builders are happy to guide us, but ultimately, it's our decision based mostly on aesthetics. So long story short, I saw a lot of pools. I funneled the best of the best down and took La Wiferino to about 3-4. The takeaway from all of it, was no matter what choices we make, I feel extremely confident that we will LOVE this pool. We were able to narrow down many choices, make some decisions of key elements, and we still have some decisions to make. Again, I don't think there are any "wrong" choices, just personal preference.

Our pool builders have an amazingly impressive portfolio. Pictures don't begin to do justice to some of the things they've done. I was shocked to learn that I really liked a lot of things I never thought I would (glass tile) and didn't like some things I was certain I would love (beadcrete).

The overwhelmed feeling I had prior to checking things out is pretty much gone. There is a certain amount of blind faith one has to have in their builder, and after seeing so much finished project, I have a lot of faith that they know what they're doing and we're in good hands.

It's not supposed to rain in Austin...

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:29:00 +0000

Until Monday

Day Four: Making the Grade

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:07:00 +0000

It's not supposed to rain in Austin...

Excavation continues at a crawl. Rain is forecasted for the next few days which will put any further progress at a standstill. This creates a bit of a conundrum. You see, with the sprinkler system in shambles, it sure would be nice to get the water. However, at the cost of "no worky" until next week, my vote is no rain. Kind of like the presidential election though, I'm really not sure how much my vote really counts. Oh well, out of our control. We'll see what happens.

The only visible changes today are the increasing mounds of rock and dirt accumulating in the yard and the formation of the various levels. It is actually good to see those taking place, as the 2D renderings are difficult for most to follow. The design has several different tiers and levels, and watching them form helps a great deal with the overall vision.

One thing we are anxious to see happen, are the stairs leading down from the deck getting rebuilt. El Duderino's wife lost her mother in March of this year from a fall down a flight of stairs, so this has been a sticky point with us from the get-go (ignored by most of the PB's we talked to). As you can see from the picture on the left, the narrow/steep stairs would be a recipe for disaster combined with wet feet and the little duderinos. The deck should be demoed soon and we can't wait to see those steps go away! Apparently, the wood worker, not unlike the excavator, is a one-man-show and works at a snails pace (with laser precision). Good thing Spring isn't around the corner!

Chance of T-storms
50% chance of precipitation

It's not supposed to rain in Austin...

Day Three: "Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes..."

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:32:00 +0000

Over the weekend, I read about a few pool build threads on the internet: Part inspiration, part curiosity. I was pretty shocked to see the progress some people make in each passing day. I saw one pool that was excavated in one day and then all the steel and plumbing was completed by day two. Gunite on day three. Not us.

We're approaching our second week. Friday was a day off for the excavator for several reasons. One, I've learned Delton is quite the character and has a lot of other "interests" besides wreaking havoc on unsuspecting people's backyards. Second, while digging, we have encountered a water "issue" and were letting things dry out a bit. For those familiar with the current Austin weather conditions, you know I'm not talking rain. Apparently, they have hit some sort of spring. Not a show stopper by any means, but a slight hiccup in the process.

Over the weekend, we addressed some of the issues we had with the pool design. Mainly, the fact that we felt the actual pool was a little too close to the house. Probably would have been a good idea to determine this prior to excavation beginning, but our pool builder took the news in stride and was out first thing this morning, making the necessary changes. Despite our pool builders working on these changes until close to midnight on a Sunday and showing up first thing this morning to lay them out, we think we'll ultimately be much happier with this revision. Score one for the pool builders! Keep this up and they may get their name in lights on my humble little blog sooner rather than later!

So today, a no-school holiday, began at 7:20am with more jackhammering. This awoke both of our kids and probably most of the neighborhood as well. I guess the plan is to push forward until/unless someone complains. Nothing drastic in the way of progress today, but the excavator did hit a water main in the sprinkler system and after locating the mysterious valve that has been overtaken by 9 years of shrubbery growth, we were fine on that front.

So, here we are after day three. The pool still has a ways to go in terms of digging and the grading for the decking is starting to take place. Of course, we just found out the excavator wasn't made aware of the "new" decking plan, so it will be interesting to see how that pans out, since he already starting removing earth where the "old" plans had decking. Will we get additional decking out of this or will they come up with some other interesting solution? Tune in tomorrow to find out. Until next time...

Day Two: Rock and Roll

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:04:00 +0000

Today, day two of excavation, started early. At 7:45am, the jackhammering began and the major rocks were broken up. There wasn't too much "dig" progress today, but mostly breaking large boulders and hauling them away.

Five truckloads of rock were taken out today and tomorrow the digging will commence.

The excavator told me there's probably 3-4 more days until all of the excavation is completed. The grading issues and tiered decking are all requiring additional digging, so that combined with all the rock he's hitting, explains the extended length. Again, this doesn't seem to be too far from the norm for this area.

I had a nice conversation with the excavator today while he was filling up the CAT with fuel. He's an older gentleman and owns all the equipment and works alone. He told me that it's been pretty slow this year, and year to date he's at about 50% of his normal annual earnings. We discussed the economy a bit and the high price of diesel. Talking to him made me feel a little better about our decision to move forward with this project. He shared with me that two of the dump trucking companies they work with have closed down recently, and it made me realize that maybe our "little" contribution to the economy can help keep a few people afloat for awhile. I just hope things start turning around sooner rather than later, so we're not having to cash in on the karma card!

The above picture shows the end result after 2 days of excavation. It is actually starting to look like a pool, but we still have a long ways to go.

Day One: Excavation Begins

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:17:00 +0000

What's cooler than a tractor in the backyard to a 2-1/2 year old? Two tractors in the back yard!

Today, excavation began. While it is very exciting to finally get things underway, being present for the dig is sort of akin to watching paint dry. However, it is pretty interesting.

The excavation began smoothly until they hit rock at about 8-9 inches in. Living in the Central Texas Hill Country, this comes as a surprise to no one. Luckily, in this part of the world, hitting rock is expected and doesn't typically lead to additional expense for the home owner. It does drag the process out quite a bit though!

It is fascinating how much the compressed dirt and rock "expands" once it comes out of the earth. The mountains have piled up quickly and our backyard is quickly becoming a certified disaster area. Luckily, our house is high enough up that we don't have to look at all the mess from inside.

At this point, all of the excitement from months of planning and working on details is becoming disbelief that we're actually underway and facing this for the next 3-plus months (I'm being optimistic here).

The Pool Build Begins...the Prelude

noreply@blogger.com (El Duderino) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:25:00 +0000

So today, the hole in our backyard began. Actually, the journey itself has been underway for several months, but the fruits of these labors are now becoming a reality and the proof is the mass destruction, that was our backyard just a few short days ago.

You might be asking yourself, who builds a pool during the worst economic crisis of our time? Well, my friends, the answer is we do. However, this plan was hatched back in June when we started talking to pool builders and getting plans, etc. At that time "bailout plan" was not in the vernacular.

We have made the choice to move forward, despite economic uncertainty and have justified it in many ways. One, we already had the funds set aside for such a project. Two, we have agreed that by NOT pulling the plug on this, we are actually part of the solution rather than contributing to the problem of the crunch, and third...it's freakin' hot in Austin and we don't want to go another summer without a pool!!

Thus far, the process of finding a good pool builder in Austin has proven challenging. We are moving forward with what we believe to be a GREAT pool builder. But like all things, the ultimate proof will lie in the proverbial pudding. The motivation to document this pool build is based on this very frustrating process and the extremely limited information available to us online in our search, and the poor reputation of this industry combined with the large expense associated with such a major renovation.

I plan to expand this story as the drama continues. For the time being, I am choosing to protect the names of the innocent until the project is completed. However, I reserve the right to change that at any time. If I determine any personal gain can be recognized by changing that stance, I will do so immediately.

Once completed, we can start talking about specifics. Of course, if anyone in the Austin area has questions, I am happy to deal with those "offline".

Until next time,
El Duderino