Three Days in One

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. That would be 27-30 October, 2016. Ok. So I lied. Four days. Here's what's been happening around Casa Winjama.

Crack Ready For Patch

First off, this is a crack in the concrete patio that we've had virtually since the problems with the pool began. Endher has just finished pressure washing it. A little later on, you'll see the results of the patch job.

Concrete and Beam About Done

The scaffolding extends the whole length of the pool. The guys are almost done plastering the columns and the beam.

One thing that's happened, is that the metal beams spanning the pool were, unfortunately, not properly prepared no painted. We have flecks of blue paint all over the ground. The metal guy is supposed to be coming back Monday to refinish them. What that is going to entail is removing all the old paint from the beams, probably with a pressure washer, then it's a three-step process to finish them. Each beam has to be painted with Ospho.

Ospho is a product, that when applied to rusted surfaces resists and retards rust. Ospho drys to a tough, hard surface that gives 'tooth' which makes it ready for priming. Common knowledge incorrectly says that you can't paint over galvanized metal surfaces. Ospho allows you to do exactly that. I did it with the previous galvanized framework that held our awning. It held up very well, even in our light salt environment, for the seven or eight years that we had the framework and awning up. I used two coats of Ospho, two of metal primer, and two of metal enamel

With proper application of Ospho, primer, and top coat, a paint job will last much longer because subsequent paint coatings securely attach so that moisture and oxygen do not attack the painted metal. Ospho is water-thin, covers a larger area than paint, and goes on easily. It is equally effective for exterior and interior work alike.

Overhead View Smoothing Pool Walls

Here's a strange view. I shot this looking straight down as Erwin was chipping at a concrete patch to smooth it down for finishing inside the pool. The wall of the pool is at the bottom of the photo.

Plumbing Almost Finished

The plumbing is almost done. About all that remains is to hook up the ½ Hp pump for the waterfall. This is a very clean and professional looking installation.

The Rest of the Valving

Here's the additional valving to complete the connection. I think the valves control the spa jets, waterfall, and inlet eyes for the pool itself, but don't quote me on that. I'll have to work with Bani to make sure everything is labeled as to its function.

½ Hp Waterfall Pump

I rode with Bruce and Colleen Saturday to Belize City. Bruce had an appointment with Dr. Hoy to check up on his cataract surgery, so I tagged along to keep Colleen company as she drove. I also wanted to stop at Pumps and Motors on the Northern Highway for a ½ Hp pump to use for our waterfall.

Turns out they were too expensive and they didn't have exactly what I wanted anyway. I was all set to kick back and relax while Bruce did the eye doctor thing. Colleen asked if I wanted to stop at Bennie's for a pump. Good idea. So that's where we went, and surprise, surprise, they had exactly what I wanted for just a hair more than I had planned to spend. I brought this one home. Hopefully, it will get installed in the next day or two.

Bela Showing the New Patch

I mentioned the patch job on the patio earlier. Well, here it is, with Bela showing how much she likes it. Very nice job, even matched up the 'mortar' lines in the concrete. After a month or two, it will fade enough that you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between it and the surrounding red of the patio.

Pump House Porch Light

This is our new small porch light for the pump house. Complete with a separate electric eye to control it. Both work like a charm.

Pump House Motion Detector

We also have up in the roof overhang a motion detector light. I didn't know that spot was there when I told Bani that I wanted a porch light installed. If he had said that there was already an overhead light, I probably wouldn't have asked for the porch light. But they both seem to work well with each other, so no problem.

Pump House Interior Light

The last bit of lighting for the pool house is the inside light way up in the ceiling. I opted for an industrial safety-look fixture. Works well.

Floor Drain Under Tape

Before the floor for the pump house was cast, Endher said he was going to install a floor drain for the pump house, just in case. And after it was cast, you couldn't see any sign of it, till he flexed the tape covering and popped of some of the concrete poured over it. This will be cleaned up and it's going to look and work great.

Bruce's Appt. With Dr. Hoy

I mentioned riding with Bruce and Colleen to Dr. Hoy's. Here's a shot of them both going over calendars with Dr. Hoy. He's a very nice, caring man and an excellent eye doctor and surgeon as well. He did my cataract surgery too. You can read all about that on the blog at (http://www.winjama.net/search/label/Dr.%20David%20Hoy%20MD).

The Hour Bar and Grill

After we finished at Dr. Hoy's, it was time for lunch. We stopped at the Bowen family's newest restaurant, the Hour. Lunch was good, the draft Belikin was good too, but I think I still prefer the Riverside Tavern. Something about the ambiance of a pub, or at least an American idea of a pub, at any rate.

Pig on the Hour

The Hour has at least three or four gigantic BBQ pits, made from some sort of industrial tanks. Along with the BBQ pits, they have two or three large smokers as well.

The pig you see here, came just a short time ago from one of their BBQ pits.

Pool Project - A Week at a Pop - 09/15/2016 - 09/21/2016

Well, this edition of the 'Week at a Pop' postings will be the last of that. Hopefully, I can get to a daily  (mas o menos) schedule of postings that cover the latest on the project, but also what other stuff we're dealing with. Kind of like I used to do before Dianna's accident. I'd sort of mostly stay on a topic for that day, and on Sundays (or whatever day seemed appropriate) I'd do a 'grab-bag' edition of all the loose ends and pieces.

So, anyway, here's the next update:

Pump House Footing Almost Done

The pump house footing is coming along. It's designed to be about six inches above the patio floor level, so there will not be a drop-down step just outside the pump house.

Broken Spa Jet Pipe

One of the things we had problems with almost continually, was the spa jets just never seemed to work right. Part of the problem was found. Although separated now, it was just a cracked pipe when it was in the ground, supplying water to the jets. Plus it was undersized. Now the jets will have proper amount of water coming to them, so we should have good 'bubbleation' in the spa.

Drain Pipe For Filter Backwash

This pipe is the outfall for the filter backwash. it's connected to a pipe I buried a long time ago that started with the French drain (below) and also fed from the floor drains just outside the pump house and over by the patio table.

Part of Old Deck French Drain

Here's a corner of the French drain. It ran pretty much under the whole deck, keeping that area relatively free of excess rain water. It's not going to be used now, but we're leaving it in place, just because it's easier than trying to pull it up.

Pump House Floor Being Cast

A real sign of progress. The pump house floor has steel in it and the pour has begun. You can also see some of the piping that is coming into the pump house.

Pump House Floor Almost Done

The pour is almost done. I forgot to mention, there will be a floor drain in the near corner of the pump house (you can see it, covered with duct tape). It's tied directly to the backwash drain.

Pour Completed

Pump house floor is done. After it cures Endher will punch through so the floor drain in the near corner will once again show up.

Spa Jet Piping  Was Redone

The spa piping just looks so much more official now. No more inch-and-a-quarter stuff, it's all two inch piping. Should be a much better spa experience this time around.

Skimmer and Piping

Lots of real business-looking piping heading into the pump house now. I can't wait to see it in action.

Nice Looking Pipe Installation

Just a little better view of the piping and the pump house floor.

Lining Column Holes With Rock

Here's one of six or seven column footing holes being prepared. That's a piece of the French drain in the back. First they're lined with rock to allow the water from the underground stream to do it's thing.

Then Small Gravel

After a couple feet of rock are placed, then about six inches of small, hard gravel is laid on.

Then the Rebar

Then comes the rebar, base and column. Each of the columns will be braced with tying wire till the pour is completed.

And Then Many Buckets of Concrete

And finally, many buckets of concrete anchor it all in the hole. After that will come the actual casting of the columns themselves. The blue metal framework you see in the background once held our fabric awning up. It's coming out. Seems a shame, but it served its purpose and did a good job.