It does get wet, when the kids are jumping into the deep end.....normal play it doesnt get wet. I remember the salesman said splashing wasnt a problem, he just wanted to make sure we werent using it on a spillover spa, where it would be in constant contact with the water. We have no white deposits, really do not expect any...ever... but it was only finished the end of August. One day I did hose it down after the kids were doing constant cannon balls. No negative experiences, we love it. The b-bque installer did not suggest we use the stack stone on the other side of the island....he said you dont want to splatter grease while you are cooking onto it. If we did want to stone the inner side of the island, he suggested we seal it but he was hesitant to suggest that because he said it was a pain to do, it could change the color and then would require doing it every year. We also had the pillars stacked stoned and they look great. Here is a photo from when it was completed this summer. I will try to take another picture tomorrow.

We have a lake behind our home as well. The lake is probably 350' from our patio. We're putting a pool in this year. As for snakes, we've owned this place for 15 years. We have seen some snakes but they've been few and far between. When we've seen them near our immediate front and backyard, it's been when the grass (weeds ) have gotten too tall. We've done some big landscape jobs on our property over time. Next up after the pool comes putting down some good sod :) To answer your question, a saltwater system pool would not deter snakes anymore than other types. They most often land in a swimming pool while in search of water to drink and then can't get out.

Here is a salt water alternative that has fresher smelling and non-irritating water. It has very low chlorine and acid consumption and costs less to maintain. Why is America still in love with chlorine (salt chlorine included) as the main sanitizer/oxidizer? It's our chlorine addiction that has led to higher asthma rates compared to other countries that limit or don't use choline. Chlorine also make asthma worse. Check out this link: http://www.webmd.com/asthma/news/20040611/chlorine-pools-breathing-trouble My wife has noticed a flare up in her asthma in pools with both salt generated chlorine and traditional chlorine. After learning that the last Olympic pool built had a combination of ozone for oxidation and uv for sanitation we switched over to ozone and ultra violet pool systems. Because neither system leave a residual in the water we add a mineral sanitizer every six months (just the cheap one like the frog or poolRX) and keep about 0.3 ppm chlorine in the summer months. (We used to keep it between 2-4 PPM.) In the winter there is no chlorine in the water. My hair/eyes and skin feel great when I get out of the pool. The water doesn't smell and tastes like fresh water. I use way less acid than before and the pH is easier to balance. The most important thing is that my wife's asthma doesn't flare up when she swims now. Also, I don't have to worry about my kids breathing in or absorbing harmful chloramines. I run the pump at about %45 for about 7 hours and save a ton on electricity too. The UV bulbs, I am told have to be replaces every few years, but come with a two year warranty. It will cost me about $160 for both bulbs, and the ozone uses a $40 uv bulb which will also need to be replaced every three years or so. We have an in-line tablet feeder to we put a chlorine tablet into every other week during the summer and the mineral cartridge goes into the skimmer basket every six months.

Being in Texas, saving water is an important aspect. Cartridge filters help some in that they don't get backwashed. Have the PB put a 3 way valve on the pump exhaust so you can lower the water or vacuum to waste with a cartridge filter. Some PBs put a hose spigot on instead but this prevents vacuuming to waste. Your fill water is pretty hard but not overly so. Calcium will build up in the water so watching it is called for. It is one of the chemicals in pool water that can only be removed by diluting. The water has a slightly high pH and high alkalinity. This will need to be brought down with acid added. Not a big deal to do but skipping it will cause the calcium to drop out of solution and stick to various surfaces like steps and pool walls and floors where the circulation is slower. This is called scaling and is random in where it occurs in the pool. It also takes time to form and is a gradual process. It isn't something that would stop you, just something to be aware of when maintaining your pool. While seemingly premature in the discovery process of building, taking it into account can help you later in making your equipment choices and layout. Blazing hot means a relatively a high evaporation rate. Have an auto-filler so you don't have to put a hose in every day during the Summer. Remember, calcium doesn't evaporate so the CH value will rise. Occasionally, you will need to lower the water in the pool and put in a significant amount of fill water. This will also lower your salt level and raise your alkalinity and pH levels when you refill. Your blazing hot Summers may lead you to a desire for a cooling solution. Some opt for a heat pump that works in reverse or solar panels that when the pump is run at night, radiate the heat and cool the pool. Please note that this is additional run time. A pool pump needs to run during the day. Scott