Does not look too bad with all the decking. I would upgrade the cleaner the the 480, it is belt driven with less wear parts.

Who is the builder?

Hi garageworksguy,
I will check with my builder about upgrading the cleaner to 480. The PB is Hopkins Pool in Rockwall, a friend of ours build a pool with them a few years ago and referred us to them.

Jenny

The 280 is more reliable.

Scott

Stonescapes is the "generic" version of pebble-Tec. Pebble_Tec had a lock on the technology for 7 years and that is now up so Stronescapes came out. They are the same thing. I started installing Stonescapes last year in Florida and have not had any problems at all with it.

Jayster,
Thanks for your input on the stonescrape. That is the same thing our PB told us, it's a generic version of Pebbletec and the material is the same. My only concern is the warranty. Is pebbletec worth the extra 1K?

Also, I have a question on the infloor cleaning system. We are debating about adding it and don't know if it's worth the extra 6K. Any input is appreciated. Thanks.

Jenny

If power costs in your area are rising or you expect them to, you might want to consider an E-Pump. A 2HP is a lot for circulation without the waterfall running.

A separate pump for the waterfall would be useful so you can run the E-Pump with the spa at the same time.

Scott

I agree with Scott, the 280 would fine for your pool.

There is no reason to spend any more on Pebble-Tec than Stonescapes. You said that you are concerned about the warranty. Does that not concern you about your pool builder?

What were your main reasons for choosing such a small builder?

FYI, in-floor systems are great if they are in the right kind of yard and properly installed. Make sure there is plenty of experience by the plumber.

Scott & Adpoolman,
Thanks for the input on the 280 cleaner. The reason why I was concern between pebbletec & Stonescape was because I read pebbletec has 20 years warranty vs Stonescape, which I thinks only have 5 years or so. After looking at both materials in person and talking to the pb, I'm leaning toward the stonescape. I have interviewed several different PB and I get different recommendations on the infloor cleaning system, so this one is still up in the air. Thanks for your inputs.

Jenny

It's my understanding that Stonescapes has a lifetime warranty; I was under the impression that it is actually better than Pebble-Tec (but, then again, that could be a factor of which pool guy I'm talking to!). Has anyone else heard this?

That is a great deal. Here in Raleigh, I am building a similar pool except:
4 ton waterfall
Badujet
589sqft 23X36
Polaris 480
one LED light in pool and One Led light in Spa
6inch elevation 7ft spa
620ft of concrete (my own stone mason is doing the entire pool in Varigated tennessee flag)
BlueRidgeGranite finish
All Hayward equipment
$58,000

Jencjudd,

If the builder wants to put that warranty in writing before signing...I suspect he was talking to hear himself rather than knowing what he was saying.

Soap Box Note: Personal preference, In-Floor systems are expensive, need a substantial amount of flow to work well, and have issues when an algae bloom strikes. I prefer the Polaris 280 and Legend and Legend-II pressure side cleaners. Cheaper, highly effective in most situations, and reliable.

Jennyn,

If the difference in price is only $1000, go with the PebbleTec. Its worth it for the fact that it's a proven product and will continue to be around a long time to back the warranty.

Terryibra,

The Badu is Speck. Have two broom sticks handy so you can set the jet nozzles direction to suit your needs.
What Hayward equipment?
I assume the flagstone is just the coping?
Its going to be a very cozy foot well with more than 2 people in the spa.
I suspect that one LED in the pool may not be enough, especially when you go from white to colors. White tends to travel better than red, blue or green and will be dim and washed at the perimeter.

poolguynj, this is off my contract....
h400 heater
2.5 2sp pump
550 cart
VID cleaner + booster
The flagstone is the entire pool and decking but I am doing that through my own sub outside of the pool price.
I wanted two lights but he told me one is enough. We are pouring the deck this week. Can the light be added later if needed?

Let us know if it's a Universal series or H series heater.
I assume the pump will be a Tri-Star.
The 550 is an Above Ground filter. Might want to check that.
Let us know how the Viio cleaner works. It replaced the Viper, which was a problematic product for many end users.
Hope you got credited for the 620 sq. ft. of deck in that price or was that including the stone mason's bill with the pool cost?

All,
Thanks for the inputs. We have signed the contract a few weeks ago, and decided to go with stonescape due to the lifetime warranty. Also, instead of going with the polaris 280, we are going with the Paramount In-Floor cleaning system as well as a ozonator. We are waiting for the city permit and I'm expecting to break ground within the next week. Looking forward to this build job.

Jenny

poolguynj, the 620sq is the subdecking for the flagstone. it is suppose to be 2 inches of stone and 4 inches of concrete. The heater is h-series. I am looking into the filter... it is the cartridge kind I am going with Blue Haven Pools and it is the smart filter 550 with microban. The vac is the smartvac vip pool cleaner. I also added the smartflow jetsystem with the added returns to circulate the water for my heater. I think the pump is tri-star but I will have to ask him to double check. I asked him about the light today, he says it is 50% brighter and should be fine We have already finished the gunite so I hope he is right because it is too late now. thanks, Clark

BH usually uses, at least in my area, Haward gear. Sometimes it is rebadged with a BH name.

The Hayward 4.0 lights are brighter than it's previous generations but get two, one fixture won't evenly light it. It's worth the upgrade. This has been discussed here many times. There was even a fellow that posted pix of Pentair vs Hayward's LEDs.

The filter is probably going to be a rebadged Hayward SwimClear 525 sq. ft. 4 cartridge unit and not what I thought was the Hayward above ground unit.

I suspect the SmartVac is a RayVac. They work well and usually don't require a booster pump.

Scott

is it too late to add the light after the pool has been gunited in? I will talk to him about this again. maybe there is a retrofit option?