Aaron Layman's Katy Texas Real Estate Forum

Building Your Own Swimming Pool In Katy, Houston Texas - Start-Up

Start-up for your pool is a critical time for the plaster, so it's important to follow protocol and allow the plaster to cure properly.  Once the pool is filled, the filter pump should be running to keep water circulating and allow the plaster surface to cure evenly.  Besides the filter pump, all other equipment should be left off until the plaster cures and water chemistry is balanced.

To adjust water chemistry and bring the PH down, muriatic acid is added.  During the first (largest) dose of acid, we also added sequestering agent.  Addition of chlorine or other clarifiers should be kept to a minimum during start up, and all chemicals should be added in liquid form only.  You don't' want to have chemicals dissolving on the surface of your new plaster.

During the first week of start-up it's important to brush the plaster daily.  With a plaster pool, you will notice dust on the bottom of the pool as the plaster cures.  This is normal, and proper brushing brings the color of your new plaster to the surface.  After a week, I cleaned our cartridge filter and removed the accumulated plaster dust.  The result was a very nice deep blue plaster...Just what we were hoping for.

We are now some three weeks into the pool start-up, and we are ready to begin enjoying our new pool.  The water chemistry seems to be stable, and the plaster looks great.  One more week and we'll begin adding salt to activate the salt chlorinator.  At that point, our pool will be fully operational.  Here's a quick summary of Pool Plaster Start Up Do's and Don'ts.

Building Your Own Swimming Pool In Katy, Houston Texas - Plaster

Pool plaster can mean a variety of things in the Houston area.  Pools can be finished with traditional marble plaster, Pebble Tec, Sunstone, Diamond Brite, Hydrazzo or other advanced materials.  While Pebble Tec and other equivalent surfaces have become quite popular, we like the look and feel of colored plaster.  We also like the lower cost of plaster vs. some of the newer alternatives which are only available with a few certified contractors.  Plaster is a proven product, and there are a number of installers available to perform the work.  With proper care and maintenance, marble plaster performs just fine.

Our pool construction was essentially completed in less than 4 weeks.  Plastering the pool added another 3 weeks' delay due to the cold, wet weather which arrived after the Thanksgiving holiday.  Seizing a break in the weather, we were finally able to finish up the plaster.  The plaster technicians drained the remaining water, and cleaned the gunite to prep the surface for proper bonding.  Plumbing stub-outs were cut off, and all the wall fittings were put into place.  After that, it was time to let the plaster pour.

Our plaster was colored at the job site, as opposed to using pre-mixed color options.  This allowed for a darker than normal color with our pool.  We like the look of the dark plaster and the way it naturally mottles with time.  Plaster techs will warn you that your plaster will not be uniformly dark if you choose to go this route.

After the plaster is poured in, the crew quickly goes to work troweling and sculpting the material.  Anyone thinking about plastering their own pool should watch a crew do the job first, as it is not a job for a couple of weekend warriors.  You need a half-dozen trained installers to get the material in the right places in a short amount of time.  When the plastering process is complete, a technician wraps a water house with some protective cloth and you start filling up your pool.  The plaster curing process is actually completed underwater, so it's important to begin filling the pool as soon as possible.  Here is a link to some Pool Plastering FAQs.

 


 
 

Building Your Own Swimming Pool In Katy, Houston Texas - Decking

A good swimming pool means some type of decking surface surrounding it.  There are a number of options for decking surfaces available with different costs and maintenance.  Flagstone, stamped concrete, exposed aggregate, Kooldeck and acrylic are just some of the materials you can choose to surround your pool and create inviting walking spaces.

We opted for exposed aggregate because of the look, easy maintenance and relatively low cost.  At roughly 1700 square feet, we had a rather large decking surface to install to accommodate a patio addition and outdoor kitchen.

Our pea gravel deck was poured much like a regular concrete foundation.  As the concrete is skimmed and prepared the pea gravel aggregate is thrown on to the concrete and worked into the concrete surface.  It's a good idea to check iron content of the aggregate used since you want to avoid rust and discoloration in your deck surface.  After setting for a short time, the concrete surface is gently washed off to expose the aggregate.  After the decking has set and completely cured, a thorough acid-wash with diluted muriatic acid brightens up the surface for a nice finished look.

When planning your pool project, take some time to analyze traffic patterns and flow around the pool itself, as well as the additional features around your pool (fire pit, seating areas, outdoor kitchen etc.)  I can't emphasize enough how much we love our pool deck.  By planning ahead and installing adequate deck surface, we created additional outdoor living spaces for our home.

Building Your Own Swimming Pool In Katy, Houston Texas - Electrical

Electrical work for our project involved hooking up our pool equipment, controller and sub-panel.  In this case we selected a Jandy Aqualink RS8 controller.  Our Aqualink controller panel came with the sub-panel built in.  This made the electrical installation that much easier.  With the RS8 controller, we also purchased the PDA option to control the pool from anywhere in the house.

The RS8 has enough circuits for us to control all the various features for our pool, including our back yard landscape lighting.  I had the electrician install an outdoor receptacle next to the controller so I could plug in the transformer for our low voltage lighting.

Building Your Own Swimming Pool In Katy, Houston Texas - Plumbing

Pool Plumbing for this project involved a lot of PVC pipe to connect the pool equipment and accommodate a fairly long run from the equipment pad to the pool.  In this case several of the runs were over 100'.  In addition to the normal equipment, we incorporated three water features with this pool.  A 3' shear descent, mister/spray jets, and a bubbler on our kid's sun shelf are all controlled with a Jandy valve.  That lets us direct flow of water to the various features as desired.  We also built an over-sized spa with 12 jets, including back, leg and foot jets.  The other connections for drains, returns, skimmers and such were pretty typical.

The features and run lengths for your pool equipment will affect the performance of your pool, so be prepared to make some adjustments for pipe size or pump horsepower if necessary.  Some pool builders will intentionally under-size your equipment to keep costs down, and this can affect the performance of your pool.  If you are going to opt for a salt pool as we did, you need to be aware of the consequences this will have for your plumbing and equipment.  I'll go into more detail on this subject in a later post.

 
  

Building Your Own Swimming Pool In Katy, Houston Texas - Gunite

After the plumber and electrician performed the necessary stub-outs and rough work, the gunite crew arrived to form our new pool.  The gunite process consists of a dry concrete mix which is mixed with water at the end of a special hose.  The unique process allows for installation and design options that are not otherwise possible with traditional concrete.  A similar process called Shotcrete is actually a wet mixture that is also applied with a special hose and equipment.

After setting up protective screens and preparing the equipment, the gunite crew began shooting the concrete mixture into the rebar structure for the pool.  Since the gunite is the heart of your pool structure, it's important to have an experienced crew handling the application.  These gunite installers have built hundreds of other pools in our area.

The gunite material is shot into the structure to form the pool, and sculpted as necessary.  It was interesting watching the crew sculpt the form for our raised spa.  The gunite material was carved and shaped to form.  Considering the scale/size of the project at hand it's easy to lose site of the craftsmanship involved in creating the finished sculpture.  The gunite crew finished up our pool structure in one complete day.

After the pool shell was complete, I was entrusted with the task of keeping the gunite watered several times a day to help the concrete cure.  As concrete dries, it shrinks and hardens.  If the concrete dries too quickly, it may develop cracks.  Keeping the gunite watered during the first week after installation allows the gunite more time to cure, thereby creating a stronger structure.  While hosing down the gunite, you'll notice that the material seems to absorb the water rather quickly.

  
 

Building Your Own Swimming Pool In Katy, Houston Texas - Steel

The very next day after excavation, the steel crew went to work.  The steel reinforcement is necessary to create a solid, stable concrete structure.  Concrete has great compression strength, but little tensile strength.  That's why the two are used together to create a stronger structure.  Most homes in the Houston area are built on a post-tension slab.  The creation of your gunite pool shell uses some of the same components.

Your typical pool gunite pool shell consists of a 1/2" bar bond beam and 3/8" inch wall bar.  The bond beam around the perimeter of your pool is thicker than the actual walls to create a more solid structure.  It's much like the footer around the perimeter of your foundation on your home.

Using the design notes, the steele crew proceeded to wrap the formed walls in rebar.  The rebar is tied together, and spacers are installed to align rebar in the proper position.  The rebar is bent into a shape with a special tool to form curves and shapes as needed.

Building Your Own Swimming Pool In Katy, Houston Texas - Excavation

Marking the pool was relatively simple.  Using regular inverted landscape paint from Home Depot, I marked off the water line for the pool.  I then installed stakes for the excavator 12" out from the paint line so the excavator would know where the coping line would be.  Using the same marking paint, I also noted the depth profile for the pool and the areas designated for sun shelves.

Upon arrival, the dig crew cut out a portion of our fence to make room for the Bobcat. (about 10 feet).  The excavation crew then reviewed the plan and markings for the design.  The excavation process was performed by an expert Bobcat operator.  I use the term "expert" because the excavation was a whirlwind of activity that was essentially completed in one day.  The operator's manipulation of the machine was nothing short of amazing.

All of the dirt was taken to a truck waiting at the curb.  The excavation process is rather messy, and it's worth noting that plenty of debris and unwanted clay may be left covering your yard.  Since I was on site to supervise the process, I was able to help keep the damage to a minimum.  Watching your manicured turf grass get destroyed is a bit painful, but you have to keep the end goal in mind.

   

Building Your Own Swimming Pool In Katy, Houston Texas - Equipment & Supplies

Proper equipment is essential to any pool/spa design, and we hope to enjoy our pool for years to come.  With that in mind, we tried to select equipment that is relatively easy to operate and maintain.  We also wanted an equipment package that would not bust our budget.  In our case the equipment cost was roughly 20% of our overall pool budget.

One thing I discovered about pool equipment is the varied opinions and advice people seem to have regarding specific brands.  It's no surprise that most pool builders prefer a specific brand of equipment and install that brand as a normal course of business.  Part of the reason for this lies in the various discounts and extended warranties which come with equipment packages.  As a general rule, if you purchase 3 or more primary components from a particular brand you can get an extended warranty of up to three years.

That doesn't mean you need to purchase just one brand of equipment.  Discussions with local pool repair technicians revealed some issues with certain name-brand equipment, and we wanted to avoid those problems.  In our case, we selected a Jandy controller and salt chlorinator.  The pumps, heater and cartridge filter are Pentair, and we opted for a Polaris 280 cleaner and booster pump.  We wanted to have solid equipment with a proven track record, so we avoided some of the newer features like variable speed pumps.  I would love to save energy and lower my pool maintenance/operating costs, but I was leary of buying a $1000 pump with a proprietary circuit board that might become a coaster.

Since we plan on maintaining the pool ourselves, we will need to purchase salt and acid on a regular basis.  Just like any other sanitizing option, a salt pool does require maintenance and proper PH.  A stabilizer (cyanuric acid) is also necessary to keep salt and chlorine from dissipating too quickly.  Not to worry.  We now get our swimming pool equipment and supplies at wholesale!  Being your own pool builder does have its benefits.

Building Your Own Swimming Pool In Katy, Houston Texas - Preparation & Approvals

Like most construction projects, building an in-ground swimming pool requires significant preparation.  Once we had our design on paper, we submitted the plans to our HOA for approval.  We also checked with Texas One Call for location of various utilities.  Depending on your location, you may also have to get permits for your project.  You can check your local city ordinances for specific details or regulations.  You also need to be aware of any utility easements with your pool design so as to not encroach on them.  If part of your design encroaches on an easement, you could have a problem when you try to sell the home later on.

Part of our project included a pool loan from a local bank, and this turned out to be an educational experience in itself.  When we bought the home last year, there was no mention of our home being in the flood plain, yet when the local bank pulled the flood certificate, It showed us as being in zone AE (100 year flood plain).  That seemed puzzling to me, but the bank said I would have to get flood insurance to get the loan funded.  I called my insurance carrier to order an elevation certificate from a local surveyor so that we could buy the supposedly mandatory flood insurance.

When I received the elevation certificate results, something didn't seem right because the surveyors certificate and the flood cert from the bank's vendor (Lereta LLC) both used FIRM map revisions from 1997.  I knew that our community was only 9 or 10 years old, so I decided to do some fact checking.  Fort Bend engineering pointed me to the appropriate letter of map revision from March of 2000 on FEMA's website.  Sure enough, it clarifies that our home is not in a flood plain.  Like most master-planned communities, the developers of Seven Meadows improved the drainage along our bayou to take homes out of the flood plain.

Needless to say, I was a little upset.  I contacted the two parties who prepared the bogus flood certificate and elevation certificate to let them know I was not pleased with their attention to detail.  I received a full refund on the work I paid for, and had the local surveyor correct my elevation certificate.  I am now back to where I started...out of the flood plain!  As a homeowner, it's important to verify whether you are in a flood zone or not because your designation will determine the rates you have to pay for flood insurance.  If you are in a flood zone, the rates for insurance are not cheap.

Thankfully we are now ready to proceed with construction.  I painted our pool layout last weekend.  Before my excavator came to check the site yesterday, I also staked the pool out.  This is a simple process of placing ground stakes approximately 12 inches outside your pool's water line.  This tells the excavator where the coping for the pool will be.  We also went over the various features of the pool, including the slope/depth so the excavator knows what to do.  Your subs for excavation, steel, gunite and plumbing need to be on the same page before you ever dig the hole.  You should also paint/mark your pool several days prior to excavation in case you want to modify/tweak your design.  You never know how the design will look in your actual yard until you mark it, and once they dig the hole, it's probably too late to change it.

Looking at the weather forecast, it appears mother nature is going to throw us one more delay before our project gets underway.  Fortunately, next week should be absolutely perfect for digging a pool!