As we are approaching springtime, I thought why not chat a little bit about our pool design and install process.
We decided to install our pool ourselves. Since my husband is a licensed contractor, it was really just a matter of learning the steps and hiring the correct subcontractors to come out. In doing our own pool install we were able to save around $40,000.
Our decision to install a pool was made early on in the building process. We knew that it was something we wanted so when we had our site plan done we made sure to set aside room for it.
In the early planning stages, we had so much to consider. Our lot had too much slope so in order to have a level pool deck we had to build a wall. Our wall is a Diamond Pro stone cut retaining wall system by Anchor
Below is the “before” of our backyard and you can see the slope of the yard. To the right (not pictured is our detached garage). We knew that we would be working with a limited amount of space and an 18X36 size pool was the max we were going to get to allow a decent sized pool deck.
Excuse the picture quality, clearly I never thought I would be blogging about our pool install when I took this! haha We also had not painted the rear deck steps going into the house. 😉 I believe at this time we had only been living in our home for about 30 days!
Backyard “before” with slope of yard
The wall install took my husband about 3 full days, and the kids had a blast playing in all the mud.
Next step was to layout the design of the pool with string and chalk.
We researched some pool design ideas before sketching out our own. We opted out of adding a hot tub because we were dealing with limited space and we didn’t want to take away from the size of the pool.
Once the pool is mapped out, the forms get laid, and the pool gets dug out. We went with 3 1/2 feet deep to 5 1/2 feet deep to allow for diving/jumping on one end.
I will spare you all the technical details of the next steps, but I have attached some photos so you can see the transition.
Pool Coping
The decking around the perimeter of a pool is called coping, and is an important part of any in-ground pool. The coping around a pool can be a wide variety of materials such as: poured concrete, slate, sandstone, or travertine to name just a few. We made the decision to go with a Tennessee Flagstone for ours and we have been very happy with it.
Next came the pool deck install. We decided on pavers instead of concrete and my husband decided he was installing. Well lets just say thats the last pool deck paver install he will probably every volunteer to do! 😉 It was ALOT of work but the outcome turned out gorgeous! We went with a Belgard Lafitt paver in the color Avondale.
Aesthetically, the pavers look amazing but for functional purposes and monetary purposes on the next one we will more than likely choose poured concrete.
As you can see we had lots of walls and stone stairs we had to install because of the slope of our lot. Luckily my husband is a good visionary and it turned out really good.
Finally the fun part and what I was most excited about, picking out the pool finish. I have to admit I spent hours and hours on Pinterest searching pool water colors. Originally I wanted a very light pool finish because I wanted that crystal clear light blue water color that you always see at luxury resorts, when in reality that just wasn’t ideal for our backyard. The white bottoms can stain easier and with the amount of trees in our backyard I reluctantly took my husbands advice. Plus those beautiful white finishes with the blue crystals are more expensive.
Our pool finish is a Pebble Sheen refined textured finish in the color Aqua Blue. We chose pebble sheen because it utilizes a smaller granule, its non slip and stain resistant.
I think our kids enjoyed the process of filling the pool up more than anything!
We also installed Pentair multi colored variable LED lights so that at night we could create a fun swimming atmosphere.
Last but not least, our pool is a saltwater pool which uses a salt chlorine generator. Basically this means that instead of adding chlorine you add salt and the generator converts it to chlorine.
A salt chlorine generator can run upwards of $2500 upfront and can last up to 7 years. They are easy to maintain, keep the water clear, and annually cost less than traditional chlorine.
We have definitely enjoyed having our pool and have made so many fun memories out here. We are looking forward to designing our new pool during our Coastal Farmhouse build in Florida and can’t wait to share it with you!
