We Have A New Swimming Hole

This picture was taken many years ago, I don't know when, 10 years ago or maybe more.

For at least 20 years, while our boys were growing up,

we used this pool every day during the summer.

It's a big pool 20 x 42, 

awesome for a family of four that hosted lots of parties

had a lot of company, it was a great hangout for the neighborhood kids.

About five years ago, maybe more, we stopped opening it.

It was a lot of work, it was costly to open/close and maintain,

and we found we were not using it that much.

When we did go for a "swim", it was more like a "scrub".

Scrub the steps, scrub the liner at the water line, 

fill the chlorinator, empty the skimmers and 

push the "automatic" vacuum around because it never seemed to work right.

After that, it was time to clean the patio furniture,

which was usually covered with leaves and cobwebs.

You get where I'm going...

it was $ 500.00 to open, $ 500.00 to close and probably more then that to maintain it,

with just the cost of the electric and chlorine.

Taking all that into consideration, 

the hubs figured it was costing us at least $ 100.00 per swim and we weren't even swimming.

So it stayed closed and we were happy.

But the cover starting ripping and the weeds started growing through the holes.

There had to be at least 10 or 12 rips in the cover and the weeds began to look like trees.

All the brick pavers around the pool were uneven and had weeds growing out of the cracks.

We though about filling it in but for several reasons, we decided against that.

Our only choice was to replace everything...

Here's how it looked on May 2nd...everything gone, including the filter.

here is how it looks today, better, but far from done.
I really like the new liner.

We went with stamped concrete this time and I love like how it looks.
They still have to apply two final coats on top of this, an antique tint and sealer,
then the ladders can go back in.

Also, still to be done, is a small retaining wall/edge that goes around the perimeter.

Here's a picture tutorial on how they stamp the concrete...

All of the concrete had to be wheeled from the front yard to the back yard.
I kind of LOVED the wheelbarrows all lined up!

They use those mats to make the pattern in the concrete, it's fascinating.
They were so organized and so methodical, you could tell this was not their first rodeo.