The next step in the construction of your new Everything-Backyard pool is the excavation; a messy, dirty, and exciting process. An excavation crew carefully digs and hand-trims your pool in precicely in accordance with every detail of your swimming pool’s design specifications. During excavation, wooden forms will be placed to guide the crew throughout the rest of the construction.

The excavation process usually takes a couple of days, depending on the soil conditions and weather.

The majority of dirt from the excavation process will be removed during the excavation. Generally, a portion of the excavated dirt will remain for use during other phases of the project. If you would like a portion of this dirt reserved for landscaping purposes or some other uses, just let us know where and how much you desire.

An Everything-Backyard superintendent will be out within 48 hours to inspect the excavation and install a temporary fence across your open access area. It is at this time that he will inform the coordinator to order plumbing, steel and electrical.

Next, the Everything-Backyard steel crew forms a rigid contoured grid of reinforcing steel to create the backbone of your swimming pool. You will see re-bar crossing one another for the utmost in reinforcement. Notice the tie wires at some intersections; they tie the steel together for form and strength.

Be advised, the steel may be sharp. Please be careful when inspecting the progress of your pool’s construction. You will note that there are block spacers under the steel. This helps to hold the steel above the soil, so the steel will end up being approximately in the middle of the gunite.

When steel is complete it will look like the steps are missing; Steps are formed at a later step.

Everything-Backyard Pools will contact the City for all necessary inspections at this point.

Your Everything-Backyard pool is now ready to be plumbed with high-grade NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) approved “Schedule 40” PVC pipe designed to prevent leaks or deterioration. All pipe connections are solidly bonded and the entire plumbing system is pressure tested.

As with every other stage of your new Everything-Backyard pool, the plumbing is done in accordance with your pool design specifications, to insure the plumbing meets Everything-Backyard’s rigid standards of quality and design.

In an earlier section you were given your pool’s blue print and plumbing schematics. If during the construction process you decide to make any changes, you will be given a new blue print and plumbing schematics to use as reference

After the plumbing is set, the pool is ready for the application of the shotcrete or gunite. Gunite is a mixture of sand, rock and cement that will be applied by an experienced Everything-Backyard trained technician. These technicians will skillfully shoot the gunite around your pool’s steel reinforcement grid.

After your gunite has been completed, we will need your assistance to allow the gunite to cure properly. You (or Everything-Backyard) will need to water your pool a minimum of three times a day during the daylight, from 7 am to 7 pm. You will need to do this for 5 days. Simply use your garden hose (without a nozzle) and wet the pool thoroughly, top to bottom. Don’t worry about the water collecting in the deep end of the pool. It’s normal and will be pumped out before we apply your pool’s interior finish.

TILE & COPING

The next step in the construction process is the installation of your waterline tile and coping. Your pool will get a high-glazed, weather resistant waterline tile that will be hand-laid and carefully grouted around the waterline of your pool by a skilled craftsperson. The coping will be hand-laid and grouted on the “Beam” (or wall top) by the same craftsmen that set the tile

Tile and coping should take several days to finish. Once the tile has set securely, you will have a durable, non-porous surface that will last for years.

If you have chosen to add picturesque rocks, a rock waterfall or other natural rock features, our professional rock installers will carefully place the decorative stones in precise accordance to your pool’s design specifications.

Once this process has been completed the decking crew will come in and start the forming of your deck.

DECKING

Spraydeck
For the Spraydeck process, a natural concrete base will be poured and will need a curing period of 2 to 7 days, depending on the time of the year. Then an acrylic coating will be applied. This process usually takes about a day.

Exposed Aggregate
For hand-seeded exposed aggregate, a natural concrete base will be poured. The concrete will be allowed to set for a couple of hours (depending upon temperature, wind etc.). After setting, the chosen aggregate will be applied by hand, allowed to set, then washed to bring out the colors of the aggregate.

Patterned Concrete
The process of “stamped” or patterned concrete creates a custom look similar to cobblestone, brick or flagstone. The process begins much like the spraydeck process, but then a selected color and pattern is applied to the concrete base.

Natural Stone or Paver Decks
For stone decks, a natural concrete base will be poured, and will cure for 2 to 7 days, depending on the weather. Then the selected stone will be laid and the grout installed. Paver decks are sometimes finished with a fine sand rather than grout between the pavers.

UTILITIES

Electrical
Using National Electric Code approved conduit, wire and bonding, our licensed professional electrical contractor carefully makes all of the electrical connections for your pool. The lights are installed, the pumps are wired and electrical breakers installed.

The electrical devices can usually be installed concurrently with other construction phases, and thus not hold up further construction.

Gas Lines/Propane Tank
If this is an option you have decided on, your city’s gas line/propane tank requirements and your individual lot size will determine whether your gas line or propane tank can be buried underground or must be above ground. If it can be buried, the trenches will be dug and the pipe will be laid at the time of the plumbing of your new pool. This pipe will have to be inspected by the city and the entire process takes 10 to 15 days. Do not be alarmed if the actual hookup of your gas or propane does not happen until your pool has been completed.

Having a gas line or propane tank installed can run concurrently with other construction phases and will not necessarily hold up further construction.

POOL AREA CLEANUP

Now is when the mess we made in your backyard will be professionally cleaned-up, and you can start to see just how beautiful your new Everything-Backyard pool is actually going to be! Be patient…it won’t be long now!

We will make sure that all of the tire tracks are filed in, that the wood and trash is hauled away, and that the ground in the pool’s construction area is raked out. We will also make sure everything that was disrupted in the construction process is put back in its proper place (with the exception of any planters, decorative rocks, sprinkler heads, etc.).

Soil will be brought in and spread around your pool and in the access area. If additional soil is requested, please, contact your superintendent for pricing of material, delivery and spreading of the additional soil.

The Clean-up process will only take one day and the next step of your pool’s construction will be the access close-up if applicable.

PRE-FINISH WALK-THROUGH

At this time, your Everything-Backyard superintendent will go over any problems, workmanship issues and/or corrections that need to be addressed. Your Everything-Backyard superintendent will make an appointment that is mutually convenient to list out these corrections. These issues will be addressed and completed prior to the interior finish being applied.

INTERIOR SURFACES

Now that your pool has had all phases completed, an experienced surfacing crew applies the pool interior surface that you have selected. Your interior finish will be installed in one or two steps, depending on the type of application you chose. Upon completion, you may begin filling the pool with water. Once the pool is full, it will require brushing twice a day for two weeks.

Proper chemical balance is required and is very important for proper maintenance of your pool. It is also recommended that a sample be taken to a qualified water analysis center once a week for the first several months to ensure a good start.