The wife wants a small, above ground pool. I don't want one for obvious reasons. I cited killing the grass, safety, ME doing upkeep, cost of ownership, etc. Anyone have first hand experience that would convince MY wife that we don't want a pool?
Is there such a thing as a cheap pool? Isn't that like cheap Porsche?
Her final discussion point last night was I don't NEED a racecar. The nerve 
Later, Bruce
Is there a local health club with an indoor pool that you could become members of? I love the convnience of going a couple miles down the road to swim any time of year, without having the expense and upkeep and liability of maintaining our own pool. 
If you have a pool, you have to be able to keep kids out of it or you could be sued if somebody drowns in it while you were away.
We have an above ground with a full surround deck. I like it. It's a bit of a PITA to prep it in the spring, but not too big a deal. I've had to replace the pump motor once and "unstick" it once. Had to rebuild the Polaris cleaner. Had to replace a few flex hoses because I'm too lazy to hard pipe it. All in all I've put maybe $150 / year into hard part maintenance. I'd guess we spend another $150 / year on chemicals.
Other than that' it's been pretty low on the "hassles of owning a house" scale. I'll pick pool maintenance over pressure washing the driveway any day.
My wife insists the kids would ONLY get in it when adults were around. My son is 7 and getting smarter by the day(and smart asser) and I could see him talking his buddies into it given the right circumstances. He's still a good kid.
We joined the local pool last year and it was ok. My wife would rather not wear a bikini in public if she can help it, I certainly don't mind. I think this is also being driven by me taking her tanning membership away, she was never going.
Thanks Dave, I'm sure my wife will love your response 
Dave does your electric bill go up? What was your initial buy in?
Anyone ever fabbed up a solar water heater yet, or looked into it?
I'm not talking about your kids, I'm talking about the neighborhood kids that will sneak in there when you are not home.
They are tacky looking without a surrounding deck IMHO, never big enough to do anything in, often cold... My friend has one, and he uses it about 3 times a year. I think that between the 6 people at the house, it is used 7 times the whole year. It is constantly leaking too.
Build a Patio and get a hottub
EastCoastMojo wrote: I'm not talking about your kids, I'm talking about the neighborhood kids that will sneak in there when you are not home.
Oh yeah, I forgot I used to do that. We'll have to get an outside dog to protect the pool now too.
mtn wrote: They are tacky looking without a surrounding deck IMHO, never big enough to do anything in, often cold... My friend has one, and he uses it about 3 times a year. I think that between the 6 people at the house, it is used 7 times the whole year. It is constantly leaking too. Build a Patio and get a hottub
Agreed. We're doing a new deck anyway once I get a french drain in and the cherry tree chopped down. The neighbor said I could have her hot tub if I wanted it. Maybe I'll just give them that and some floaty rings.
I hear that Margie is good at building patios. Might use a good, deep footer to make sure it can handle the load...
I have a 30,000 Gallon inground. lots of fun for the kids, but we spend about $75 in electric a month, $200+ in chemicals.
we're a popular house in the summertime
A pool is wonderful. Maintenance is very minimal and you'll appreciate every minute of it.
Grtechguy wrote: I have a 30,000 Gallon inground. lots of fun for the kids, but we spend about $75 in electric a month, $200+ in chemicals. we're a popular house in the summertime
Love inground pools. Lots of fun in the summer... above ground, notsomuch.
mistanfo wrote: I hear that Margie is good at building patios. Might use a good, deep footer to make sure it can handle the load...
I get the sneaking suspicion that I don't know all the details regarding Margie and her footers.
If I went inground I would have to build it partially into the elevation in our backyard. Decent amount of slope where it would need to go. It would be a major undertaking with the deck and all. My wife isn't so good at seeing ALL the details in a job.
Are you on a well? Do you have a septic field?
Nope, city water/sewer and the main runs out the front of the house.
EastCoastMojo wrote: I'm not talking about your kids, I'm talking about the neighborhood kids that will sneak in there when you are not home.
Seems to me an electric fence would be very effective when combined with a wet pool deck.
VWguyBruce wrote: If I went inground I would have to build it partially into the elevation in our backyard. Decent amount of slope where it would need to go. It would be a major undertaking with the deck and all. My wife isn't so good at seeing ALL the details in a job.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you don't have a relatively flat lawn, doesn't that rule out a pool? I know thats why we don't have an ice-rink in our back yard
With a pool you have to do the maintenence whether you use it or not.
With a boat you only do maintenence if you use it.
a.) There are ample bodies of water in your area.
b.) It's a FAMILY thing, picnics on a lonely beach, watching fireworks in your own space, no traffic jams.
c.) Kids learn navigation, rules of the road and meet & greet with new people.
d.) Fishing & crabbing.
e.) Kids don't need chlorine to learn how to swim.
You're welcome.
Dan
Last spring I installed an above ground pool at my ex's house (long story, but its for my kids). Got it free for the taking off of craigslist. I priced it out at about $5000 as it sits. Disassembly was rather easy, I had to but a new liner of course.(around $150). The house has a well, so I got the water from a pool water supplier ($200). I borrowed a skidsteer as I put it into a hill, which made the deck lower and imo more comfortable. To re erect it, I borrowed a transit to set 12 flat patio blocks in the pool sand I bought ($100). The blocks support the posts. Kids were in it every day last summer. Free pools are everywhere, and if you have a flat site, are very easy to erect.
A couple of points:
First: check your local codes. Some areas require a backyard with a pool to be fenced. This is the case in my township.
Second: What exactly do you plan to use the pool for? Actual swimming or just "cooling off" and lounging? The g/f's neighbor has one of those "glorified dog bowl" collasible pools. About 12' in diameter... maybe 3 feet deep... He fills it every Spring... takes it down in the Fall... Not big enough to swim in, but good for splashing about...
Watch Bad Boys 2 with her especially the part with the pool, if nothing else good for a laugh.
The house my grandparents live in use to have a pool before the previous owners filled it in. Their kid (under 10) decided to go swimming on his own one day and drowned. For me if I had a kid and a pool there would be a locked gate to get into the pool.
rebelgtp wrote: For me if I had a kid and a pool there would be a locked gate to get into the pool.
actually, that's the law. at least in Michigan.
must have a 6' fence. locked.
not only if YOU had a kid. there is a stupid law that if a neighborhood kid sees a pool, goes swimming, and drowns...or even injures himself, the owner of the pool is liable...AKA, YOU LOSE YOUR ASS!
something about unmitigated attractiveness or something...rule one with pools, put in a locking gate!
Sadly it is not here.
Now I'm also not saying that I'm anti pool. I remember this really cool one when my dad was in real estate where the pool was both indoor and outdoor and there was a glass wall you would swim under to go from one side to the other.
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