Here are the essential specs:

25 x 37 freeform shotcrete pool
660 sq ft of water area
3'6" to 6' deep
2 - IntelliBrite LED lights
2 - skimmers
3 - return lines tee'd to 6 jets (4 wall, 2 floor)
1 - dedicated cleaner in-wall return
2" plumbing all around
Dual main drains with VGBA compliant covers
Stub out for future water feature
Integral steps, two benches, a loveseat
Deck-mounted rail at steps
Bluestone coping
6" x 6" waterline tile
Pentair Clean & Clear Plus 420 filter
Pentair VS-3050 pump
Pentair EasyTouch Contoller and SWG
Pentair Legend Platinum Cleaner w/ Booster Pump
Five 120v lighting/outlet rough-ins around area
Conduit for low voltage (cable, phone, network) installed to house
1/2" water line installed to house

Overall Plan:

Pool Detail (hand-drawn adds):

Breaking Ground (destroying some nice lawn):

Nearly Complete Shape:

Looking Toward the Shallow End:

Deep end toward house showing grade cut:

Inside looking toward the shallow end:

Shots of steel and plumbing to be posted later tonight.

Scott

View from Deep End Across:

Bench Detail:

Skimmer Detail:

Middle:

Equipment and Main Trench:

Main Drain and Floor Returns:

Trench Detail:

Future Water Feature:

View from Shallow End:

Work on Shallow End Wall:

Building the Sun Bench:

Completed Stairs:

Completed Sun Bench:

Completed Left Side:

Completed Right Side:

Work on Shallow End Wall:

Building the Sun Bench:

Completed Stairs:

Completed Sun Bench:

Completed Left Side:

Completed Right Side:

Trench back up to the house. We had the electrician place a separate conduit for low voltage cable (two Cat5e and two RG6):

Pentair EasyTouch Controller Panel:

Trench Along the Side. We had 5 120v light positions pulled around the pool for post lamps.

And a bit of wetting down the gunite:

Depending on how the winter goes (how cold it is), we'll get the fence installed and prepare for deck, coping, plaster and pool house in the spring. I also have to finish one more part of our basement so we'll have a full bath down there for convenience. Since I properly permit everything I do myself, I need to leave a couple of months for that over the winter, too. Very busy.

Here are some shots of the retaining wall.

Will the outdoor lighting be controlled with the Easy Touch ?

Looks like a very high quality job! Looking forward to seeing the deck, coping and pool finish in the Spring.

Scott

The wall sits on 6 - 8" bed of compacted crusher run over fabric over virgin soil. Our landscape contractor also put in 2 - 2.5 feet of compacted 3/4 stone behind the wall, and he used geogrid for the runs at or slightly over 3 feet from base stone. (Other contractors we talked to were offering more like 1 foot of stone behind the wall, and no geogrid.) He compacted in layers as manufacturers require, but too many contractors ignore. French drain is down there, too.

The 120v outdoor lighting will be controlled by a separate system (basic timer), but we are looking to have the low voltage controlled by EasyTouch, including a couple of the Intellibrite Color Changing LED Landscape lights that came out recently.

Where our stairs will be in the wall:

Long view of the wall:

Wall detail (amazing how stone-like it looks in the snow!):

And the pool itself:

Deck grading, stone, steel and forms will be installed Thursday. Should be inspected Friday with the pour next week. We really wanted a paver deck, but the budget simply will not allow for that at the moment.

Aztec Cobalt 2x2 (from NPT website):

Coping just after installation:

Detail:

Detail:

Thanks
Larry

My hubby is just cutting all of the coping and once the sealer cures, we can get it on. Looks like you are also ready for plaster - what did you decide to go with?

On the plaster front, we always knew we couldn't afford PebbleSheen or PebbleTec...such a huge cost. We were looking at DiamondBrite, but are now thinking just plain old white plaster. We'd like to put the money into a nice pool house and other amenities that improve the out-of-water entertainment as well.

My advice on the the white plaster...you will regret it. I have built 2 pools. The first we saved on the budget by putting in white plaster; hated it. It seemed like every little thing that fell into the pool left a stain on the white plaster. After living with this for a few months I sure wished I would have splurged for an upgraded plaster.

My second pool, didn't think twice; automatic decision of pebbletec. Love it, love it, love it.

Any suggestions on coloring methods, additives, etc? Obviously, we want to ensure that it's a quality job all around.

Concrete guys are here today placing forms and steel. I'll post pictures later. Very impressive crew.

Yes, I agree completely! Ours is quartz plaster and it does have some swirling in it, I actually like it! Really you can't see it anyway, unless the pump isn't running and there's no wind (IE, surface like glass).

On the two colors you're considering, if possible see if you can look at filled pools done in the same color. The colors look quite different once the pool is filled, it's hard to tell when looking at samples what you're going to end up with.

Walkway from house:

View back toward house:

View of what will be the adjacent grassy play area:

Looking from about where the pool house will be:

Deep end:

Far side:

We went with plain brushed concrete for deck...1280 sq feet of it which is about double what we originally intended. We were aiming for pavers originally, but were 1) concerned about how busy that might make things look with the texture of our tiles, coping and the wall and 2) frankly, are watching the budget carefully. At any rate, the concrete guys did an excellent job and the deck looks great. It is plain, yes, but our conclusion is that it fades into the background and allows the natural stone of the coping matched to the tile to stand out.

On the plaster, based on advice received here and after talking with our builder, we went with a light blue-gray color additive to the plaster. We want a fairly natural look so swirls and such are no problem for us. Plaster was installed yesterday and the result is.....GREAT. It is PERFECT. We love it.

Pictures of both of the above to come shortly.

Deck from stairs:

Deck on far side, showing three of the post lamps:

Deck from far side, looking back toward steps and wall:

The water quality of the trucked water is great, so we ran the Intellibrites last now...just beautiful. We'll get some nighttime pictures in the next few days.

Plaster from the stairs:

Plaster from far side looking back toward stairs:

Plaster from deep end:

Plaster looking from shallow toward deep:

I know you were a DIY like us, did you clean out the pool for the plaster or did your plaster company do it? Nice job!

@zuggy, Ellicott City is probably 40 miles from here on the other side of Baltimore, so it is in the general neighborhood. We're northeast, they are southwest of Baltimore.

View as you approach:

View across the surface with lights on white:

View looking back toward stairs:

View from deep end, lights on white:

View from deep end, lights on blue:

Scott

Did you ever finish the cabana? Your drawing at the top of this thread looks somewhat like what I am trying to design... an open area with roof and closed areas for bathroom and pool supplies. I'd love to see some pictures of how it worked out if you built it.

Overall view:

Front:

Interior In-Progress:

Ceiling In-Progress:

Floor tile:

Changing room pebble tile:

Kitchen window with 8" sill:

Changing room window:

Looking back toward the front door and changing room:

Exterior with trim painted: