I'm starting this in the Green Room, but will move it to the Ash Can if it degrades or anyone complains. Even though this is obviously an energy consumption issue, I'm asking for primarily personal reasons. Please read on.
My house is on a hill. The hill seems to be moving. The patio slabs are spreading and the deck supports are splaying. I think I may need a retaining wall, or more. So while I'm mentally and emotionally flailing myself down into the depths of permits, contractors of unknown skill and other things, denied insurance claims (moving earth damage? I may be the only person in Missouri with earthquake insurance since I moved here from San Francisco.
), disruption of an otherwise peaceful life, and writing big checks (whew), Mrs. Mo Heat piles on and suggests that this might be a good time to consolidate those headaches with the installation of a swimming pool. Uhhhh, thanks Mrs. Mo! Great suggestion!? Where did I put the Mylanta? ;(
Some of my cost questions for current and previous pool owners are:
How much does a swimming pool really cost? Chlorinator, pump(s), pump house(?), plumbing, water heater, slip-proof apron edging, etc., etc., etc.
Here are some of the expenses I've thought up off the top of my head.
How much for the pool itself? We're probably looking at a smallish elongated type that would run horizontal to the back patio. We envision it a bit wider than a lap pool, but long enough to do some laps, but only about 3.5 - 4 feet deep.
Then there's the pavestone or concrete work.
Land movement and the already mentioned retaining wall that will likely be needed in any event.
A general contractor, architect, or some sort of knowledgeable landscape or hydraulic engineer that understands ALL the aspects of putting a lot more dirt next to the house. My main sewer line will be further buried, along with about 4 or 5 black corrugated plastic pipe diverter tubes that discharge the roof downspout water below the main grade below the fill the house sits upon.
Cost of extra water.
Cost of energy to heat extra water (thus, the green room post ).
Cost of pool supplies. Chemical, vacuum, filters, poles, gadgets, etc. Anybody have a ballpark figure? Say, per month, or per year?
Increased homeowners' insurance premiums.
Property tax increase on top of the 28% that occurred last week.
A new fence that meets neighborhood standards (likely one of those black metal ones) to prevent neighborhood kids from drowning in my attractive nuisance (legal term for swimming pool). 4x danger of death on property compared to keeping guns in the house. Possibility of someone drowning, and if a non-family member, the cost of a big lawsuit, win or lose. But I guess insurance is supposed to cover that, but it would be horrible if my next door neighbor's children, times 3, who are very precocious, might be injured or worse, one day when Mo was off on an extended and relaxing vacation in Florida... or something.
Additional mosquito abatement so we can use it in the summer. Although my current Mosquito Magnet Liberty might be enough if I changed the Octenol attractant cartridge as often as suggested.
Beefy pool drain to get pool water down the hill and out of the yard to prevent horrible erosion of the fragile, ridge-side topsoil (as my city charter calls it), or chlorine contamination of the soil, when the pool is drained. How often do you have to drain a pool? Ever? Man, that's a lot of water! If so, I guess all that water just goes down the hill and into my mostly dry creek bed. Does that chlorine or bromine (or the newest fad, salt!) damage the ecosystem much?
Additional maintenance time needed for Mo to tend the pool, since he won't trust most people to do things right and hates strangers wandering around in his yard.
And perhaps most important of all, and maybe enough to justify this being on hearthnet (hehehe), lost real estate that would otherwise be used for processing firewood.
So, that was long, but let me finish with one single question for you existing and previous pool owners. I ask this because a friend of mine with a pool once said to me, "Never again. Too much money and hassle!" Short and sweet from the one homeowner who volunteered that information many years back. Anyway, my final question if you don't feel like detailing your expenses from the bullets above:
If you have owned, or currently own, a swimming pool, is the joy equal to the expense and hassle? Would you do it again? Any big expenses I missed?
If a pool is to be installed, who should do it, and how many pro's should be involved to assure the house is on stable ground and well drained, the plumbing doesn't get screwed up, the pool won't move and crack the apron stone work or the pool itself, and all the things I'm probably not thinking about? Do I need a general contractor, an architect, a landscape engineer, a hydrologist, an ecologist (hehehe), or who else?
(Please, don't copy this entire post into yours... )
My house is on a hill. The hill seems to be moving. The patio slabs are spreading and the deck supports are splaying. I think I may need a retaining wall, or more. So while I'm mentally and emotionally flailing myself down into the depths of permits, contractors of unknown skill and other things, denied insurance claims (moving earth damage? I may be the only person in Missouri with earthquake insurance since I moved here from San Francisco.
), disruption of an otherwise peaceful life, and writing big checks (whew), Mrs. Mo Heat piles on and suggests that this might be a good time to consolidate those headaches with the installation of a swimming pool. Uhhhh, thanks Mrs. Mo! Great suggestion!? Where did I put the Mylanta? ;(Some of my cost questions for current and previous pool owners are:
How much does a swimming pool really cost? Chlorinator, pump(s), pump house(?), plumbing, water heater, slip-proof apron edging, etc., etc., etc.
Here are some of the expenses I've thought up off the top of my head.
How much for the pool itself? We're probably looking at a smallish elongated type that would run horizontal to the back patio. We envision it a bit wider than a lap pool, but long enough to do some laps, but only about 3.5 - 4 feet deep.
Then there's the pavestone or concrete work.
Land movement and the already mentioned retaining wall that will likely be needed in any event.
A general contractor, architect, or some sort of knowledgeable landscape or hydraulic engineer that understands ALL the aspects of putting a lot more dirt next to the house. My main sewer line will be further buried, along with about 4 or 5 black corrugated plastic pipe diverter tubes that discharge the roof downspout water below the main grade below the fill the house sits upon.
Cost of extra water.
Cost of energy to heat extra water (thus, the green room post
).Cost of pool supplies. Chemical, vacuum, filters, poles, gadgets, etc. Anybody have a ballpark figure? Say, per month, or per year?
Increased homeowners' insurance premiums.
Property tax increase on top of the 28% that occurred last week.
A new fence that meets neighborhood standards (likely one of those black metal ones) to prevent neighborhood kids from drowning in my attractive nuisance (legal term for swimming pool). 4x danger of death on property compared to keeping guns in the house. Possibility of someone drowning, and if a non-family member, the cost of a big lawsuit, win or lose. But I guess insurance is supposed to cover that, but it would be horrible if my next door neighbor's children, times 3, who are very precocious, might be injured or worse, one day when Mo was off on an extended and relaxing vacation in Florida... or something.
Additional mosquito abatement so we can use it in the summer. Although my current Mosquito Magnet Liberty might be enough if I changed the Octenol attractant cartridge as often as suggested.
Beefy pool drain to get pool water down the hill and out of the yard to prevent horrible erosion of the fragile, ridge-side topsoil (as my city charter calls it), or chlorine contamination of the soil, when the pool is drained. How often do you have to drain a pool? Ever? Man, that's a lot of water! If so, I guess all that water just goes down the hill and into my mostly dry creek bed. Does that chlorine or bromine (or the newest fad, salt!) damage the ecosystem much?
Additional maintenance time needed for Mo to tend the pool, since he won't trust most people to do things right and hates strangers wandering around in his yard.
And perhaps most important of all, and maybe enough to justify this being on hearthnet (hehehe), lost real estate that would otherwise be used for processing firewood.
So, that was long, but let me finish with one single question for you existing and previous pool owners. I ask this because a friend of mine with a pool once said to me, "Never again. Too much money and hassle!" Short and sweet from the one homeowner who volunteered that information many years back. Anyway, my final question if you don't feel like detailing your expenses from the bullets above:
If you have owned, or currently own, a swimming pool, is the joy equal to the expense and hassle? Would you do it again? Any big expenses I missed?
If a pool is to be installed, who should do it, and how many pro's should be involved to assure the house is on stable ground and well drained, the plumbing doesn't get screwed up, the pool won't move and crack the apron stone work or the pool itself, and all the things I'm probably not thinking about? Do I need a general contractor, an architect, a landscape engineer, a hydrologist, an ecologist (hehehe), or who else?
(Please, don't copy this entire post into yours...
)
