
Ever since I’ve known her, Stephanie has wanted a pool. Since we’ve been married, the answer has always been ‘maybe someday’… well baby, someday is here!! We decided a few months back to embark on this project once Fall arrived, and Stephanie did all the due-diligence necessary (as usual). We contacted a half-dozen pool companies and five were interested enough to come out and bid on the project. Each had their good points and bad points, and to be honest – as we learned more about the process and what was available, our requirements changed a bit. In the end, we chose Shawn Carter at Pulliam Pools to fulfill our outdoor entertainment needs. So our Autumn project is a 38 foot pool with a 4 foot firepit and a 15×15 arched shade arbor to house a future outdoor kitchen.
We are SO excited!!! I’ll be updating this thread with photos and more information once construction begins.
October 5 – HOA approved our construction plan. Pulliam immediately put us on their dig schedule for next week, and told us to expect a visit within 48 hours to mark utility lines in the yard.
October 7 – Pulliam’s construction supervisor came out and spray-painted the pool outline on the lawn for next week’s dig
October 12 – Bad weather on Sunday threw a wrench in this week’s schedule, slipping us to Wednesday for the dig. Then, we were the 2nd dig for the day, so the excavators didn’t show up till almost 2pm. They finally finished around 9pm, much to the dismay of our neighbors. But we gots a big ol’ hole in the backyard now!!
October 13 – Rebar and plumbers showed up to do their thing
October 14 – We were the second shoot of the day for the gunite crew, so they showed up around 1pm and finished up around 7:45pm
October 17 – The plumbers worked from dawn till dusk to get all the pipes laid and equipment setup. They’ll be back tomorrow to work on the gas lines for the outdoor kitchen and firepit. After work the pool builder took us to see a few of his pools, and we finalized our selections for plaster and peagravel. Our plaster is called ‘Negril’ and is a combination of pebble and Beadcrete.
October 18 – Plumbers finished their work. Tile & Coping crew showed up and set all our tile, and began on the flagstone coping. It’s gonna look great.
October 19 – Flagstone guys finished almost all their work today, and will finish completely in another week or so when they return to install runners in the decking. Carpenters showed up and set the posts for our Arbor and stained all the wood for tomorrow’s build.
October 20 – Arbor work continues… more painting, more sanding, some assembly
October 21 – Even more Arbor work
October 24 – Electricians do their thing and the arbor guys finish up
October 25 – Decking guys set forms, remove grass, install drainage, bring in crushed gravel base, and set rebar for tomorrow’s pour
October 26 – The decking crew showed up early and got everything prepped just in time for the 8:15am arrival of the cement truck. One group spread the concrete while others followed along behind them with peagravel to cast on top and work into the surface. Then when the time was right, they came back through with a gentle water wash to expose the aggregate just right. We’re thrilled with the result.
October 29 – Stone guys showed up to lay the flagstone runners in the decking, finish the spa-spillway, and build the firepit. They got most of the work done, and then said they’d be back on Sunday… but, alas, they were a no-show the next day.
October 31 – Cleanup crew was here to cart away trash and make everything more presentable. Then the stone guys showed up to finish the firepit and spa spillway.
November 1 – Sprinkler system guy showed up and installed all new heads around the pool area and fixed the other zones that got trashed during the build. It’s nice to water the lawn again now that winter’s coming.
November 11 – In preparation for plastering next week, a crew showed up to clean the pool out nicely
November 12 – Guys showed up to acid-wash the peagravel decking so that it looks all pretty
November 14 – Plaster!!!!!!
November 15 – Acid wash the new plaster
November 16 – Fill that bad boy up with water!!
November 17 – We return home from vacation to a full pool with filters running
November 18 – New sod installed to make the yard pretty again… POOL SCHOOL!!!
November 22 – Defective spa light replaced and new gas meter installed
November 25 – Black Friday!! I took my first plunge into the 68 degree pool… OOO RAH!!!
December 1 – Polaris 480 delivered and hooked up
Recent Comments