Swimming Pool?

[DonBateman]

Anyone here ever put in an inground swimming pool? Any suggestions? Concrete, fiber glass, etc? What is the most costly aspect of putting in a pool? What is the general cost? Just looking for some input! Thanks!

[Art 1]

Originally Posted by DonBateman

Anyone here ever put in an inground swimming pool? Any suggestions? Concrete, fiber glass, etc? What is the most costly aspect of putting in a pool? What is the general cost? Just looking for some input! Thanks!

Yes. My advice is to not do it.

[RobearH]

Originally Posted by Art 1

Yes. My advice is to not do it.

Agreed!

As somebody who did it only because my family wanted one would concur.

Expense isn’t only in the cost to build but in time to maintain, electric to heat and run, chemicals and maintenance, repairs and replacement parts have so far outweighed the fun.

And the investment will far outweigh return at resale. It’s not like any other backyard mistake as it’s done it’s really done and no going back.

If that didn’t dissuade you then go for it!

[Laszlo]

Originally Posted by Art 1

Yes. My advice is to not do it.

Ditto!!

[r_afficionado]

I put one in my house in AZ, in ground concrete plaster and tile. You can go crazy on expensive features if you want. I went fairly basic. Maintenance is about 60 bucks a month her for chemicals only. You have added on costs such electric bill jumps by almost 80% during summer rates, pool sweeper / cleaner is checked and parts replaced once a year about 100 bucks beyond that filter cleaning twice a year, I do that myself as my pool has Cartridge filters. But we do use it quite a bit out here in the desert .

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[DonBateman]

Originally Posted by r_afficionado

I put one in my house in AZ, in ground concrete plaster and tile. You can go crazy on expensive features if you want. I went fairly basic. Maintenance is about 60 bucks a month her for chemicals only. You have added on costs such electric bill jumps by almost 80% during summer rates, pool sweeper / cleaner is checked and parts replaced once a year about 100 bucks beyond that filter cleaning twice a year, I do that myself as my pool has Cartridge filters. But we do use it quite a bit out here in the desert .

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Yup, didn't think about the increase in utility bills. I will not use my year round. It will be Summer only then I will close it in the Fall/Winter.

[Langnam]

Originally Posted by DonBateman

Yup, didn't think about the increase in utility bills. I will not use my year round. It will be Summer only then I will close it in the Fall/Winter.

Electric bill goes up, but central AC and an irrigation well do more damage in the summer.

If you heat your pool consistently to the 80F level, expect whopper gas bills. When the kids were young, I always heated the pool and paid the bills.
Now, the only time the heater is on is just to check it still works.

As someone mentioned earlier, do not expect a return on investment. Basically, whom ever you sell the house to will get a pool for free.




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[Langnam]

I own an inground gunite pool with a Pebbletec finish. In season, I use it nearly every day and this pool was installed in 2001.

Advice? It really depends on your budget and what you want your backyard to become. In my case, I wanted a private oasis. It turned out that the pool was the cheapest part of that desire.



One from last summer, and one just a month ago.


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[DonBateman]

Originally Posted by Langnam

I own an inground gunite pool with a Pebbletec finish. In season, I use it nearly every day and this pool was installed in 2001.

Advice? It really depends on your budget and what you want your backyard to become. In my case, I wanted a private oasis. It turned out that the pool was the cheapest part of that desire.



One from last summer, and one just a month ago.


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That is a beautiful backyard and pool! Mine is similar. I have a wooded nestled spot for the pool, which I think that oasis style would look really good on. I am thinking about adding the pool, then over the course of a few years do patio work, boulders, landscaping etc.

[DonBateman]

I am sure its a pain but we spend a lot of time outside during the Summer months and plan to stay where we are for a while. I do not plan on getting any return on it. Basically it is for the family to enjoy, but thanks for the input everyone!

[derekhayden]

I have a pool but did not install it. I have had pools all my life and the maintenance is really not all that bad. It costs me about $60 per month in chemicals during the summer and maybe $20 during the winter. As far as electricity cost I have a variable motor pump and it cost about the same as running an extra refrigerator.
The cost it saves me in entertainment alone makes it worth it. Eight months out of the year my kids have constant entertainment. Where I live a pool is a must and I will always have one.

[mfer]

Depends where you live. Texas makes sense. Up north in IL, not sure.

[G8RDPM]

I love my fiberglass pool.
We are in it constantly during the summer!

[Rolex addict]

Originally Posted by G8RDPM

I love my fiberglass pool.
We are in it constantly during the summer!

How often do you have to replace it? Sunlight and pool chemicals will deteriorate the bonding agents holding it together. Even gunite pools deteriorate. We had one growing up and eventually had to drain the pool and put a chemical resistant epoxy coating over it. We've done that twice. Once Mom got sick, nobody had the time to take care of it. We were focused on her, so we drained the pool and it's been sitting empty for about 4 years now. I'm trying to find someone to fill it in. To the OP, pools are a lot of work if you're going to tackle it yourself. Also, check your local laws and ordinances. Pools are often considered a nuisance and can raise your home insurance. You will also have to build a fence around it. Local codes will determine what you need.

[G8RDPM]

Originally Posted by Rolex addict

How often do you have to replace it? Sunlight and pool chemicals will deteriorate the bonding agents holding it together. Even gunite pools deteriorate. We had one growing up and eventually had to drain the pool and put a chemical resistant epoxy coating over it. We've done that twice. Once Mom got sick, nobody had the time to take care of it. We were focused on her, so we drained the pool and it's been sitting empty for about 4 years now. I'm trying to find someone to fill it in. To the OP, pools are a lot of work if you're going to tackle it yourself. Also, check your local laws and ordinances. Pools are often considered a nuisance and can raise your home insurance. You will also have to build a fence around it. Local codes will determine what you need.

I throw 40lbs of salt in 3-4 times a year. It should last 30 years.
I’ll be here for another decade. Then I likely will be coming to the upstate.

Pics from your visit last fall!

[breitlings]

Originally Posted by DonBateman

Anyone here ever put in an inground swimming pool? Any suggestions? Concrete, fiber glass, etc? What is the most costly aspect of putting in a pool? What is the general cost? Just looking for some input! Thanks!

I saw my parents build a few concrete pools. I think it is easy to build a pool that is too big, one of their houses they basically have an half sized olympic pool because it starts costing a lot less per foot after a certain point.

There are salt water versions people like now. The DE filters and supplemental filter systems are so good that 1990s and 1980s pools with tons of chlorine and haze are a thing of the past.

Most expensive aspect for one of the pools was actually the brick deck around it which cracked, It looks nice but I wouldn't do brick, there are some nice concrete mixtures now.

Seating and benches should be thought of. Especially if there is a view.

Automatic pool covers are a pain in the ass and break often after year 10 or so. I would get the automatic pool "Roomba". And I would suggest a heated pool that directs heat into a hot tub and has the hot water cascade downward. I also don't think the pool light is that useful. If you turn it on lots of bugs come, and 95% of the time swimming on summer nights you don't want lights on.

[bellesdad0417]

I on the other hand bought my house with a small in ground pool and after two years we had it torn out.

I was not having any of the fun you expect with a pool.

[enjoythemusic]

Am in a new-ish development and see many people add concrete pools. Cost is ~$50k easy, and usually 60k or more to install. As others mentioned, then add in those pesky ongoing costs, a raise in property value and the costs that involves.... Our community has two pools/clubhouses with separate hot tubs, we use those and saved a bundle :)

It's ye ol' cost-benefit ratio.

[Blansky]

I'd never want a pool but we use our hot tub at least 4-5 times a week.

My friends with pools had them installed for their kids, but 10 years or so later the kids are gone or no longer interested and the thing just sits there costing money.

[DonBateman]

Originally Posted by Blansky

I'd never want a pool but we use our hot tub at least 4-5 times a week.

My friends with pools had them installed for their kids, but 10 years or so later the kids are gone or no longer interested and the thing just sits there costing money.

Yeah I was actually thinking of a hot tub as a much cheaper useful alternative. I love hot tubs and could use it year round basically.

[piratfisk]

Originally Posted by DonBateman

Yeah I was actually thinking of a hot tub as a much cheaper useful alternative. I love hot tubs and could use it year round basically.

I'd like to be the first to warn you not to wear your YG Rolex in the hot tub. There was a whoooollllleee thing about it.

[DonBateman]

Originally Posted by piratfisk

I'd like to be the first to warn you not to wear your YG Rolex in the hot tub. There was a whoooollllleee thing about it.

I have been a post or 2 about that. I took my 114060 in a hot tub in FL a few months back.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by DonBateman

Yeah I was actually thinking of a hot tub as a much cheaper useful alternative. I love hot tubs and could use it year round basically.

Long time ago I was hired by a swimming pool company to go around to houses and photograph their pools (indoor and outdoor) and their yard setups that they'd installed and I always asked the homeowners if they used their pools much.

The common response was, "well we use the hot tub a lot and the kids used to use the pool until the novelty wore off".

That kind of sealed the deal for me. BUT I've never lived in really hot places.

[.brian.]

This guy was going to, until he got enrolled in the Jelly of the Month club.

[DonBateman]

Originally Posted by .brian.

This guy was going to, until he got enrolled in the Jelly of the Month club.

This always comes into my mind when I think about putting in a pool.

[swils8610]

Grew up with a gunite pool. Living in upstate NY it was basically a 90 day pool. It had a heater. Memorial to Labor Day. Never had any issue with the pool. Electric bill goes up, gas bill if you heat it. We had a robot type cleaner that ran randomly in the pool to clean it. Looks like hell the other 9 months of the year covered. They do not increase your homes value. In some cases it hurts. A few friends of mine found the perfect house they wanted. The houses had pools. Deal breaker for my friends. They did not want a pool. 50k to 60k to put in the pool. Then add the fence around it, landscaping and patio furniture. My wife wants to put one in...I can’t justify the cost for the limited use.


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[Fencer]

Cost roughly in the $40-60K range, depending upon the specifics. I would definitely do a concrete - with one caveat: it is bitch to demolish. We paid a lot of money to remove ours.

Maintenance splits into two parts: regular maintenance of good working pool in a few hundred bucks a year.

But what kills the joy is repairs. Ours started needing repairs after about 10 years, and then progressively more and more.

It also reduces the home value, at least in our part of the country.

[.brian.]

Does your homeowner's insurance go up as well?

[DonBateman]

Originally Posted by .brian.

Does your homeowner's insurance go up as well?

Yes, but not by much. My insurance agent said it would go up about $200 more per year.

[DJ TT 2002]

Put in our custom designed pool in 2008
Use it from early May thru the end of October most years
I heat it to about 90 and have a natural gas line running right into the heater.

Easily 100K on the initial build for the pool, concrete,decking,electric and wall/fence

Stainless steel plus gunite with a vinyl liner is the best construction in this part of the US.

My kids are in it now