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New Pool Build in Sugar Land, TX (SW Houston)

15 years ago

After several weeks of planning, bidding, analyzing, agonizing etc.. we finally got started with our new pool today. Our PB, Kelly (Huskyridor) of Atlantis Pools, picked up the permit this afternoon, then worked with me painting (and repainting) the layout on the ground until the sunshine was long gone. We're biased, but think it will be terrific. City layout inspector should be by tomorrow, then full speed ahead - depending on the weather.

We've learned so much from the forum, and especially all the photos, so we plan to document our build - comments and suggestions are welcome and appreciated!

Some highlights of our design:

Pool: 32 X ~17 (avg) freeform, sport depths

Spa: 9 X 7 with 6 Hydro/Air Jets

Water features: Grotto surrounded by weeping rocks along back, 2 bubblers in splash/sun deck

Lights: 2 LED in pool. 1 in spa

Jandy equipment: 580 Cartridge Filter, LX 400,000 BTU heater, Aqualink PDA6, Aquapure Salt and Rainbow 320 Inline Chlorinator

PebbleSheen: likely Blue Granite, but open to suggestions - same for tile

Wish us luck!

Featured Answer

sharoncbrn

15 years ago

houstonmac, good luck with your pool. Can not wait to follow the progress. How many different pb's did you get bids from? I have so many questions about this whole process!

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Comments (36)

joanneswimsct
15 years ago
You don't need luck; you've got Kelly!!!! Can't wait to see some pics!
Joanne
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We have been out and around the pool area more the past few weeks as the weather has gotten a bit warmer. Of course with the warming weather in Houston the number of mosquitos as well as annoying gnats greatly increase. We were sitting in the hot tub last week and mosquitoes were landing on our head and biting us. Not good. We decided that with the level of investment made in our backyard that we needed to ensure we could use it without being attacked. As a result, I began looking at options to get rid of the problem. I looked at foggers...I would need to regularly do this to keep mosquitoes and gnats away and I knew I wouldn't keep up with it. That led me to look at automatic mosquito misting systems. As I am fairly handy around the house, I decided to look at Do It Yourself options. The main choices were systems with 55 or 125 gallon tanks or the newer tankless systems that mix the chemicals with water for each application. 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RESEARCH AND PURCHASE The main options that I considered were the Mist Away Gen 3 and the Mosquito Max Series 2 tankless system as both were readily available on the internet for Do It Yourself installers and also available at stores in the Houston area for purchase and service. I could not find a lot of consumer reviews on either system, but the Mist Away Gen 3 did seem to be the more prevalent unit with more dealers/installers nationally. Base features seemed to be similar, although the Mist Away looked to offer a few more options, such as a wind sensor, etc. When I compared prices on the internet, the best I could find on the base Mist Away Gen 3 was $1,645 and the 30 nozzle complete DIY install kit put the final price typically in the $2,400 range. The Mosquito Max system base price was $1,395 and their 25 nozzle complete DIY install kit was $1,725. Adding another 5 nozzles to get to 30 would bring the price up to $1,775 at $10 per nozzle assembly. I looked out on You Tube and found several videos from mosquito system installers with tips and tricks for installation. After watching a few of these I became confident that I could indeed install my own system and would be aware of the typical installation methods and pitfalls. Generally, installation is fairly simple and there are sites that have go-bys to help you design your system. I used a plot plan of my house with measurements to determine the best path for the nylon tubing and the spacing (every 8-12 feet) so that I could add up all the parts needed in advance to see if I should buy a system "kit" or buy parts individually. For me buying a 25 nozzle kit and adding a few nozzles worked out best. I ended up purchasing the Mosquito Max system and picked the unit up from their main office in Katy, Texas with is where the units are made. The unit has a one year warranty and all parts are available from this location should I need them after the warranty period expires. Another plus with a tankless system is that I can easily load it into the trunk of my car and take it to the shop if I need it repaired as opposed to paying for a service call should it be an item I don't feel comfortable trying to fix on my own. SYSTEM DESIGN AND INSTALLATION General installation advice was to create a "perimeter" around the back yard and then add some additional lines as needed that "T" off the main line using a 3 way connector called a "union tee" to cover interior flower beds with shrubs and trees. Tubing can be attached to fence lines with clips or many installers used a combination of clips and a staple gun. In my case the pool and paved areas take up most of the center of the yard (see plot plan at top of blog), which makes for a simple installation. I installed the base unit on the wall just beyond where the pool equipment is located on the plot plan. I bought some 1/2" outdoor rated PVC from our local home improvement store as well as some 90deg. elbows and ran the tubing through the PVC down the wall from the main unit used a 90deg fitting and ran another piece under ground across the small 6' wide small yard and then another 90deg fitting and a PVC piece to go up the fence to just underneath the top cap of the fence which was the starting point for my perimeter backyard installation. I followed a similar process with the water supply tubing that runs from the base unit to the hose bib to protect it from the lawn crew / week whackers. The installation of the tubing and nozzles was so simple that my kids could have done it...and I enlisted the help of my 14 year old to make things go faster. Of course you could do a more elaborate installation than I chose to do, and I am sure many professional installers would have ran the lines inside our fence where it is double sided. However, I chose to attach the tubing just under the top cap on the fence using a combination of staples and plastic clamps that screw in and were supplied in the install kit by the manufacturer. If you keep the lines very straight and choose a tubing color to match your fence the install becomes nearly invisible. As you move along the perimeter you install "T" fittings by pushing one end of the tubing inside the fitting until it locks, then you push in a nozzle until it locks in place via quick connect type mechanism, then you push the next section of 8-10' of tubing in the other side and then keep going and do it again. I used a "C" clamp on each side of the "T" connection to tightly secure it to the fence and this allows me to aim the nozzle in the direction up/down that I wanted it. These "C" clamps are just small plastic fittings that go around the tubing or fitting and have a hole that allows you to screw them into the fence or wall to hold the line/fitting secure. You can use 90deg. fittings in corners so that you do not kink the nylon tubing. Generally I found these to be unnecessary and used "C" clamps to hold the line in corners to ensure it stayed in a smooth curve and did not kink. When you need to branch off the main perimeter line, you just install another "T" fitting, but rather than installing a nozzle in one of the openings, you just insert the nylon tubing for the branch line and then continue down that line adding "T"connections and nozzles as needed. At the end of that line you would install an Elbow fitting and nozzle instead of a "T". Very simple. Each system will have a maximum number of nozzles it can support (80 in my case) and recommendations on how many "branches" they support. Both systems I researched offered a zoning system for purchase that could expand the capacity by sending pressure to one zone at a time similar to an automatic sprinkler system. So I could install a zone for my front yard at a later date and control misting times and durations separately from the back yard. Or I could just choose to install a small valve to turn on/off the front yard if I had enough remaining nozzle capacity on my system (I can still add 50 more nozzles to my machine). All the manufacturers also offer riser assemblies for use in flower beds as well as ways to attach nozzles to trees. These riser assemblies also offer easy push-in connections and copper risers for durability. These are a bit pricey, but would make the install faster and neater. SYSTEM STARTUP Once I had all the tubing installed and the water line connected, I read through the instructions to ensure I had everything correctly connected. I then filled the chemical tank with water to test the unit. After plugging in and setting the spray time to the maximum setting, I did a test spray. We noticed that some of the nozzles were not spraying and adjusted the pressure up to 100lbs per the directions given by the folks when I purchased the unit. This increased the mist near the unit and we immediately noticed that one of the push in connections at one of the "T" locations was leaking. I pushed that tube in firmly and all nozzles began to spray a fine mist as intended. I had no other leaks or issues. I then spent some time aiming nozzles to ensure I had good coverage of each area. After that I poured the selected chemical (Riptide) into the Chemical tank inside the main control box and secured the lid, finished the programming and then tested again. Everything worked perfectly! I did see a few areas that did not have as much mist coverage as I would have preferred. But since adding nozzles is as easy as cutting the line and inserting a new "T" fitting / nozzle, I plan to add several more over time to improve the coverage. Overall, it took me about 5-6 hours to install my simple system around the perimeter of the back yard with some of that time spent reading instructions, digging a small trench (4-5' deep across 6' wide side yard) and hanging the unit on the brick wall. I would estimate I saved between $1,000 and $1,500 on installation fees as most systems installed that I read about were in the $3,000-$3,500 range. SETTINGS I used the system's "SUMMER" setting initially which sprays 4 times a day for 45 seconds. Twice in the early AM and twice in the evening. Once I have the mosquitoes under control I will likely change to once in the AM and once at dusk. CHEMICAL SELECTION As I noted above I chose Riptide initially, but I read that many people rotate between Riptide and Sector. Riptide generally had higher ratings and I liked that it was water based and does not leave an oily residue and was safety for plants (some will burn plants so read labels closely). It also works on many other pest insects such as ants, gnats, fleas, moths, etc... RESULTS I will come back to the site after some time to report on results as most manufacturers say it takes 2-3 weeks to eradicate the mosquito population in your yard. What I did notice immediatly was that the number of small flying insects under our covered patio lights was down significantly by the second night the system had been in operation. I will also post some pictures of the unit and infall.
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houstonmac
Original Author
15 years ago
Joanne - Thanks!!! The pictures are coming, but may suffer a rain delay - expecting 1 to 2 inches of rain today (with a chance of up to 4). Sure hope the paint we put on the grass is waterproof.

sharoncbrn - we started with 5 pb's (1 National, 1 Regional, and 3 local (greater Houston area). We told each what we were looking for, but gave ample leeway for the PB's creativity to show through - and to merge the best ideas into a final design. We knocked two PBs out after the first round, one because of ridiculous price and the other (Blue Haven) just never got their act together. I asked the final three pbs to tweak their bids to get a fair comparison, and they came back reaasonably close. In the end, we went with the guy we felt most comfortable with (right in the middle of the prices). I especially like Kelly's involvement in the entire process - we will see him a lot, while the others were clearly sales designers. Actually amazed at how fast things can go. We're just 5 weeks from our first pb contact, including design, financing, HOA approval and permitting so it can get a little crazy, but you'll have fun too. Good luck with your pool.
houstonmac
Original Author
15 years ago
Just some lines on the ground, approved by the inspector this morning. Confused by the two colors? Ran out of blue marking paint due to my being picky! Not shown is the sunshelf near the house adjacent to the spa. We'll frame everything in new decking (680 sq ft) with rainbow pea gravel trimmed in flagstone, with two decorative flagstone inlays. (Better pictures once the action starts - I promise) Rains coming so will probably dig on Friday, steel on Saturday, Gunite by Tuesday.
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travis_turner
15 years ago
Kelly built our pool...here is the link to our build.

Here is a link that might be useful: Husky Pool
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houstonmac
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Travis - Your pool looks great. I remember looking at the link when we were just starting to think about our pool, and seeing all the comments amount the neatness of the plumbing, the appearance of the deck/PebbleSheen finish, and of course the "Star." I haven't talked to Kelly about it yet, but would love to put in some really special "Art" too. Any other tips or suggestions to share while we are just getting started?
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travis_turner
15 years ago
Probably can't say a whole lot that you probably haven't already read here on the forums. Love the Pebble Tec and the sub that applied it. We had a couple of rust spots appear...they came out and fixed the spots without hesitation. I would say just to be around as much as you can during the build. Despite all of my planning, there were plenty of questions along the way where we had to make some pretty quick decisions. Looking forward to watching your progress...post lots of pictures! :0)
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houstonmac
Original Author
15 years ago
The rain is gone. Saturday morning at 8AM everything started. Open up the fence, walk the layout with Kelly and the excavation crew, then the first shovel. I never believed they would get all the way through digging AND steel in ONE DAY!
Supervisors on the job, keeping an eye on everything!

The first shovel:

Looks like a pool?

Steel workers were amazing - don't blink or you'll miss something

Finally, at 5 pm, jsuat after 9 hours, we are done for the day. Almost ready for next inspection - just need drains in place.

Gunite set for Tuesday - picking tiles and stones with Kelly tomorrow!
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huskyridor
15 years ago
Thanks for picking my organization for your new pool!!!
Hopefully we can avoid the sour weather which accompanies our change in seasons and keep the momentum full speed ahead.
Yesterday was AWESOME, the men were excited about some new work and the brisk weather with clear skies made it a great day to work outdoors. Digging and steeling a pool in one day isn't out of the norm, but knocking it out in 9 hours was pretty dog-gone sweet. In the heat of summer it would have taken 10 to 12 hours.
If the weather stays in our favor we should have a productive week.
I've got to run to the shop and load/deliver scaffolding lumber to a large project's cabana and should be back by mid-day. I look forward to seeing you guys at the shop around noon.
Call me on my cell when your on your way. If I don't answer keep coming, this job is at a ranch about an hour from here where I don't any cell phone signal.

See ya,
Kelly
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houstonmac
Original Author
15 years ago
Pool Build Pics - Day 3

Kelly and crew came out today in the pouring rain to put in the drains and rough plumbing - at least a couple of inches of rain and more than a foot of water in the "deep end" before they pumped it out. They plumbed the spa, and passed inspection all ahead of gunite for tomorrow. We felt so bad for them in the cold, wind and rain, but they were in great spirits. We grilled some chicken and stuff to give something warm to eat while joking about the weather. Gunite crew expected 6:30 AM tomorrow - amazing!

Kelly and son working on the spa
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ajones
15 years ago
houstonmac, congrats on your new build and the progress that you are making! looks like it will be an awesome pool! we are about 3 weeks behind you in our progress but looking forward for the dig to begin. keep those pictures coming!
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houstonmac
Original Author
15 years ago
Lots of activity yesterday (Tuesday 10/27) and today. Gunite crew spent the day, and worked under the lights at night to finish. Very impressed. Now it looks like a pool. Equipment installed and plumbing just about complete - ahead of the next big rainstorm due in tomorrow. At least I won't have to water the gunite tomorrow (at 5:30 AM before I go to work). Everything is going like clockwork - I hope I don't jinx us - we may have a pool in just three more weeks (then scrub, the salt 35 days later....) Just want to jump into the spa
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paradigmdawg
15 years ago
How fun, reminds me of the excitement we had just 3 months ago.

I think it rained about everyday here except after they sprayed the gunite. That week was just hot and dry so I had to water the darn thing a million times. I got so sick at looking at a ugly gray pool.
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ajones
15 years ago
looking good houston mac, looking good!

i bet it's great feeling to see the guinite and it actually looks like a pool!
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houstonmac
Original Author
15 years ago
ajones - you're absolutely right - it is amazing to look in the backyard and see an "almost pool" where there was just grass 5 or 6 days ago. If anything, the shape is even nicer than we envisioned - especially the spa, which looks enormous - may be slightly larger the the 9x7 we had drawn.

Paradigmdawg - It was great to stand in the pool for the very first time - even if it was just to water the gunite at 5:30 in the morning. The novelty of watering the spa has worn off quickly and I'm ready to move onto the Pebblesheen stage asap. The good news is that we are in the middle of a heavy downpour (actually a flash flood warning)so no watering for a couple days.

Electrical moved to Saturday and will see the rock/tile guys sometime next week. I didn't know if we could make our construction schedule, but Kelly and his crews are working some real magic! Very, very pleased!
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paradigmdawg
15 years ago
Looks like the weekend will be nice. Maybe they can get some work done for you.
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houstonmac
Original Author
15 years ago
Day 8 - Electrician was out today and connected the lights, pumps, control panel and antenna for the PDA. I guess we are in that phase where work is still going on, but its really hard to see the changes (so no pictures today). Still watering the gunite at least twice a day - want the structure to be really strong ahead of the massive grotto waterfall rock installation. Kelly says that the tile and rock/flagstone (coping) folks will be out Tuesday or Wednesday - we should have a lot to show then.

Just curious - any ideas on how long the gunite needs to cure before the optimal application of PebbleSheen? Also, what surface prep is needed before the PS is applied? We have some large rough spots sticking up at least an inch on the gunite floor in some corners. Thanks!!!
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tsunami
15 years ago
"what surface prep is needed before the PS is applied? We have some large rough spots sticking up at least an inch on the gunite floor in some corners."

The Pebble Tec guys used a straight-edged shovel and some elbow grease to scape off the high spots. They also used a hand held jack hammer to chip away the excess gunite around the light fixtures.

Good luck with your pool. I love the layout!
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amy_texas
15 years ago
Pool looks great, I love the shape. We are in the process of interviewing builders and your pool is very similar in shape, size, materials to what we have in our drawings. Can't wait to see more pics as you post them.
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houstonmac
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks everyone (and good luck with your pool amy_texas - please post pics of your build - we really enjoy seeing these!!!) We are in that slow phase right now - just watering the gunite, and watering and watering... But things should turn around tomorrow, hopefully. The rock and tile crew may start tomorrow - flagstone coping, 3 weeping rock ledges, and a small grotto waterfall. Cannot wait to see them lift that massive stone. Only hiccup so far is that we found out today that our 1st choice tile is not in stock. We'll start back up with the pics and let you know about the tile choice (we're doing something different) tomorrow!
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houstonmac
Original Author
15 years ago
Ok - I lied, no pics tonight. But the coping guys were here and cut and layed out the flagstone. Very nice light color Oklahoma stone with a touch of tan, except for about three large pieces that are almost black - one right in front where you first walk into the spa. These pieces look out of place around the pool - can anyone tell me if acid washing of such dark pieces is standard procedure? Will the washed stones still look natural? Really hope it turns out to be nothing. Thanks!
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houstonmac
Original Author
15 years ago
Way overdue on pics. Things were slow for awhile as gunite was curing. But then everything started happening so quickly. Had to change tile on the fly as our choice was not in stock - pretty common complaint on the forum, but found a nice colorful Buenas 244 from Master Tile. Then came the rock work with an absolutely amazing grotto. Deck passed inspection and was poured all in one day. Now everything is ready for the Blue Granite PebbleSheen scheduled for Tuesday. Really could not be more pleased. Here are some pics of what really looks like a pool!
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jparkfire
15 years ago
Wow I like the tile and the Waterfall. Good job!
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texaswaterlover
15 years ago
I have been in the garden pond and vinyl pool industry for over 28 years in both NC and Texas. I have worked as a designer in The Woodlands and know Kelly's operation. I can tell you that Kelly with Atlantis 'will do you Proud!' He is one of the builders that gives a doggone!

So as to not appear to be a secretive spammer! I openly admit without shame my link below!

Here is a link that might be useful: Magnolia Ponds
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poolguynj
15 years ago
Your posts are welcome but the constant linking to your size should be left out.

You don't see the other builders doing it, do you? No.

Please refrain.

Thanks,

Scott
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houstonmac
Original Author
15 years ago
Some more pics for those members kind enough to follow our pool build. Almost done! Today was PebbleSheen application - Blue Granite, and it looks great (even before they come back to wash and polish). We ended up putting in another Kelly Simpson "Star" on our splash deck, and it fits with our combination "Texas/Tropical" theme! Hope to have pics full by the weekend - too bad it was 45 degrees in Houston this morning!

href="http://s966.photobucket.com/albums/ae143/HoustonMac/?action=view&current=20091117_54.jpg"; target="_blank">
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myredfiveo
15 years ago
Hi-

What is the approximate size of your sun shelf and what decking material/color did you use?

Thanks,

Todd
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houstonmac
Original Author
15 years ago
myredfiveo - the sun/splash shelf is probably 10 foot wide (at the widest point) and about 6 feet into the pool area. We wanted a larger than normal area to accomodate 2 lounge chairs (and a nice play area for our little one while we wait for her to learn to swim. Decking is mostly rainbow pea gravel, but with flagstone inlays (2) and a light colored Oklahoma flagstone border around the edge of the deck to dress it up. Of course our first choice would have been some kind of natural stone, but actually pleased with the look.

Hopefully get pebblesheen acid washed and polished today to start filling with water - pictures above are nice, but I can only imagine what it will look like with water and balanced chemistry!
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ajones
15 years ago
houstonmac, that' looks fantastic. i know you and the family have to be VERY excited to get this completed. we are going with blue granite as well. love that water color when everything is where it needs to be! congratulations!
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houstonmac
Original Author
15 years ago
ajones - Thanks, we are very excited. In fact, we filled both pool and spa yesterday and it took every ounce of self-control not to jump in for a quick test drive (swim). It is amazing, especially because it looks so much like we envisioned. No pics today though, with Houston getting 2 to 4 inches of rain (AFTER I filled the pool). PB is still planning to tie in the water features and start circulation, lights etc.. this afternoon. Should have some nice pics for the weekend!
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ajones
15 years ago
that has to be a fantastic feeling. can't wait to get to that point! some rain here today but not nearly as much as you've had down that direction. take some pics, would really like to see it filled up! thanks
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brew_ster
15 years ago
Your pool looks fantastic! I can honestly say that if I had to do this all over again, Kelly would be first on my list to call.
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houstonmac
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks to all for the great support. Came home from work today and saw the waterfall, weeping rocks and bubblers all working - we have a pool! Played with the remote trying out all of the light colors as soon as it got dark! Too bad it was still raining so I couldn't get the pictures, but we will this weekend - promise!

brew_ster Working with Kelly has been a lot of fun. He is truly one of a kind who makes a great product and loves what he does (second only to motorcycle racing)! But to be honest, we really don't want to think about doing this "all over again" quite yet!!!

More pics tomorrow!
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amy_texas
15 years ago
Pool looks great. We are using Kelly for our pool as well. I would love to see pictures at night with the LED lights. We too are getting the color LED lights and want to make sure the pebbletec color that we choose isn't too dark for the color lights. We don't want to lose the effect of the color lights. Let me know how you think it looks with your blue granite.
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houstonmac
Original Author
15 years ago
amy_texas you will love the LED lights - my water is still a bit fuzzy and I have the Blue Granite pebble finish - and it looks great. I particularly like the dark blues and purples - seems to go well with our freeform, tropical themed pool. There is a bit of glare from the one LED that is directly visible from the house (but just slightly) - wish I had angled it slightly away from the house as I have seen on other posts. Sorry but pics will have to wait since we will be away for awhile (giving Kelly time to finish the flagstone around and in the decking and get the salt established).

Hope you have as much fun with your dig with Kelly as we did! Look forward to seeing the pics, but already know it will be great!
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phxownerbuilder
15 years ago
houstonmac - Any more photos with water? I'd love to see how your grotto turned out.
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Are these concrete posts okay?

6

patio colours design help…to stay with blues or browns

17

Pool Decking Option

1

which color planter?

1

Pool renovation

25