HOW LONG DID YOUR POOL MAKEOVER REALLY TAKE?
I totally get what you mean about the “demo day high” followed by the “now what?” slump. Ours was supposed to be a six-week job, but it stretched closer to three months. Here’s how it played out for us, step-by-step:
1. Demo and dig: Fast and furious for about four days. Then…crickets. The crew vanished for almost two weeks because of “equipment issues.”
2. Plumbing and electrical: This part was actually smooth, but only because I called every other day to check in.
3. Tile and coping: Picking tile took us forever too—my partner and I couldn’t agree on anything. Once we finally decided, the supplier was out of stock. Cue another week of waiting.
4. Plaster and fill: By this point, I was just happy to see water in the pool, even if it was green at first.
Honestly, I expected some delays, but the no-shows were the worst. If I could do it again, I’d ask for a more detailed schedule up front and maybe stock up on patience (and snacks). It’s wild how picking grout color starts to feel like a major milestone...
HOW LONG DID YOUR POOL MAKEOVER REALLY TAKE?
That “demo day high” is so real—then suddenly you’re staring at a giant hole for weeks, right? When I redid my own pool, the timeline got away from us, too. I thought my background in design would help keep things on track, but nope. The tile selection took way longer than expected (who knew there were so many shades of blue?), and the weather didn’t help either. My advice: build in extra time for those little decisions that seem minor but end up taking forever. And yeah, snacks definitely help when you’re waiting for someone to show up...
You nailed it with the “demo day high”—it’s like a shot of espresso, then suddenly you’re in a construction hangover staring at mud. I always tell folks: picking tile is like falling into a rabbit hole. You think you want “blue,” then you’re debating between “ocean mist” and “midnight lagoon” for three days. Weather delays are the cherry on top. Honestly, if you finished in under three months, you’re basically a legend.
Totally get what you mean about the tile rabbit hole—it’s wild how many shades of “blue” exist once you start looking. I’ve seen clients agonize over grout color for a week, too. Sometimes I wonder if it’s even possible to finish in three months unless you’ve got zero rain and make every decision on the spot. Did you run into any surprise issues with the pool shape or plumbing? That always seems to add a week or two in my experience.
Sometimes I wonder if it’s even possible to finish in three months unless you’ve got zero rain and make every decision on the spot.
Three months? That sounds like a fantasy novel to me. I went into our pool makeover thinking, “We’re just swapping out some tile, maybe a new pump… how bad could it be?” Well, let’s just say my backyard looked like a construction zone for the better part of a semester. The number of blue tile samples that ended up on my kitchen counter was honestly impressive—I started rating them like wine: “This one has a hint of Mediterranean sadness, while this other blue is more ‘regret after vacation.’”
And grout color... I thought that would be the easy part. My spouse and I debated between “cloud white” and “arctic fog” for days before realizing they looked exactly the same when wet. At some point, you just have to close your eyes and pick one, or you’ll be living with a mud pit until next summer.
As for surprise issues, the pool shape didn’t throw us (thankfully), but plumbing was another story. We discovered our old pipes were basically fossilized. The crew had to dig up more than planned, which meant extra time and—of course—extra dollars. If you’re working with an older pool, budget a little extra for “unexpected archeological finds” under the deck.
Rain delays are real too. One good storm and suddenly everything’s pushed back a week. If you’re trying to keep costs down, my advice is to make as many decisions as possible before anyone picks up a sledgehammer. Otherwise, you’ll end up impulse-buying “Caribbean Mist” tiles at 2am because you’re tired of looking at samples.
In the end, our three-month plan took almost five. Not terrible, but not what we’d hoped either. Would I do it again? Maybe after I recover from all the grout-related stress...