Mid-Winter Update
Our apologies for the lack of pool renovation updates over the last couple of months. Several factors contributed to the delay, some of which will appear below. Briefly, here is where we stand with the pool renovation:
- We identified issues with the quality of the plaster finish as the initial work wrapped up in late October.
- After extensive discussions with the plastering contractor, we drained the pool to polish the surface.
- Additional cracks appeared when the pool was drained. The result of the attempts to repair these cracks was deemed unsatisfactory. However, winter was quickly approaching…
- The pool was winterized and covered in late November. We are withholding a portion of the final payment in anticipation of work resuming this spring.
We maintain a good working relationship with the plastering contractor and have a high degree of confidence that all issues will be resolved this spring.
Time-Lapse Videos
Those following the YouTube channel may have noted an abrupt end to the updates after October 8th. Unfortunately, the plastering crew unplugged the temporary power tap for the camera to plug their equipment into on both days (despite the clear note indicating not to do so). Without this footage, all plans for a beginning-to-end time-lapse collapsed. It’s difficult to find words to express the level of disappointment this brought.
The final videos (for Days 20 through 24) can be found on the YouTube channel.
Photos
We took a lot of photos over the course of the project. Many can also be found in the prior project updates.
October 2nd
The photos below were taken on the morning of Sunday, October 2nd (following the video for Day 18). Water blasting had recently concluded, and some concrete patchwork had begun.
October 3rd
The crew arrived to clean debris out of the pool gutters.
October 5th
Tile work and patching.
October 10th
These photos were taken after the first day of plastering. Plastering occurred over the course of two days – Tuesday, October 10th, and Wednesday, October 11th.
Pool Lights
As mentioned in the prior update, the replacement of the pool lights was moved up to coincide with a drained pool. This project was completed successfully, and we believe members will be impressed by the results.
Miscellaneous
A few odds and ends, taken throughout the project:
Pool Surface Brushing
As mentioned in the original plan, 30 days of brushing the pool surface were necessary for the finish to cure properly. Big thanks to Jim (our manager) and members of the board that stepped up to ensure this happened twice daily. As it turns out, brushing was only half the job; an uncovered pool is tremendously effective at gathering fallen leaves. We had as many as four people skimming leaves and brushing at night.
Issues
Unfortunately, this was a challenging job, and it was not without difficulties.
- The initial finish quality did not meet our expectations. In the daylight, issues with the surface finish weren’t immediately apparent – but under the lights, B&G noted significant imperfections.
- Prior to beginning the job, our references warned us to look for debris in the main drains. Accordingly, we monitored this closely and hired a company to run a camera in the drain line. Additional efforts were made by the plastering contractor and B&G to ensure the drains were cleaned out as much as possible.
- Our pool gutter grates were already in moderately poor condition. Unfortunately, additional grates were damaged during the renovation. We have several possible avenues for the replacement of these grates that are being investigated.
Winterizing
We didn’t close up the facility for winter until November 22nd. This normally happens the week of Labor Day. Our original plan (when the project started), was to close up shortly after Halloween.
Our building and systems are set up strictly for seasonal use. This became problematic in mid-November when we hit a cold snap. Temperatures the weekend of November 20th dipped into the mid-teens. We can withstand a day or with low temperatures near freezing unscathed, but a hard freeze is another matter.
To prepare for the freeze, B&G performed a modest amount of winterizing in advance of the cold weather. This involved opening drain valves, removing drain plugs, and ensuring water had cleared all pipes to the best of our ability (short of the air blow-out that the pool contractor would later perform). We added anti-freeze to the sink and toilet drain traps. The mini-split unit in the snack shack was turned on to heat, and space heaters and fans were set up to circulate warm air as much as possible.
When the pool contractor arrived on November 22nd, they confirmed that we did a good job winterizing with a couple of exceptions. A valve in the pump house cracked, and the water supply line to the south slide froze. The former has a replacement cost of less than $100. The extent of damage to the water supply line (if any) will not be known until the spring.
