Seeking a New Pools Must Haves, and Not Worth the Money

L., look into solar heaters. we can heat our pool by the sun for free to 100 degrees( if we wanted to). best investment we made and partially tax deductible too. a friend of mine put in a hole to put up an umbrella. Have fun- email me if you want more info on the solar heater. A.

I was just reading the other responses and I only have a couple of things to add. Do not skip on the in floor cleaning system. It is a must. Everyone I know who has it loves it and everyone who does not whishes they did. We have it in our pool and it is great.
Now to the heater, when we first moved here we lived in an apartment with a heated pool and it was great. My kids were swimming on New Years! So of course we decided to put a heater in when we built our pool. What a waste! It costs us between $40-$50 per DAY to heat the pool especially when the nights are cold so we rarely use the heater. I wish we had spent the extra on a solar heater but there was the hassle of having to get approval from the HOA. I think they passed a law now that says HOA's can't forbid solar panels but definitely check on that.
Anyway, I know this is late advice but hope it helps.
C.

Hi L.! WOW I am so envious! I would love a beach entry pool!!! :-) I have a built in pool. Just a regular diving pool that's around 20 thousand gallons. When we remodel (when we get that chance), I want to make it a beach entry. I love my diving bored. That is so much fun! I've been in a pool with pebble tec inside it and I love it. Mine is only that plain ol' plaster stuff. Just the regular design. "BORING"...LOL

I do have to let you know that a year ago, my husband and I finally decided to invest in a pool "vacuum" to help keep the pool clean. We aren't able to be out there every day to sweep and net the pool, so we got one of those and we LOVE IT! It really is worth the money! So this is one of the things I would suggest investing in to help with the maintenance of your pool. :-)

I saw on "Landscapers Design" a pool kind of like what you're describing, and OH WOW...how gorgeous it was! They had a rock waterfall and there was a slide built into it. So beautiful!

If you can afford a heater for your pool, get one. :-) They are costly. A co worker of mine had a solar powered heater, and it worked well for him, but not sure how it did in the winter months. If you're here in Arizona, and you want to swim in the winter months as well, I would invest in a non solar heater. I would love to get one myself.

If you live in the Peoria area here in Arizona, let me know. We have a great Pool Maintenance man that we use all the time to come out to fix things and advise us on stuff about our pool. We've been using him for just about five years now.

Have fun this summer! :-)

WATERFALLS!!!!!! Or where is falls off other rocks & you can go under it is always a bonus!! IMHO =) When it goes in tears (sp?) or levels & the boulders can be real or resin type & are not that expensive & evertone loves them. You can get a spray bottom as well.HTHIA =)

What about using one of those solar blankets they use at apartment complexes! That's got to be cheaper.

Hi L., Congrats on the pool! It will be like having a resort in your own backyard. Here is my big advice to you. I'm an insurance agent and on your homeowners policy, PLEASE update your liability coverage to ONE MILLION (you probably have 300K right now). It should not cost more than $30-40 for the YEAR to do this. Having parties and teenagers with their friends over just opens you up for lawsuits (don't ever think your "friends" or neighbors won't sue!) and you need to protect yourself. Most people don't think of this, but things happen and insurance is there so you don't have to take the full cost of something on yourself. Let me know if I can help! www.agentlady.com AND ENJOY YOUR NEW POOL!~

L.,
I want to start with the Kooldeck. I've heard from so many of our friends and family that the heat is so harsh in arizona that the kooldeck never lasts. My SIL has had her pool almost 2 years now and loves the stamped concrete instead. It is a little more slippery, but running around the pool with or without kooldeck shoul not be allowed! Next, the beach front, is a personal decision as is all the other little upgrades you mentioned. With the beach front, again, our family and friends who have put them in love them! They have the builders put in a PVC pipe so you can put in a large umbrella, making it a nice shade area for little ones or even adults who want to wade instead of get in completely! The pebble tec, is just going to keep your pool lasting longer. And it looks nicer. I've heard 50/50 about how it feels on people's feet. Personally I don't think it's any harsher on your feet, those with sensitive feet are going to be sensitive to everything! The heater; My MIL & FIL have it, it's great! We love to swim on thanksgiving day after a big feast because we can set the water to 98 degree's!! When we put our pool in next summer we too are going to put the slide, stamped concrete, pebble tec, beach front and even at least have them plumb for a heater, so if we can't get it then we can eventually put one in! Just another suggestion, a sheer decent. Only because when the summers are extremely scorching with a sheer decent the water hits the air before falling into the pool acting as an airater. Because the water is decending it helps cool the pool down. Just a suggstion! My SIL had a swim up bar in their last pool and loved the idea, but hated it when it was in, thy thought it was a waste. They have no kids and only entertain themselves, friends and family and still hated. The shelf or deck in the pool, I'm not quite sure what that is, is it a shamu step? Any how if you do the beachfront with the PVC so you can install and also take out the umbrella I think that suit you just fine! We too are only going to have a small deep end for the slide. Back to the heater with as little as you'll heat the pool the cost will be well worth it, you will be able to get more use out of your pool, which makes it worth the cost. Like I suggested maybe you could preplumb for one and then put one in in a year or two once you get a better idea of how much the pool alone will affect your utilities!! Also, on the pebble tec question I'd go as basic as you can, alot of the coated stuff, isn't anymore high tech then the original stuff. I sure hope I helped! If you have anymore questions I'd be happy to try and answer them. I've been around pools since the day I was born, so I can tell you what our friends/Family here in Yuma arizona have had and what my family in phoenix have had or redone. A. G.

Think carefully about where to put steps that you might want to sit on. You won't want them facing the west setting sun, that's' for sure. ALso, we went with Paddock and had ZERO problems. Get their pop up cleaners---Paddock is worth the extra $. I've got friends with leaks, etc and their pools are only 1-2 years old.

We have solar panels that heat our pool and it works great. We spent about $4800 to have them installed, but received 2 tax rebates totaling $2000 ($1000 AZ State, and $1000 Federal). To heat the pool using your gas, it will be more than $600/year. Our neighbors are spending between $250-$300 a month on their gas bill.
The solar panels have been so nice. You are able to adjust the temp of the pool to your comfort level. Our pool is always above 85, and has been as high as 99 (we left the solar cover on). We have been able to swim for 9 months out of the year. We live in Tucson, and did not swim Dec-Feb. We would have been able to swim in early December, but we were out of town. Jan and Feb were cold, so swimming wasn't at the top of the list of things to do. We have had 5 other families install the solar panels, and they are equaly as happy. We used a company out of Phoenix, Helio-Cool. The install was done in about 3 hours. They are able to install them to any style roof, and match the panels so that it is not an eye sore and complies with homeowners assoc. guidelines. Also, it adds value to your home during an appraisal.
I hope this helps. We are so happy!!

Hi L.,
Congrats on the new pool. Heaters are much over rated. It is nice to have a heater for those 80 degree days but it is costly on you electricity and gas if you use it that way. My husband and I own a pool company and when we built ours we did not put a heater on it. In regards to the pebble tech and pepple sheen which it sounds like you are debating on. The only real difference on it is one is smoother and one is more textured. The beach access is a nice touch but with the water out here you will see a water line develop just like if you had the regular type pool. We also had the grotto rock waterfall with the rock slide and that was a big hit with everyone!! Unfortunately there are pros and cons to everything we do, but do what you and your family will enjoy. If you need assistance with anything my husband has been in the business for about 15 years now. best of luck!!

Our pool holds 15,000 gallons of water and is heated by gas. It cost us about $100.00 to heat for about 3 days in December but that was some years ago (about 10). Our solar cover does the trick alright but, personally, is a pain in the neck.

We sub-contracted our pool ourselves. It was well worth it, saved a ton of money and we picked who we wanted for each step of the way. No hassles, no problems.

L., I would really recommend having a solar heater. It's kind of expensive, but the savings afterwards really do add up. And there is a tax rebate on it. Personally I like warm water, I don't particularily enjoy gasping when the water reaches my belly or my chest, so for me it's a must to have warm water. When I got into that warm water, I thought it was worth every penny. But of course it only heats the water to the outside temperature. I've gotten in the pool when it's 80 degrees, and the water is 80 degrees too. I have the heater too, but I haven't seen a huge bill for gas yet. Of course it depends how much you use it and how hot you want the water. Mine works for the pool and the spa. I don't see the need to upgrade the pebbletec. I have the basic pebbletec and I was told it should last about 30 years minimmum. The kooldeck I do love. I can get out and sit on the side and not burn my bum. Also something you should consider, is having the inground cleaning system. That way you don't have to deal with the kreepy krauly, the hose, etc. And of course the heat distribution is more efficient. I don't have a beach entry, but I do have steps. I had not even thought about the umbrella holder, but they put it there, which I am glad they did. Anything you want, let them know. I went with Patio Pools and Spas. I just loved their service because anything I wanted, they were able to tell me right on the spot how much it would cost, the pros and cons, and even the city and county laws about it. They mentioned things I didn't even think about, like having little colored tiles at the edge of the steps, so you see them better. They were always punctual, and updated the design on the spot for what I wanted.
Good luck, and congratulations on your pool!.

Good luck.

If you are going to spend the money to put all the extras
in it that you want, the heating is a definite help, not just
a luxury if you truly want to use it for healthy workouts
also....there is nothing healthier than exercising in the
water when it is colder outside. Year around pool access
is a very healthy thing....it might not be used for the
children year around, but once you get into doing your exercises in the warm water, the benefits will be very evident. Also, you can decide how much of the time you want
to heat it...you don't have to heat it year around just
because you have it available.
G.

your pool sounds like tons of fun... definitel use the upgraded pebble tec... It sounds like you have a very big backyard so that would be great... We opted for a baja step and built our pool l-shaped. The baja step is great for my toddler and baby as it gives them prenty of room to sit and play. If you haven't selected a builder yet you should contact Mike Tierney at Presidential Pools... they built my pool last summer in less than a month... and were very good... their showroom is in mesa and they have a beatiful pool in their pool park that looks just like how you want to build one. I know someone with a solar heater that uses the pool year round and loves it and she said part of the cost is tax deductible... we chose to not have the heater...maybe we will go with that one in the future.

My only advice is to make sure you go with a reputable pool builder. There are soo many around. We did alot of research and went with a not so well known builder and have had problems getting any maintenance done on our pool. I still need someone to fix our pebbletec.
Umbrella holders are good to. We asked for these and they didn't put them in but they did put the volleyball holes so we use those for umbrella holes. Also we have a heater but mostly use it to heat the spa up and not the pool. We didn't add a slide to our waterfall(I wanted a grotto but no dice there) my kids are to small for a slide right now so we may purchase a portable one later.

Hi L.,
I don't know much about pools, but my husband does. He is a landscape designer and has created some really awesome backyards and pools. Feel free to email him at ____@____.com.

We had a huge pool with a fence (did not enjoy looking at a fence)/diving board/barbque pit...got rid of it all (filled it in) and built a lap pool with an automated pool cover. The cover retains the heat and helps keep the pool clean. ours is built in and retracts. pool covers can only go on square or rectangular pools though. there is only one company in AZ (coverpools). We do have a gas heater, so if we heat the pool we make sure we cover it at night to keep it warm.we don't seem to use it that often. i did not do pebbletec because we have scorpions and i want to see them. beach entry takes up alot of room so i opted for a really big first step (one that i can put a lounge chair on). I also put the jucuzzi indoors (the outdoor one, again the scorpions)yet we don't use it as much as we should.
The pool, unheated but covered for the past few cold days, was used this evening by high schoolers and they did not mention that it was too cold only "nice".

Running a heater is expensive, it easily could run $300 a month starting in October. Make sure if you don't add one, that you add the plumbing to add it later. This might also add to the value of the pool should you ever sell your home. I would look into a solar heater or even a solar blanket. Pebble tec is great. I also have scorpions, but have not had an issue at our pool. Make sure you put tile where there the water line is. Pebble tec should not be exposed no matter what they tell you. I don't know how they could do that with a beach entry. The giant stair or ledge is great and I've seen that a lot. 2 more things to consider. An umbrella holder in the pool and a rail on the steps or at least the ability to add one. The umbrella will provide shade which you will definitely want with little grandchildren and the bar for access assistance for anyone who might need a little help getting in and out of the water. We do not have a railing and now that we are older and in-laws are older, I wish we had one.