It has been several weeks since any work was done on our pool, and fear of the hole caving in has been a real threat with all the rain we had in April.
Luckily, we had only minor repair work and the pool held up really well during several severe thunderstorms. The pandemic has caused delays and closings to so many companies worldwide, the pool industry has been affected as well.
If you have been following along on my blog and Instagram stories, you know that we are building a gunite pool. Gunite is a pre-mixed dry material, when mixed with water forms a hard surface, similar to cement. One of the companies that installs or sprays the concrete, closed for many weeks, causing a massive backup.
In a future blog post, I’ll discuss the different types of pools available to help you best decide which one may be right for your home. I am getting so many questions from you all about our pool project, I’m happy to see so many of you interested in building your own pool! Check out this post for things to think about before you start the process.
With a typical gunite pool build, the excavation work is the first piece of the project, then framing the pool and laying gravel comes next , and then once the rebar is installed, the concrete is sprayed very soon afterwards. Our gunite was shot four weeks after the rebar was installed.
Spraying a Swimming Pool with Gunite
When the day arrived that we were scheduled to have our gunite sprayed, multiple trucks arrived at our home bright and early by 6am, followed by a doorbell ring at 6:30am. As I scrambled to get dressed and answer the door, a second ring. The workmen were wondering if I needed to get out of the garage, since they would be blocking the driveway all day. I told them, I would be home and not to worry.
Then I noticed everyone standing around for over an hour. As I found out later, they were trying to figure out how to get their trucks up our driveway! A common problem here we have encountered many times 😬
The process began around 7:30am. A long hose was brought into the pool that sprays the gunite mix onto the walls and floor of the spa and pool.
A couple small adjustments were made to the spa before the gunite was applied.
The cement trucks were lined up in the driveway. One by one they left to refill their trucks as each was emptied. The pool is quite large and took multiple truck loads to complete the job.
Luckily, the day was sunny and beautiful, with no rain in the forecast.
The spraying was a slow process, as the cement has to be several inches thick.
Slowly, the rebar frame is covered with the gunite mix.
The team of five guys work together to get the job done.
I was told, typically the team is seven men, but because of the shortage of staff due to the pandemic, this job was completed with five men.
The steps, on the sides of the far end of the pool, are formed and smoothed out.
The block near the top of the pool is for the spillover of water from the spa. Not necessary, just an added design feature.
The mix is coming out rather slowly it seems, as the workers are waiting to smooth the surface.
Once the deep end was done, the job proceeded more quickly.
A tarp was put up to protect the existing patio from concrete. I was happy to see this extra precautionary step.
Almost finished. A view from our bedroom deck.
Voila!! It’s 6pm and the job is complete. The cement is still wet and will have to cure for three weeks. During this time, plumbing work will continue and then the coping and wall tiles will be installed. Should be swimming in June? 🤞 Not sure. I’ve asked several times for a completion date, still waiting for a response.🤷♀️
Stay tuned, more to come.
Denise
XO
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Wow!!! Denise, I still see a lot of big rocks that you could still do a beautiful rock garden way in the back!!! As if you don’t have enough on your plate. Enjoying following even though we won’t be adding a pool even though the grandkids think we should. I will just enjoy watching yours progress. Good luck!!
Hi Donna , you are welcome to our rocks if you’re interested in a rock garden☺️ Don’t think I’m up for that project right now but it is a great idea!
Yaay – it looks great Denise – I bet you’re all thrilled to have it actually look like a pool! 🙂 What are the vertical pipes down the middle? I’m fascinated! Thanks for the update!
Hi Barbara, the pipes are for drain holes. So happy that you are so interested in the process? Maybe there is a pool in your future 😉
..and suddenly it looks like a pool!! 👍 (Bet you are glad this phase is done.)
Hi Cindy, I certainly am!! So happy to have you here following along.
I am enjoying seeing progress of any kind these days..makes me feel better about life going forward–people dreaming and planning and building..it’s wonderful and hopeful for the future. We have a new car wash being built in our town. Normally I’d be like “really? Did we REALLY need that??” These days I’m all YAY!! SOMEONE IS BUILDING A CAR WASH! Community investment..people working..clean cars in town ..happy swimmers in your pool..socially distanced pool parties..HAHA- I love it all!! 👍😃
I completely agree Cindy. Getting back to normal will be a long slow process but we will get there. I look forward to the future too 🙂
Esp the future in your beautiful new back yard oasis.. 🌴 I bet you can almost feel that cold glass of ice tea (or whatever else 😉) in your hand– HAHA!🍹🍷
Almost!! Even though it still feels far away when I look at the backyard and what still needs to be done. Hopefully it will go faster than I think 🤞