What to Expect when Building your Pool!
Building a pool can be overwhelming. The key is having a contractor with whom you can communicate and feel comfortable. The process from beginning to end can take 12-16 weeks on most pools, depending on size and details. When you work with us, we take you step by step through the project. We are here to answer questions and help guide you through all the decisions of customization and making sure your backyard entertainment investments are exactly what you want and need.
Project Design and Approval
Designing your backyard vacay should be THE BEST part! Often homeowners will have a hard time designing their pool and backyard and rely on the designer. Often, the design process is separate from the builder. Desert Island Pools offers free designs and keeps all work in-house.
Estimating
Once you’ve designed your pool and you are satisfied with your design, we will estimate the project for you.
Permitting and Engineering
Here comes the fun part! We will pull all your engineering and permits necessary to start the process!
Layout
Once we have the permit we have our layout team come and set the yard for excavation!
Excavation
Forms are set! Digging the pool is usually homeowners favorite part! Excavating is a loud and messy step but is unavoidable. Because we live in Arizona, the dig can sometimes be the hardest step due to “hard digs”, meaning caliche or rock. If you have a hard dig, we will work with you and keep you in the loop of options and solutions.
Plumbing & Equipment
Plumbing involves all suction and return line installation. “Stubbing up” for steel. The lines will all be capped until the final phase of the build.
Electrical & Gas
Permitting will require an inspection usually at this phase. The complexity of this phase is dependent on size and location of your equipment from the electrical panel and where the gas feed line will be located in terms of where the heater is located.
Structural Steel/Rebar
The pool starts to take form in this phase. This process is usually a simple turn around.
Shotcrete/Gunite
Is usually the lengthiest phase for 2 reasons; 1) Getting on a concrete truck schedule is based off availability, sometimes there are delays. 2) There’s a 7-10 day curing process that needs to happen – we usually try to tile after a few days of the pool curing as to not loose time on the project
Tile/Coping
One of our favorite parts – the pool is almost there! Don’t worry we are here to help you pick materials – we will bring them to your house or we will visit distributors with you to help with any questions!
Decking
Options include; Concrete Pavers, Travertine, Limestone, Marble, Artistic Pavers, Concrete w/ acrylic lace (kool deck) customer choice in paint, Concrete – polished or staind. etc
Pre Interior Clean up
We clean up the pool and all the mess – get it ready for Interior
Pool Interior/Pebble
The shoot will take 4-6+ hours, depending on the size, from start to finish
Acid Wash & Fill
We come back 24-48 hours and we will acid wash, power wash & polish the interior; preparing it to fill — IMPORTANT never turn off the hose will filling. You may turn it down but never OFF! This can cause a hydro-stain during this process
Finalizing Permit
Call for final inspections! Things to know for the homeowner; you will need to follow all safety requirements – depending on your zoning, regulations can be different city to city!
Curing Process
Curing Process takes roughly 30 days. No Salt, no in floor heads, no inline vacuums, robotics or hand vac’ing. PH must be kept between 7-7.6 per NPC., brushing is a must, backwashing and filtering, keeping a low chlorine level during this time is essential as well. Can you swim? YES!
Come take a DIP with us! We will walk you through the entire process; making it the easiest and best investment decision you’ve ever made! Phoenix, Arizona and Valley wide!