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Recommendations for Pool contractors ... for building, not maintenance


JustCurious

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I'm looking for recommendations for contractors, from Guadalajara or lakeside, who have experience (and references) for building a lap pool using the 'salt' system.  Building the pool and hooking up the plumbing, etc. which also is to be used with a solar system.  Thanks for any information, especially if it is someone from Guadalajara .....

 

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While this Board may seem like a hotbed of lakesiders, it's really not.  What are the chances that, in every group of 100 people, you are going to find someone who a: has had a lap pool built here, and b: would recommend the contractor? Pretty slim, I'd say. Not only that, four hours since your posting is not a very long time.

Look, right beside me, they've been building a house with a pool since May of last year, and the pool still isn't finished. And I know the guy, but I would never recommend him after watching alll the major mistakes he's made during this ridiculously long process. (In fact, if I could, I'd have him locked up for pi**ing off his neighbours with a year and a half of noise pollution.

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16 minutes ago, vista lake said:

You can find many contractor for pool construction, I have one how make a renovation in my pool, he make everithyng new and take 2 months, whit all sistem, ligths, solar panels and equipment, honest person and quality wprk, if you want the contact send me a PM, grettis!

I'm willing to talk to anyone ... see other work they have done and check their references.  Sometimes that works, just sometimes.  But I have to start somewhere.  Most of what I know about lakeside 'successes' with contractors is like the charming experience of Computer Guy.  It is life here!

Thanks for your reference ....

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I have found it always pays to either have a lot of personal knowledge about things plumbing and electrical or have someone with same watch those aspects of any and all construction here closely.  For example, with pools it is very important to locate skimmers properly and have an effective opening for them.  I have seen numerous pools here where the skimmer is improperly mounted, too high or too low and with its opening right at the surface of the tile without a flared transition.  Return pipes should have nozzles and be placed to push water towards the main drain and skimmer.  Make sure nothing lighter than Schedule 40 plastic is used, thin wall is definitely a no no.  Skimmers and bottom drains should be plumbed separately and that piping needs to be properly bedded.

Pumps should be wired for 230v not 110 and the wiring gauge #12.  Now there are very bright low power consumption LED pool lights that are 12 or 24v, no need for those power hog 120v incandescent lights.  

Similar attention needs to be paid to the structure.  Footings and reinforcement are vital

 

 

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An overflow pipe, usually also within the skimmer area, is also a good idea if you can. Also a direct fill from your water line so you just have to turn a knob to get water into the pool. Ours used water that had already gone through whole house purification system. Hoses can develop crud on the insides and are a much slower way to fill if necessary.

I have attached a picture of our pool construction on the coast. Please note which way the bricks are laid... and REBAR... lots and lots of interlocking rebar. Then parged, then tiled.

 

Picture c.jpg

DSCF0081.JPG

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3 minutes ago, JustCurious said:

what a beautiful setting you have!!  thanks for the photos.

S.

Did have. We started building the house, the pool and the retaining wall on October 1st of 2004 and moved in at the end of February 2005... all done except for the landscaping. Our contractor was excellent and his guys knew how to work.  We sold it in March of 2011.

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One thing to pay attention to is that they are using the correct cement for the pool tiles. Pegavenicianos it's called. A competent pool contractor should be aware of this, but I've seen so many pools with the tiles popped off. Sometimes they'll use the correct cement, but then use white cement as grout, which is totally wrong. When they press the tiles into the tile cement, there should be enough on there that it squishes up between the tiles and becomes the grout as well. Sometimes they have to add a bit more if it's not level with the surface of the tile.  

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 9/15/2018 at 3:34 PM, sue said:

Gustavo  333-157-3048  He built my pool  it is great He has an excellent reputation

Any other comments on Gustavo?  Other people to interview?

I want someone who knows how to use the better synthetic materials like epoxy grout and flexible mortar additives.  Sika is sold here in Mexico and they have a full material system for preparing walls, cementing tiles and grouting with no stain and flexible epoxy grout.  I'm looking for someone with this expertise.

 

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