Let's Build A Pool! Part 5: Tile & Coping

Let's Build A Pool!

Part 5:  Tile & Coping

After the utility stuff goes in, the tile and coping guys get started.  They actually started while some of the utility stuff was still going on.  The first thing they did was run the water line tile around in a perfectly level strip.  After they had finished, the boss came out and decided that the row was a fraction too high and had them remove it all and start again about a half inch lower.  I wouldn't have ever noticed, but I appreciate his attention to details.

Our original plans called for flagstone for the coping.  We decided to switch to travertine.  It's more expensive, and as one of the tile guys told me one day "a LOT harder and slower to work with", but I think it was the right choice.  You never know until it's all finished and together, but I like it so far.

Travertine wouldn't be so difficult to deal with if you had a square or rectangular pool, but we don't have a single straight line so every piece of thick stone has to be cut and shaped on multiple sides.

The dry spa area is especially tricky.  Since every edge that sticks out from any side has to be the bullnose edge, they have to really think about their pattern.

This part took them the longest.  The bar where the travertine and glass tiles meet had to be perfectly level.  They did a great job.  It's interesting to watch. The glass tile comes in these sheets, but you can't use it like that because nothing is square.  They basically cut each individual little one inch tile out and then place every single one where they want it.  They've been working out here for weeks on this, but it's easy to see why it takes so long when you watch them up close.  

Sammy Cat inspection!  She's very thorough.  I would call her quality control, except she's too easily distracted by just about anything.

  
The activity that seems to have brought the most excitement in the household was the installation of the stacked stone on the spa.  Everyone loves it.  I'm glad because I wasn't sure I had full support when we picked it out.

One afternoon a crew came and buried all the utility lines.  It cleaned the place up a lot and I'm guessing they're getting ready to start on the patios. 

So now that the tile and coping guys are basically finished, I have a suspicion that the stone work is next since this showed up in our driveway today.  We have something like 8 tons of rock in our pool.  I think these are for the waterfall, but we'll see.  To be continued.....