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Tiles,Deck & Progress

I chose a light natural color slate for the pool tile and added a classic diamond shape on the big wall.
The guys from Integrity Pools can bang out some very nice custom designs, just look at the Free Form deck designed.

Things are looking very good!!!!!

The shallow end is 3.5 FT and includes a nice bench area. The deep end is 6FT and you can see the swim-out located in the top right corner.
It's really starting to look like a pool now.

The deep end

I cant wait to see how the finished deck shows as it contours up the landscape from right to left.

Some shots of the naked shell

Shooting the Shell with Shotcrete

It's really starting to look like a pool now. The shotcrete is pumped through a hose and the pool begins to take shape.



The shell must cure for 28 days. (Bummer)


All the plumbing and back fill of land should take place in the next 28 days, then one day of Diamond-brite plaster and tile work and its swim time.

Steel reinforced framing adds strenth and structure.

The Hole

The hole is dug, shaped and framed awaiting the first inspection before the concrete shell can be poured. I can now start to visualize what the pool will look like upon project completion.

The weather this week has been HOT, 90-95f most days and the humidity feels like 100%.

It is hot and sticky. I should have started this project in January. (Tip for those of you thinking about building a pool). All I can think about now is, It takes 28 Days to cure the concrete before adding water. I guess swimming in this pool in the month of July "ain't-gonna happen"

This image shows the frame of the pool best. It was taken with an 8mm Fisheye lens. The first image is the original FE and the second image was corrected to a (non FE ) normal view in post processing. Comments?

Progress starts "Today"

I was reading the paper with a cup "o" coffee in hand, when I heard the sound of a Bobcat in the backyard. "Yes" It starts today.

Yep, the paperwork part is complete and the real work starts today.

In my mind, we are three weeks behind schedule. I was hoping to be swimming before the end of July. I signed the first check and contract on 6-7-2007. So much for schedules...

Today was framing day. One delay was due to the fact that I (and the builder) was unaware of my 20 foot setback rule. So the pool had to be redrawn to fit in my property lines, as a result the pool will be smaller than planned, and much closer to the house than originally planed. BUT...It's better than no pool.

The digging starts tomorrow morning. "Site under construction" LOL...

An unexpected problem

After a quick start getting the trees cut down, an unexpected problem was uncovered during the permit pulling process. Attached you will find my land survey. Please note the hash-marked lines which reveal my setback boundary. It seems that everyone in the state of Florida has a 7.5 foot setback and mine is 20 feet!
So, I cant build the pool I designed where I designed it to be. The pool has to be within the hash-marked boundary. That is very close to the house. Back to the drawing board. A new custom design was worked out with the builders help and as of today we have a O.K. from the county and a permit to build a pool.
Dig time begins next week. I hope it's Monday, we shall see.

Sunday June 10th 2007

While the trees were being cut, the pool builder was pulling permits,dotting his i's and crossing his T's. I hope, I hope, I hope I wake to the sound of a large truck in my front yard trailering a large excavator so the digging may commence. Build time is 47 days ish, I hope to be swimming before the end of July. Wishful thinking? I hope not!!!

End of Day one (Tree removal)

The trees are down, stumps were ground and the crew has packed up and gone home.
The three remaining stumps were left intentionally for the pool builder to dig out with an excavator.
Quick work was made of the wood porch with the use of the Bobcat.

Organized Chaos

The bigger they are....The harder they fall.

Timber...

The trees come down.

I like the spray effect from the cutting.

Tools of the Trade

Three guys...

A bobcat

Three Ropes

And

Three chainsaws.