Pool size: 45x20 (max width)
112 perimeter feet
506 squ feet
6ft depth
2 intelliflo 4x160 pumps
Shotcrete 3500psi
3" suction and returns
1.5" dedicated pool cleaner suction port
3" plumbing for waterfall
400,000 BTU Mastertemp heater
Quad DE 100
2 SAM pool lights
1 SAM spa light
Ozone system
Solar 110% coverage with heat return to pool bottom
Easy touch 8 controls (upgrade to intellitouch??)
Fast lane swim system this one is for me
Quartzite coping and on beach entry plus Baja step on right
2 jets on beach entry lit from below
Gemstone pebble finish
Vista path lights outside pool
?lighting of waverfall by 2 lights -- I need to ask about this
about 300sf artificial turf around pool areas

Is that an existing covered patio on the rear of the house? If so, it looks like the pool edge is way too close to it in the pencil sketch. The distance in the colored rendering is about as close as I would go, even on that one you're at risk of undermining the existing slab when they excavate for the pool wall (largely depends on what type of soil you're on and how well it holds an excavation line without sluffing).

Eliminating the baja shelf to the right was a good move, it interfered with the swim lane the way it was drawn before. We have one similar to that and while I do like having it I wish it was not so close to the swim lane because I frequently run up on it doing the backstroke.

sdkath,

From your other thread...did you elect Pacific Sun to build your pool? If you have not finalized as yet, I would only suggest a conversation about the number of complaints with the Better Business Bureau...but if they are huge I would understand the high number.

I agree with "tresw" about the limited distance between the patio or house. Boy, what a difference color makes between the pencil sketch and a colored one.

I like the soft curves throughtout the design, as well as the S shape of the entry. Does the rock waterfall, that is by the patio, have a plant area between the feature and the concrete? It appears there is a bench in front of the spa (pencil drawing?)...if you have kids as I do, ours jump from our raised spa into the pool often. Our spa is 18" up, and is very easy to get in and out of...just sit on the top and spin into the tub. Is there a step into your spa?

We upgraded our Easy Touch to an intellitouch...I guess it is an advanced unit that talks to the pumps and controls all their variable speeds separately??? Does the Easy Touch control all the speeds to the (2) 4x160 pumps, and still control everything else? Maybe we did not need to upgraded after all.

How are the jets on the entry lit from below? That seems like a very nice feature! Maybe you can show pics when it is all done =).

We have 2 Sam lights in our 34' long pool, and I wish we put in 3 of them...we thought it would be much brighter like the insert sheet displayed. I think the Tahoe Blue Pebble Tech surface makes them not as bright compared to a plastered pool.

Our pool, spa, and waterfall has (1) 4x160, (1) 2hp jet bubbles, and (1) 1hp waterfall pump. How are they doing jet geysers, large waterfall, and the jets in the spa with (2) pumps? Also, our contractor installed a 420 filter for more filtering due to the Pebble Tech surface and to minimize maintenance...is the Quad DE 100 big enough for a pool as big as yours?

T

Socal_fun:

Thanks for the comments. Good questions about the easy touch controlling everything?! The PB says yet with 8 stations everything will work independently including the lights in the back yard. Also I checked on the QUad DE 100 and they say it should be fine. I hope they are right. I wanted a really efficient filter so I don't have to run the pump as much.

Yes, the bubblers are going to be lit from below. Not sure how they do this but they pop out so there could be some height to them. The Pentair catalog has a pix of this that is nice (their SAM light brochure). We are moving the bubblers to the right Baja shelf because we already have the fountain on the left in the new design.

I asked the PB about the proximity of the pool to the balcony. THat is an open balcony so you can walk under it and I guess as long as it's 3ft from the house side, it is fine.

Any other thoughts? We cannot wait! K

"I asked the PB about the proximity of the pool to the balcony. THat is an open balcony so you can walk under it and I guess as long as it's 3ft from the house side, it is fine."

By open balcony, do you mean it's on an upper floor and there is no slab underneath it? If so then it should be fine (if they're using a trackhoe they will need to be very careful working under that balcony). But if that is a slab on grade, the excavation will be right on the edge of it due to the pool walls being 8" thick. "Undermining" is when you dig too close to an existing slab or grade beam and the soil underneath it sluffs out into the excavation. Undermining is undesirable because once that soil sluffs out from under the slab you've lost the structural integrity of the slab. You cannot stuff the soil back underneath it again, it won't have the required compaction. This can cause minor to severe cracking of the slab and uneven future settling. I'm not trying to scare you, these are things that are easily resolved now and very costly to resolve after the pool is built :-)

Your pool layout looks really great!

Tresw:

You know what, I am going to bring it up with my PB again. There is definitely slab underneath the balcony and the columns supporting the balcony are concrete too. I see what you mean about "undermining" and I think it would be a huge problem if my balcony "shifted" in the years to come. Heck, we are already worried about the kids jumping off there into the pool -- the last thing they need is encouragement from the balcony leaning into it.

Kath

OK, here are some pix of our backyard. I think the first one shows the balcony. I told them not to mess with my Bougainvillia anyway. ;) Thanks!