Thank you Scott ! I had a local pool person come yesterday. We have used him for minor things only and I want to know the right things to ask. He showed us the vinyl liners . They have 20 and 27 and a combo of 20/27. He said there are 5 Premier liners on special and that the 27 isn't extra if I get one of the 5. I like the really dark Dynastie/Blue Granite Super Max 27/27. He quoted $2850 and that would include everything to have the pool all the way back and filled and everything repaired etc that needs it as he is working. Ready to swim in when done. As far as the deck he said they would clean it w/ very high water pressure. He said that prepares the surface to accept the coating. He didn't mention using Muriatic acid and I wonder if he should also use that to prepare the surface....I don't want to jump on him and question every move he makes :) He said they put glops of this( ???concrete )product on and then smooth it with trowels. It will be a color we choose and have texture....most likely a cream color. I know it isn't Cool Deck. He told my husband that they were leaving the expansion joints alone. They are really deteriorated in some places, not all by any means. I just think they are unsightly. I have looked up how to replace them....here I go again my husband says :) Anyway it seems that the wood is removed and then foam core fillers are placed and then it is caulked with elastomeric caulk. Does that sound right ? I just feel that if we are going to this expense then we should have it all look good. If we shut off the pool pump the pool freezes solid thick enough that we can walk on it. We worried about this and thought this might be a contributing factor to the liner breaking down. So my question is if you " winterize the pool" how do you deal with the water freezing ? I guess that is all for now. Thank you again for your answers...it really helps to have some one to ask. Caroline

Hi - Have been reading a couple weeks and so happy to have found this forum. We are in NY, just started the process and are stressed about choosing a liner also. I don't want to take to much time as my PB said it takes at least 3 weeks to come in once ordered. I did happen upon a PB website(somewhere in Ontario) that shows pictures of the liners and how they each look in a pool. Some are dark, but it was still much more information than I was able to find elsewhere. Hope this helps others out there. We still haven't made our final choice! Here is a link that might be useful: Jameson Pools

Forgive me if I'm wrong but, you've upgraded your circ pumps for the swim jets etc so there's going to be quite a suction at the main drain and skimmers. I only see one rather thin main drain in the pictures and it makes me wonder if it will present an entrapment and possible even an evisceration hazard. I'm not familiar with that style of drain (I do municiple pools) but the drain box seems rather shallow and narrow. Was there any information about water velocity through the drain grating etc? Did they fit a vacuum switch to turn off the pumps of someone managed to block the suction with their body? As I said, I work in public pools so I don't generally see what residential equipment performances are like. Out hot tubs are generally in the 450+ GPM range though we do have a toddlers pool at 180 GPM and that needed three 24" square drains (each with it's own suction line) and special grating to ensure kids can't get trapped.

I just put in the Horus Art Cristalli tile in biscuit and I love it. I am awaiting the grout (which I will do in a matching color). I have honey/toffee maple cabinets in a Shaker style door, Crema Astoria granite (a creamy granite with white, black, and garnet areas, and with some subtle but not overpowering gray/silver movement). Even though I love clean lines, I chose this tile over the Tiffany (which is a straight subway) because it has a handmade appearance (the lines are kind of wavy, which go with the movement in the granite). It also has a little sparkle, which my granite does as well. I did not do a border or accent in my backsplash; I used only the HA Cristalli subways. I don't have a big kitchen - it's 10x10, only 15" from cabinet to counter. I chose to leave it plain as I want the focus on the granite and not the tile. I am so happy that I did! When I get a chance I will post some pictures.