THe last day of May, Pristine Pools started building our pool. We had been working on plans for almost a year. Another company designed the pool and then we decided to have Pristine Pools build it. Luckily we did not have any rock in the ground when they started digging. Most of the hill country is on rock.





The crew that came in to do the rebar was not real nice. Lucky, our golden retreiver, came over our temperary fence and got inbetween Rebecca and the workers. She had the hair on her neck raised and was bearing her teeth. We have never seen Lucky that way. As soon as the workers got away from Rebecca, Lucky was back to her normal self.





The process of the rebar being installed is interesting. They heat the rebar to bend it and then they cut it with some type of saw. It took about 10 hours with a crew of 8 to get all the rebar done. They work hard and fast. They get paid by the piece of rebar not by the hour.






The guys showed up at 6:00 am to start the gunite. This was an amazing process. All of these guys have worked together for about 15 years. They each have a job and work together really well to get the job done. Even the "white guys" speak spanish very well. Mark enjoyed talking to them. He loves every chance he gets to use his spanish.









Gunite is the concrete mixture that is below the plaster in the pool. The gunite goes on top of the rebar and under the plaster. They form the steps and ridges with the gunite.














About half way through the process of guniting the pool, our well pump went out. We had to run a hose from the neighbors house over to ours so that the gunite people could finish the pool.









The gunite had to cure for about a week. We had to go out with a hose and sprinkler twice a day and water the gunite. This was so the concrete didn't dry to fast.


Then the plaster started. Once the plaster was done, we had to start filling the pool with water. We were in a drought so we couldn't just turn on the hose and let it go for 2-3 days. We had a friend with a water truck come and put 3 truck loads of water in.



















During the filling of the pool a big storm came. It hadn't rained in months and then the day we decide to fill the pool, it rains and had lightening and thunder. Of course, because we have Swensen luck, we got hit by lightening and it made the electricity go out, thus our well quick working and the water quit coming. You are not supposed to have the water stop filling for more than 5 minutes with the plaster is curing. This will cause a line in the plaster. The water was out for an hour and a half. Mark had just gotten the generator hooked up and the well turned back on when the electricy turned back on.






An interesting thing the guys did was wear spike shoes. They couldn't put their whole weight in one spot or it would push the plaster down. By wearing spike shoes, it distributed the weight and they could walk on the plaster without ruining it.












From painting the shape of the pool in the dirt to swimming in our pool, took 7 weeks. An amazing feet. Most pool companies take a minimum of 3 months. We are very pleased with our new backyard and have spent many hours playing in it.