jhmjr, Sorry for the delayed response. I actually made a completely different thread for the final product. Here are the pics and a youtube video for you: We opened up the Pool June 24th, and thouroughly enjoyed the pool the entire summer. East Coast Pool Concepts out of Manalapan NJ did an incredible job from start to finish. I would HIGHLY recommend them for anyone considering a pool in NJ/NY/PA area. I cannot say enough about the quality job these guys did, the attention to detail, and the follow up. Even after the job was done, and I finished my payments, they were still checking up with me and stopping by to make sure all was going well. They build a great pool, they are great to work with and they stand by their work. Here is a youtube video of our pool: Natural Style Pool CNJ by East Coast Pool Concepts Here are the completed pics of our pool: Here is the before pic:

Anchor Industries makes Anchor covers. As for who is good? I am. I only use Loop-Loc brand covers. You can PM me through the forum. Click on My Page and email. I love waterfalls! Hitting pool plumbing happens on occasion. Even to me. There is no way to know where or how deep the pipes are without have been the one to run the plumbing unless the homeowner point's it out to the tech measuring the pool. Normally, the plumbing is at least 18" below and run along the outside of the pool to the main plumbing trench. The pipes should only be 15" long though I often add a 2' piece of #5 rebar in the hole for extra strength. Undulations from wind can cause the pipes to rise. The rebar I add provides a substantial increase in holding power, especially if the pipes had lifted and a new snow load happens before they get tapped back down. Safety covers normally overlap the edge of the pool anywhere from 9" to 24", depending on the manufacturer and conditions around the pool. Add the length of the spring and strap, or in the case of an Anchor cover, the thick rubber strap that is usually found on them, to bring the anchor in pipe assembly well away from the pool and the plumbing. This makes hitting plumbing a very rare occurrence. It's not due to the installer's incompetence usually. I put the blame on the builder not setting the plumbing as deeply as it should be. Scott

What do you mean by not spelled out"? If you mean that he didn't itemize the dollars and cents cost of additional excavation, that's pretty standard since there's no way to really put a dollar sign on the cost unless and until they know the extent of rock/water. Our contract did say something to the effect that contract price did not include additional excavation fees d/t rock/water and that homeowner was responsible for any additional costs incurred -- which I think is a pretty standard clause. PB then told me a daily rate if additional excavation was req'd, and "worst case scenario" if we did hit rock. BTW, we did turn out to be worst-case scenario -- ended up spending about $20k over budget d/t rock and soil conditions, so be prepared!

VERY tastefully decorated. I love how they kept it up and kept things totally in the spirit and style of the home, not gunk it up with whatever finishes were in vogue today. This is the definition of classic and why you can't lose if you stick with the original logic of the home. Not saying you won't be updating, but don't try to make a house something its not. If you want a modern farmhouse, buy an old farmhouse and modernize it. If you want a classic MCM lake home, buy this!! I would definitely jump on this one! As a side note, I couldn't sleep the other night and I was perusing NJ beach houses just for something to do. Most were horrendously over-priced, and not one single one looked anywhere near as nice as this one. Most were ruined with too much expensive work and discordant finishes that did nothing to enhance the utility or pleasure of the home. In fact, some of those supposed summer cottages for the rich and famous looked horribly convoluted to live in. In my mind, a summer cottage should be minimally furnished with stuff you can hang out in wearing flip flops covered with sand and a somewhat wet bathing suit . . .