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Pools & Spas Design Dilemma

Sheer descent water feature or no?

6 years ago

We are putting in a pool and have to decide whether to put in a water feature. PB quoted us between 4000 and 5000 for a 19" tall retaining wall approximately 8-10 feet in length with three 12" sheers. Not sure whether to go this route. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

Featured Answer

Depo

6 years ago

Only you can say if it's worth it or not, because it is your budget. The only people who enjoyed ours was the grandkids. It's a 36" curve, custom fabricated. That is it in front of the palm tree. The motor froze a couple of years ago and we have not had it fixed. I don't miss it and we probably won't replace it. I love our pool though and we use it everyday that the water is warm enough.

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Comments (9)

smit2380
6 years ago
Are you going with salt water? The salt water around our water feature constantly has a salty residue around it. If you live in really hot area, water features can help keep the water a little cooler. I despise pools, so I have never been in ours and cannot comment on whether that is valuable.
PRO
Ryan Olivieri, Inc.
6 years ago
Does it freeze where you are? Freezing makes all kinds of masonry on a pool fall apart so simple would be best
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I'm in the N. TX/S. OK area and I'd say that's a very, very good price. Then, when I saw the draw schedule, it made me wonder if this price was too good...you know, get the customer to sign on the dotted line, do a bit of work and collect a lot of cash to finish up other customers' projects. Anyway, I'm sure you'll research your PBs and find one that won't get the cash from you and move onto others' pools. Definitely adjust that draw schedule, though, as it's way too top-heavy. We had paid almost 60% by gunite stage and had a 10% draw to pay at completion and that was not at all effective in getting our pool to a timely completion. Also... we knew a couple in the SA area that put in a pool a couple years back. They were in a northern subdivision (I think) where the PB hit rock just a few inches below the surface. According to this couple, the PB ended up boring and cutting through solid rock for most of the pool! Be sure that possibility (extra time, labor, equipment) is covered in your contract so there are no surprises.
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kgolby- Can't comment on the cost of Rico Rock vs sheer descents for your part of the country. I'm in Louisiana and knew I wanted Rico Rock for the natural look I was after. After working closely with Rico Rock on the selection of boulders/waterfalls for my design, they provided a list of local builders that have experience with their products. Rico Rock only sells to distributors/PB's and the price of their products are region specific. What I like about Rico Rock is their natural look and exact dimensions so you can design the "look" of your poolscape on paper and know exactly what you are going to get. Also, their waterfalls work great and are designed to sheet perfectly at specified gpm's and drain down when off so there is no standing water. It all depends on the look you want. Personally, I think sheer descents look to contrived for a natural poolscape and they go better with symmetric roman style designs but to each his own. My experience was the Rico Rock product was about twice as much as natural boulders or other type of water features such as sheer descents. The PB told me that they double the price of the waterfall kit to account for installation, labor and materials for a structural kit. I did not have any modular kits, because I didn't like the look of them as much as the structural, but I would expect the labor to be less because they are easier to install than the structural kits. The structural kits require more concrete, rebar, shaping and custom mortar work. It took 3 guys plus me an entire month to finish all the Rico Rock waterfalls and boulder placement around the pool! They commented if the waterfalls were modular, it would have taken them 1 week tops to complete everything and move on to the next job. Hope this helps!
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Thanks Dude !! I wanted a natural/lagoon look for my pool so I went with all natural solid stone on the coping, beam wall and steps. Went with pebbletec Tahoe Blue all the way to the coping (no waterline tile)Pentair all the way with a SWG,Easytouch w/wireless remote,3' to 6'5" deep and about 22,000 gallons, sand filter, whisperflo for filter, superflo for water feature, and Challenger pump for the Legend cleaner. I couldn't believe how effortless my pool was to maintain and clean my first year..only hope it goes this easy next year. I have watched your pool build and it looks really cool..keep up with the photos. btw...The Big L is one of my all time favorite movies
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PRO
Revolutionary Gardens
6 years ago
A water feature like this can impact how you use the space in the pool and immediately adjacent to the pool. It can also look really cool and make you happy every time you look at it. Without seeing the drawings and getting a sense of what you're like and what you're after, all I can say is - think about those things.

Only thing I would toss out there is to think about scale and proportion when deciding what to do. An 8-10' wall w/ 12" sheers would work on a smaller pool. On a bigger pool, it's going to look a little dinky.

Where are you in the process? Still at the planning stage? If so, I'd suggest pulling in a landscape designer asap. Landscape designers make pool builders look like rock stars!
S R
6 years ago
Depends on your style and budget... I've got a 10ft (length) wall with some Bobe 8" box sculpers...
Dreda Young
6 years ago
I would also consider the sound your water feature will make. I have found that certain water sounds are more pleasant than others.
PRO
Mystic Pools, LLC
6 years ago
3 separate SD's can look nice set at different levels. Not sure of the wall configuration for your site.

Each SD requires a certain flow rate. This requires a certain size pump which in turn requires properly sized plumbing on both the suction side and return side to deliver the water for the proper look.

The return plumbing must be "looped" to provide an even delivery of water to each SD.

The SD can be custom made as a single unit as opposed to 3 separate.
PRO
Water Scuppers and Bowls, LLC
6 years ago
We're DEFINITELY biased, but a water feature is a great addition to a pool. We haven't had one customer regret it yet!
tatts
6 years ago
I find the constant sound of running water annoying. Really annoying, especially when I know that there's a switch some place that somebody could throw to turn it off and give me some peace and quiet.

Natural creeks and streams are different, but constant pumped water splashing? No thanks.

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