In 2006 people that owned the property spend over $40,000 and build the shell – gunite pool, which was never completed.
In 2007 previous owner, who took property with incomplete construction condition decided not to continue with pool. Their Contractors made holes in the floor and walls for drain and filled in with dirt – made a landscaping.
20015 New Owners decided that they would like to bring back original plan – Pool in life:
- No access for large excavator, so after speaking with close to half dozen contractors team of workers agreed to dig out the pool by hand – after over a week of work – they realized not able to complete what they started, especially to consider huge rocks in there. They were only able to dig out spa area and one corner of the pool.
- We were able to bring from the side mini-Excavator and continue excavation.
- In the process of working, and removing such heavy rocks that were tilting the excavator such way that needed few people to stand on the back for weight balance. In process of moving one of the rocks to drop into the dumpster hydraulic hose of excavator broke off. We got the parts in a day or two, fixed it and worked continued shortly after.
- After few days of work pool started to open up, and we realized that not just hole for drain was made to the side or bottom but all walls were chopped off on the top all around roughly 1-2 foot from above leaving some rebar to rust and some cracks on the walls.
- 7 x 20yard containers of soil was excavated and removed from the property.
- What is there started to come out after close to 2 weeks of digging and excavating. All plumbing needs to be replaced, some cracks repaired, structurally re-enforced, some areas of floors opened up redone, entire top to be cut cleaned re-pin rebar, and more.
- Each hole had to be cleaned of soil and rocks, pressure tested, there were some mid drains or returns or clean outs or hydro pressure release locations – was not clear and none of the contractors could give clear answer. All had to be now dig out around outside to find the pipes test and understand what is good or bad and how was originally designed.
- Skimmers were completely gone – damaged – missing and only concrete blocks showing possible locations of such.
- Light niches were damaged, some holes pipes PVC was damaged and requires floor and walls to be opened for the repair and reinstall.
- Equipment was decided to be installed on the other end of the back rear yard- 100 feet away which meant more digging to open a deep and large channel to run all the pipes and conduits.
- Decided no blower or junction box to be installed next to pool to eliminate noise which meant complex conduits and tight runs of wires inside of the liquid tight conduits all away to the equipment pad along with check valves for blowers to be installed and pipes conduits for such to make a turn above water level next to the pool and then continue to the equipment pad to have double safety.
- Professional engineering help was received on how to pre old concrete walls, and rebar, repair cracks, bond old and new concrete and install water stop:
We had to cut the concrete and chip off every inch of the old contaminated concrete, multiple time brush the old rusted rebar, make new holes and add more rebar using commercial level epoxies, acid wash and itch multiple times, install RX101 water stop all around the connection which is used for underground tunnels, parking’s, complex pools and structures, spray complex high pressure epoxy bonding agent to bond old and new concrete and obtain special concrete mixture. Each procedure had its own complexity and time frame.
- All the sprinkler pipes had to be re-run and changed and or plugged.
- Spa all bottom floor and pipes were not good and had to be redone, jets and plumbing no good all damaged, had to be redone.
- Some pool and spa walls were hollow and or bleeding, had to be broken those areas and repair redone, using complex to waterproof crystallization and hydro cement along with epoxy bond procedures.
- Many weeks of work to prep the walls, cracks, redo plumbing and pour a concrete.
- 1800 feet of PVC pipes were ordered, over 500 fittings valves connectors and conduits, over 24 5 gallon buckets of epoxy bonding agents, hydro patch, Xypex concentrate, membrane waterproofing and cement crystallization was ordered – used.
- French drain all around pool and entire backyard was run and installed with 4 areas to drain out, pavers drain and pool manual drain as well as automatic pool back wash to the drain so no mess and no water was installed.
- Top of the line all automation and pool equipment was ordered and installed.
- Apparently concrete contractors made a bad job and walls were not even, not level, bow, spa not rounded and needed a lot of work to correct, grind and diamond cut.
- New Concrete now drying developed 2 cracks need repair and waterproofing.
- Almost all walls and tops and outside had to be shaped and repaired and waterproofed
- Granite for the spa spill needed to be ordered but was challenging as I wanted to be one piece and most pieces were 4” shorter, was not easy to find granite matching tiles and having blue pearl in them and to be one piece, but got it done. However it was 1 inch cut bigger and needed some shaving on site of the walls and stone was well as later on outside corners polished.
- Pavers work started and all the concrete 11 yards had to be carried in by hand – great pavers contractor team got it all done with smile on the face – good professional guys Umberto and Devitto Landscaping.
- Bullnose pool copping we wanted to be even pieces and I end up cutting each piece of the copping bullnose myself as none was able to do as desired.
- Install over 165,000 pieces of porcelain tile made in Japan
- Over 1500 sq. ft. of pavers, 1500 sq. ft. of tiles, rubber mulch, beach stones to bring back the backyard.