What's your water temp? I am right at 60 but hopefully the next few days will get it up.

I think you have motivated me into getting the patio furniture out of the attic. Think I will do it now.

Everytime I see your pool, I love it more and more. We back up to a wooded area like yours and I am wishing we would have done a zero edge.

My water temp is 66 - I've been checking every few days.

Do you have a heater Amy? We don't live that far from each other if I remember correctly.

I went ahead and got in the attic and got all the patio furniture down. No I just need some heat.

Yes we have a heater, but haven't used it. Mine had been hovering at 60 and then after those few days right around 80 it jumped. Also we heated the spa a few times and maybe that warmer water helped warm the pool too. I am in The Woodlands.

Oh, I was thinking you were in FTW. We are just now hitting low 70's so that's likely the difference. Supposed to get up in the high 70's low 80's this coming week.

Could you reserve a chair on the baja shelf for me? I think I'd like to spend Spring Break at your place!

Hands down one of the most amazing pools on this forum, and the family time you share with your family because of it is priceless. Enjoy!

paradigm....water temp was 62 today...the heat pump will be used heavily this coming week. We leave our furniture poolside all year round with covers for immediate access. The covers are 3 years old now and this will probably be the last year for them. They keep the furniture looking like new and worth every penny.

amy texas...Thanks for your kind words about our pool. Lagoon Pools of any variety look natural and inviting when near woods.

happymrsf....Thank you for the kind words about our pool. Those baja chairs are awesome...We like to turn on the bubblers and get a foot massage while relaxing in them. The family time was our primary motivation when we built the pool and those times have indeed been priceless.

All I can say is WOW. Looks like Disney...... With a back yard like that I will never want to leave the house :)

trhought,

I looked but could not find the build pics for your pool, perhaps they were lost in the last round of forum issues. Do you have them up on photobucket or somewhere else - I too am a great admirer of your pool and would like to download a few pics so I could plagarize your ideas for use at my own place.

brentr....Thanks for the compliments on our pool. Actually, Disney's Wilderness Lodge was one of the inspirations for our pool. That one and a few other Theme Parks and Resorts over the years. The hardest part was pulling things we liked all together into one design. Lots of sketches and revisions...We planned this pool for years before building. Coming home is one of the best moments in our vacations these days!

lbridges...Thank you for the kind words about our pool. There weren't any pics posted during construction but below is our original post when the pool was completed.

Hope this helps!

Here is a link that might be useful: Our Original Pool Post

If we ever vacation in NW Louisiana, we are staying at your place!!!!!!!

Quote: "Thank you for the kind words about our pool. There weren't any pics posted during construction but below is our original post when the pool was completed"

That's the link I was looking for. A couple of weeks ago I tried looking through all the online pages and somehow blew right past it, or I just suck at finding things - either way, thanks.

Paradigm....Thanks...the going admission is a pitcher of Margaritas! Another beautiful weekend here...although much cooler than last weekend. Since we've turned the heat pump off after spring break last weekend the water has cooled down to 68 degrees. We were still in the pool today after a long day outside with yard work....so refreshing!

lbridges....glad the link helped. This forum gave us so many ideas for building our pool....it's gratifying to give back.

Our yard is colorful with life again...what a tranformation in a few short weeks!

Yep, I was up to 72 but a cool past week has me back down to 68. I still get in everyday, felt good after doing the yard yesterday. I make a mean Anejo Marg so I may just show up at your place...lol...

paradigmdawg, we just put in a solar system and the pool temp has been 91 degrees for the last 3 weeks. I have a heat pump but I wanted to use it as a secondary source. You should look into this http://www.troublefreepool.com/new-solar-system-install-t19278.html

I would love to put in a solar system but it's a "no go" with the HOA.

HIYA TIM!!!! I haven't stopped by here in quite a while, good to see you're still posting, and your pool still looks awesome! I don't see the pirate ship in those pics, it didn't get hijacked did it? ;-) I went for the first swim of the year over the weekend, we've had the solar cover on for a few days and got the water up to 75. It was still a bit brisk for me but the kids love it. My 13 y.o. daughter and her friend went in last week when it was 68, no way could you drag me into that icewater! Water had made it up to 79 yesterday evening, with all the sun we're supposed to get this week it should be up in the 80's shortly. Last year was terrible for our landscaping, the Mexican Feather Grass had matured around the gazebo and looked awesome, but a really wet fall and grub worms wiped most of them out. It looks like the frigid winter we had did in the banana trees as well, the red one looked so good last year, it was about 15' tall and just beautiful. I hope it comes back, fingers are crossed. Other than the banana trees we've replaced all the other "victims" and mulched, I'll have to take a few pics for the forum since I haven't been here in so long!

paradigmdawg, that sucks. I think if the solar panels do not show from the road, who cares? The HOA should not be so restricitve especially if you are going green. Would they object if your were putting in solar for hot water or electricity generation? The state of Florida gives rebates for all of these including pool solar heating. I just sent off for mine.

I was going to be annoyed that you were flaunting your pool again, but then when I look at it, it just makes me happy, even if it's not mine! :) Thanks for posting, always love seeing pics of your pool...(you should post some of your pirate ship too, that may be my favorite part!)

Quote: "I would love to put in a solar system but it's a "no go" with the HOA."

What state are you in? Many states have passed laws that prevent HOA's from blocking solar devices from being installed (this includes solar water heating as well as solar panels for electrical generation). The laws typically allow some leeway for aesthetic concerns, but prevent outright banning. Check your state laws, many HOA's don't even realize their covenants conflict with state law on this, especially on this issue where new laws are being passed around the country. Your HOA is behind the times, they will either need to change the covenants on their own or state law will force them to change (if it hasn't already).

I am in Texas. My bakyard backs up to the main road which is the entrance to the neighborhood so everyone would see what ever is on my roof.

I am on the HOA board and I would disapprove of it myself for aesthetic reasons. (lol)

paradigm....Anejo margaritas sound great right now! Water temp is warming again with all the high 80's weather this week....69 degree water temp today but we haven't stopped swimming. Every night after school and on weekends we're swimming now.

Tres...great to hear from you again! It's been a long time! Sorry to hear about your landscape. I liked your grasses around the pool and that's probably the look we'll go with when we get around to landscaping...whenever that may be. We've been procrastinating big time on landscape since the pool has been completed. Your solar blanket is helping tremedously.....I wish we could do a solar blanket, but the negative edge poses a major obstacle for solar blankets I think. The pirate ship is still intact...we've kept the pirates at bay so far! How's your tiki project progressing..last I remember you just completed the outdoor tiki room and were building shelves in the hut...I think.

space man.....thanks for the kind words about our pool. Your pool turned out great...I'm partial to rock and boulders around the pool as you can tell! I could post a few pictures of the pirate ship but it really hasn't changed much since the pictures on my original post. Below is a link to that post.

Hope this helps!

Here is a link that might be useful: Pirate Ship Pictures

Quote: 'I am in Texas. My bakyard backs up to the main road which is the entrance to the neighborhood so everyone would see what ever is on my roof.
I am on the HOA board and I would disapprove of it myself for aesthetic reasons. (lol)'

I'm not sure if this law applies to solar water heating or not, but you might want to inform the HOA that Texas does have a law on the books that prevents you from disapproving of a solar and wind energy devices for aesthetic reasons. The law is HB 231. I linked to it below. You can ask for proposed devices to be placed in a less obstrusive location, but only if the function of the device is not impaired in any way. In other words, if the side of your roof that faces the street is the best location for a solar device due to sun angles, then the HOA cannot prevent you from placing the device there. We're entering a new age where HOA's are going to need to adapt to a changing visual landscape- solar panels and wind turbines are only going to continue to increase in number as finite energy sources deplete. I predict it won't be long until such things aren't even noticed, they'll be much like the zillion power poles we drive by every day, just part of the background.

Tim, I can't believe you're swimming in 69 degree water, I almost froze my noogies off when it was 75, LOL! I checked yesterday and it was up to 80, so it's getting into my territory now :-) I have not touched the tiki bar in the last year. I've got boxes of materials in the garage for it, just need to get'r'done! I think I posted pics after I finished the exterior of it didn't I? I've got that skull carving under the cantilevered pole and when I look at it (no kidding) I always think about you and your pirate ship :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Texas H.B. 201

Thanks tresw,

My pool hit 74 yesterday which feels just like 71 to me. I do a quick swim everyday after I get back from working out.

The nights are getting cooler over the next 5 days and the days are not supposed to get as warm so I will likely loose some tempture.

Oh well, it won't be long until I am trying to figure out how to make the water cooler.

Hey Guys...Water Temp is 72 today...feels a lot warmer than the 68 a few days ago. To me, 77 is the threshold of swimming comfortably without the feeling of having to warm-up!

I probably should have mentioned that most of our swims lately in cooler water temps have also been supplemented with soaks in the hot tub. Surprisingly, the shock going from the hot tub to the pool is not nearly as bad as the shock of just jumping into the pool.

paradigm...you're right...it won't be long and the swims will no longer be refreshing. For me, 82 degrees is about perfect and 85 degrees feels more like taking a bath without the sense of being refreshed when it's hot outside.

Have a great weekend!