hotrodgary
06-05-2014, 06:04 PM
First off, I have no problems with the pool itself. It is beautiful . The process has been MADDENING !
The first thing we did was get 3 quotes. T & D told us that our pool would be a “fill in “ job. Now, who wants to be a “fill in “. Nobody. They also told us it wouldn’t get done until February 2014. So, we signed with another company on ___09-25-2013____ with no real date for completion. Bab mistake ! I'm quite sure in my mind T & D would have done a superior and stress free job. If I factor in the extra costs and the solar heat, the price difference was about $1500. Money well spent !!!!!!!!
We allowed 3 weeks for permitting. About right - -.
Up North, the utilities are placed within the “easement” .This goes back over 50 years to when the utilities were behind the house along the alley ways. In our case, the utilities ran right through the middle of the yard, so we had to see about getting them moved. We called SECO and arraigned a date for an estimate and paid the $476 to them on11-04. The next week, they sent a large “steam shovel” / front scoop from Ivy H. Green out to dig the lines up. It created deep ruts from the curb to the back. They also ripped the Comcast and Century Link cables. They hadn’t come out yet, so we were “without service” for 2 nights +. During the next 20 days, we called Comcast about 30 times trying to get their cable buried since this appeared to have put a stop to construction. We spoke to people in the Philippines 2X, Alabama 2X, Florida 2X, and Virginia and Michigan. We had to make appointments three times and waited patiently 3 days for them to show up and bury their cable. They never came.
During this time, I had 3 Queen Palm trees and two shrubs removed that may have been in the way of construction.
Did you think an easement was to allow construction equipment access to your back yard? Not really. It’s just for the utility companies period. When you allow both neighbors free access, you might hope for them to reciprocate, huh ? Think again - -.
Of course, both of my neighbors were uncooperative, so I asked that the contractors use the golf cart side . Well, they showed up when I wasn’t home, so my Buffalo neighbor told them to use the other side. When that neighbor returned from Long Island, he went ballistic practically frothing at the mouth . He threatened to call the Sheriff on me for “trespassing” ( The SECO job ) and I told him I thought he should do that !
Next, I had to get the lot lines surveyed ( $245 ) and strung a yellow string. We had a couple of weeks rain delay due to Mother Nature about now.
Due to the 4 ½ ’ drop off in the middle of the pool area, we needed a retaining wall , and since I wasn’t fond of the picket fencing, a secondary wall like a planter box. The contractors showed up with a smaller Bobcat / shovel and scraped the sod and dug the retaining wall footings placing the sod and dirt outward of their trench. We still had a pair of Crepe Myrtles in a rock island a couple of feet further out.
After the pool itself and the retaining wall were done, the Bobcat returned to fill the void between them and smooth the dirt somewhat. I was inside on the computer when ALL the power went off. I ran out and asked the Bobcat operator, “ What the Hell do you think you are doing ?” He replied, “ I don’t know - -” For some obscure reason, he dug a 4 ’ diameter hole 5’ deep about 6 ‘ away from the pool’s wall. He said, “I’ll fill it in” and proceeded to do just that. I hollered he should just quit since they would now have to dig all the torn wires up to repair them ! SHEESH !!
Next, he spread the excess dirt and sod from 3 feet from the retaining wall another 10-12 feet outward, burying one of my survey stakes, some of the capped irrigation lines and of course, the rock island and Crepe Myrtles were now 6” under the dirt. When the rains came, the eroded dirt was all the way into the golf cart path on the golf course.. He had also ripped several of the wires for my sprinkler system which had been shut off since late November. I had to remove 14 dead branches off my Pinto Palm in the front yard. By now, I wished that I could just call it off and rebuild at my expense !!!!
Around this time ( November) I had sold the sliding acrylic windows that were in our lanai for $350 and was told this would also reduce my final bill to the pool company the amount they felt this removal saved them . Ha ! Ha! NOT ! The next project was when they dug up lots of places they had just filled in order to complete the plumbing - - -?????????
I took the advise of the Sumter County inspector and our salesman and paid $1980 to have rebar put into our deck when it was poured. One man worked the 2 ½ - 3” dia. hose pumping the slurry while another smoothed it out. They both did a thorough job of smashing the rebar down to the dirt, so I guess that was a wasted effort. Next, the pump for this slurry died and they had to flush the hose and rinse the equipment out thoroughly before everything hardened. Where did all this mess go ? My front yard, and side yard. 6 feet X 40 of B B sized gravel I had to vacuum up. None of these sub contractors ever clean up their messes.
The first coat of painting our deck was done in the dark ( about 6 p.m. ) and finished after the start of a 3 hour downpour. The paint was all washed away. The last coat was also done in the dark using a small work light about 12” tall.
Finally The pool was done enough they started filling it with water on ____Jan. 28, 2014___ It took about 15 hours. The following day, the workers were back to drain ALL the water out. Someone hadn’t removed the shipping plugs from the drain. He’d also sort of done a job of damaging the screwed in fittings.
I asked about removing the mastic from the lanai carpet and completing this area to match and was quoted about $1900. After the rebar fiasco, I declined.
Now, let’s get down to the real bottom line:
There are several places on the papers you must sign if you wish to contract a pool being built, and there is wording that states that you , the owner, are responsible for removing shrubs, having the irrigation system reworked and made functional again, and any landscaping ( like those dirt messes ) and all sod work This is quite a mouthful. Next, the salesman says that when they are done, your house will look just as nice as it did before you started this project. I heard that same thing last Thursday from my superintendent. By Friday, both he and the salesman were saying that’s your problem - - !
If all construction companies really operated that way, nobody would hire them, so let’s get real - - -!!
It only logical that a project of this size will need to have sod and the irrigation system done to determine where new sprinkler heads need to be installed. I’m paying the man who’s company is doing my secondary safety wall to reconnect the sprinkler wiring . He still didn’t restore the bubbler for the Pindo palm like he said he would.. I also had to move the security wall in a foot since the resulting grade was too steep for sod. to root and be mowed.
It is really sad that I feel compelled to write anything. . The stress we went through is impossible to relate well. There were many nights we were ready to scream . In the long run, about 40% of our yard was completely trashed.
I am : Thoroughly Incensed,
If you want to see the results, we are at the tees for 8th hole of Truman golf course. The Lovell's @2733 Beckett Run
The first thing we did was get 3 quotes. T & D told us that our pool would be a “fill in “ job. Now, who wants to be a “fill in “. Nobody. They also told us it wouldn’t get done until February 2014. So, we signed with another company on ___09-25-2013____ with no real date for completion. Bab mistake ! I'm quite sure in my mind T & D would have done a superior and stress free job. If I factor in the extra costs and the solar heat, the price difference was about $1500. Money well spent !!!!!!!!
We allowed 3 weeks for permitting. About right - -.
Up North, the utilities are placed within the “easement” .This goes back over 50 years to when the utilities were behind the house along the alley ways. In our case, the utilities ran right through the middle of the yard, so we had to see about getting them moved. We called SECO and arraigned a date for an estimate and paid the $476 to them on11-04. The next week, they sent a large “steam shovel” / front scoop from Ivy H. Green out to dig the lines up. It created deep ruts from the curb to the back. They also ripped the Comcast and Century Link cables. They hadn’t come out yet, so we were “without service” for 2 nights +. During the next 20 days, we called Comcast about 30 times trying to get their cable buried since this appeared to have put a stop to construction. We spoke to people in the Philippines 2X, Alabama 2X, Florida 2X, and Virginia and Michigan. We had to make appointments three times and waited patiently 3 days for them to show up and bury their cable. They never came.
During this time, I had 3 Queen Palm trees and two shrubs removed that may have been in the way of construction.
Did you think an easement was to allow construction equipment access to your back yard? Not really. It’s just for the utility companies period. When you allow both neighbors free access, you might hope for them to reciprocate, huh ? Think again - -.
Of course, both of my neighbors were uncooperative, so I asked that the contractors use the golf cart side . Well, they showed up when I wasn’t home, so my Buffalo neighbor told them to use the other side. When that neighbor returned from Long Island, he went ballistic practically frothing at the mouth . He threatened to call the Sheriff on me for “trespassing” ( The SECO job ) and I told him I thought he should do that !
Next, I had to get the lot lines surveyed ( $245 ) and strung a yellow string. We had a couple of weeks rain delay due to Mother Nature about now.
Due to the 4 ½ ’ drop off in the middle of the pool area, we needed a retaining wall , and since I wasn’t fond of the picket fencing, a secondary wall like a planter box. The contractors showed up with a smaller Bobcat / shovel and scraped the sod and dug the retaining wall footings placing the sod and dirt outward of their trench. We still had a pair of Crepe Myrtles in a rock island a couple of feet further out.
After the pool itself and the retaining wall were done, the Bobcat returned to fill the void between them and smooth the dirt somewhat. I was inside on the computer when ALL the power went off. I ran out and asked the Bobcat operator, “ What the Hell do you think you are doing ?” He replied, “ I don’t know - -” For some obscure reason, he dug a 4 ’ diameter hole 5’ deep about 6 ‘ away from the pool’s wall. He said, “I’ll fill it in” and proceeded to do just that. I hollered he should just quit since they would now have to dig all the torn wires up to repair them ! SHEESH !!
Next, he spread the excess dirt and sod from 3 feet from the retaining wall another 10-12 feet outward, burying one of my survey stakes, some of the capped irrigation lines and of course, the rock island and Crepe Myrtles were now 6” under the dirt. When the rains came, the eroded dirt was all the way into the golf cart path on the golf course.. He had also ripped several of the wires for my sprinkler system which had been shut off since late November. I had to remove 14 dead branches off my Pinto Palm in the front yard. By now, I wished that I could just call it off and rebuild at my expense !!!!
Around this time ( November) I had sold the sliding acrylic windows that were in our lanai for $350 and was told this would also reduce my final bill to the pool company the amount they felt this removal saved them . Ha ! Ha! NOT ! The next project was when they dug up lots of places they had just filled in order to complete the plumbing - - -?????????
I took the advise of the Sumter County inspector and our salesman and paid $1980 to have rebar put into our deck when it was poured. One man worked the 2 ½ - 3” dia. hose pumping the slurry while another smoothed it out. They both did a thorough job of smashing the rebar down to the dirt, so I guess that was a wasted effort. Next, the pump for this slurry died and they had to flush the hose and rinse the equipment out thoroughly before everything hardened. Where did all this mess go ? My front yard, and side yard. 6 feet X 40 of B B sized gravel I had to vacuum up. None of these sub contractors ever clean up their messes.
The first coat of painting our deck was done in the dark ( about 6 p.m. ) and finished after the start of a 3 hour downpour. The paint was all washed away. The last coat was also done in the dark using a small work light about 12” tall.
Finally The pool was done enough they started filling it with water on ____Jan. 28, 2014___ It took about 15 hours. The following day, the workers were back to drain ALL the water out. Someone hadn’t removed the shipping plugs from the drain. He’d also sort of done a job of damaging the screwed in fittings.
I asked about removing the mastic from the lanai carpet and completing this area to match and was quoted about $1900. After the rebar fiasco, I declined.
Now, let’s get down to the real bottom line:
There are several places on the papers you must sign if you wish to contract a pool being built, and there is wording that states that you , the owner, are responsible for removing shrubs, having the irrigation system reworked and made functional again, and any landscaping ( like those dirt messes ) and all sod work This is quite a mouthful. Next, the salesman says that when they are done, your house will look just as nice as it did before you started this project. I heard that same thing last Thursday from my superintendent. By Friday, both he and the salesman were saying that’s your problem - - !
If all construction companies really operated that way, nobody would hire them, so let’s get real - - -!!
It only logical that a project of this size will need to have sod and the irrigation system done to determine where new sprinkler heads need to be installed. I’m paying the man who’s company is doing my secondary safety wall to reconnect the sprinkler wiring . He still didn’t restore the bubbler for the Pindo palm like he said he would.. I also had to move the security wall in a foot since the resulting grade was too steep for sod. to root and be mowed.
It is really sad that I feel compelled to write anything. . The stress we went through is impossible to relate well. There were many nights we were ready to scream . In the long run, about 40% of our yard was completely trashed.
I am : Thoroughly Incensed,
If you want to see the results, we are at the tees for 8th hole of Truman golf course. The Lovell's @2733 Beckett Run