Swimming Pool Thread (1 Viewer)

[Bull Dozier]

How old is this pool?

I think Moses put it in.

Seriously though, I don't know.  I don't have documentation on when it was put in (we bought the house 5 years ago.  House was originally built in '49, and numerous additions since then.  Best guess is 70s, maybe 80s.  When did concrete go out of style?).

No built in drain in the bottom.  One tube out, and one return from the filter.  Seems lacking in circulation to me, which i think is why we generally have issues.  I don't think the set up gets the chemicals thoroughly spread through the water, but apparently the previous owners never had issues like we have had.

 

[James Daulton]

I think Moses put it in.

Seriously though, I don't know.  I don't have documentation on when it was put in (we bought the house 5 years ago.  House was originally built in '49, and numerous additions since then.  Best guess is 70s, maybe 80s.  When did concrete go out of style?).

No built in drain in the bottom.  One tube out, and one return from the filter.  Seems lacking in circulation to me, which i think is why we generally have issues.  I don't think the set up gets the chemicals thoroughly spread through the water, but apparently the previous owners never had issues like we have had.

What kind of winter cover do you have?  The kind where the water goes through or the kind where the water sits on top?

 

[culdeus]

Cut down 3 crepe mrytles that overhung my pool by 25% of their mass and my life is 100x better.  Less chemicals, less mess, tons less emptying of skimmers.  

Not sure why i didn't do this years ago.  The area where they were I put in artificial turf for a cornhole arena.  

 

[James Daulton]

Cut down 3 crepe mrytles that overhung my pool by 25% of their mass and my life is 100x better.  Less chemicals, less mess, tons less emptying of skimmers.  

Not sure why i didn't do this years ago.  The area where they were I put in artificial turf for a cornhole arena.  

Please tell me you're going to host a seeded FBG tourney.  With Willie N. as the #1 seed of course.

 

[Bull Dozier]

What kind of winter cover do you have?  The kind where the water goes through or the kind where the water sits on top?

Water goes through.

Also, the cover only goes on over the winter.  There is no cover during the summer months.  We used to have a "solar cover" which was just rolled out and sat on the water, but it was old, ripped, and ineffective so it was trashed a couple of years ago.

 

[culdeus]

Please tell me you're going to host a seeded FBG tourney.  With Willie N. as the #1 seed of course.

He's gonna struggle making it past my buddy who was a former #8 pick for the Boston RedSox.  

 

[McGarnicle]

When in doubt, shock the bejesus out of it. 

 

[Phil Elliott]

Timely bump.  We've had issues getting our pool clear the last few years.  Multiple issues, and always something new it seems.  The pool guys came to open it up this year (mainly, they take the cover off, remove plugs, put the light it).  They said the pool was in pretty bad shape, and we should consider draining it.  We're in the process of doing that (taking a long time without a drain, and 30,000 gallons). It's concrete, so we're going to repaint it while empty.  The neighbors on both sides have trees hanging over our property line that drop crazy amounts of crap into our pool, so we have to get those trimmed.  By the time we get all that done it will be time to refill it and then get the cover on right away.  All in all, it will be a great way to spend a couple grand and get zero use out if it his year.  Ya!

If the pool is old you probably need to resurface the pool instead of just "repainting" it. The plaster tends to start eroding after about 7-10 years.  This will start affecting the stability of the chemicals. If you resurface it, you may want to consider the tiny aggregate/quartz coatings that will provide more durability and are available in many colors.

Pool surfaces

 

[Bull Dozier]

If the pool is old you probably need to resurface the pool instead of just "repainting" it. The plaster tends to start eroding after about 7-10 years.  This will start affecting the stability of the chemicals. If you resurface it, you may want to consider the tiny aggregate/quartz coatings that will provide more durability and are available in many colors.

Pool surfaces

Quick google search suggests a cost of that as 3500-10,000?  I've been pushing to jackhammer the POS out and fill it in with dirt.  Looking at a cost like this certainly would help my argument.

 

[culdeus]

Quick google search suggests a cost of that as 3500-10,000?  I've been pushing to jackhammer the POS out and fill it in with dirt.  Looking at a cost like this certainly would help my argument.

Yeah a complete resurfacing is in that range, but I don't think at 10 years it's a requirement.  More like 20, or wait till you get a really big leak.

An ancient pool that has leaks I'd just fill in and be done with it.  It detracts value from your house.  If it doesn't have leaks then it's really a personal choice.  Some of the really old pools were built like tanks.  

 

[Bull Dozier]

Yeah a complete resurfacing is in that range, but I don't think at 10 years it's a requirement.  More like 20, or wait till you get a really big leak.

An ancient pool that has leaks I'd just fill in and be done with it.  It detracts value from your house.  If it doesn't have leaks then it's really a personal choice.  Some of the really old pools were built like tanks.  

No leaks yet that I know of (water levels aren't hard to maintain in the summer).  I suspect when that does happen, the wife is going to pull for a vinyl liner of some sort, which I suspect is the cheaper option?  But then again, maybe not since it would have to be custom made.

 

[tommyboy]

Quick google search suggests a cost of that as 3500-10,000?  I've been pushing to jackhammer the POS out and fill it in with dirt.  Looking at a cost like this certainly would help my argument.

Or spend 40k and get a Vegas pool in your backyard. That what I did

 

[culdeus]

No leaks yet that I know of (water levels aren't hard to maintain in the summer).  I suspect when that does happen, the wife is going to pull for a vinyl liner of some sort, which I suspect is the cheaper option?  But then again, maybe not since it would have to be custom made.

I'd fill it in before doing a liner. Jmo. 

 

[Bull Dozier]

I'd fill it in before doing a liner. Jmo. 

I was pulling for filling it in before a simple drain and paint, but I'll see if my wife is persuaded by a random guy on the internet instead of just me.  That's not a shot or in jest, I'm usually the last voice of reason she listens to.

 

[5Rings]

Or spend 40k and get a Vegas pool in your backyard. That what I did

Pics?

 

[James Daulton]

Water goes through.

Also, the cover only goes on over the winter.  There is no cover during the summer months.  We used to have a "solar cover" which was just rolled out and sat on the water, but it was old, ripped, and ineffective so it was trashed a couple of years ago.

This may be contributing to your problem as winter covers that keep the rain and snow out of the existing water are usually way cleaner on start-up and thus easier to get right and maintain.  Of course, a new cover will set you back a couple grand.  

 

[Bull Dozier]

This may be contributing to your problem as winter covers that keep the rain and snow out of the existing water are usually way cleaner on start-up and thus easier to get right and maintain.  Of course, a new cover will set you back a couple grand.  

Fantastic.  So my current plan was to drain the pool, clean it, paint it (and whatever goes along with that), fill it back up and then immediately cover it as we won't have time to use it for the rest of the summer (unheated, shaded in MN, not going to warm up in the short time we have left).  The silver lining I was hoping for was that at least we'd have a very clean pool to start from next spring.  You just shot that to heck.  Thanks!

 

[Phil Elliott]

Welcome to the money pit! Good luck on your decision.

 

[James Daulton]

Fantastic.  So my current plan was to drain the pool, clean it, paint it (and whatever goes along with that), fill it back up and then immediately cover it as we won't have time to use it for the rest of the summer (unheated, shaded in MN, not going to warm up in the short time we have left).  The silver lining I was hoping for was that at least we'd have a very clean pool to start from next spring.  You just shot that to heck.  Thanks!

I love my pool but you're convincing me that filling it in may be your best option.

 

[Bull Dozier]

I love my pool but you're convincing me that filling it in may be your best option.

I hate it and I've been in favor of filling it since the second summer in our house.  There are a lot of issues with the pool:

• (My opinion) inadequate plumbing increases maintenance time keeping chemicals in balance when it is actually in good shapre
  
• Unheated, so it is rarely warm enough for me to want to go in on anything other than the hottest of summer days
  
• Neighbors have a huge tree just south of the pool.  We've offered to cut it down, but they've refused.  Pool gets direct sunlight only a couple of hours in the morning, and a few in the evening.  Not enough to warm it, plus it drops tons of stuff right into the pool.
  
• Even when everything is great, it doesn't get a lot of use.  Step daughter is in college, so she is rarely around in the summer (working or elsewhere with friends).  14 year old son likes to use it, but isn't big on having friends over.  12 year old son hates swimming.  Wife doesn't like to go in much, but likes sitting next to it in the sun (?).
  

I'd love to get rid of it, but that's a hard sell since due to the size, it's a good $8000 to get rid of it and fill it in, so it is hard to sell as the money saving option.

 

[culdeus]

Ask around should be able to get it filled for closer to 4k.  That's the rate around here.  Heard of even as low as 3k if the access is easy