Hi all, In about a year's time I'll (probably) be buying my first house. I grew up in an old (1779) house in New England, and I have thus had a certain amount of experience repairing the house and building DIY-type stuff. I've been turning over various ideas in my mind for my future house, and since it will be in a warm climate (North Carolina), I figured a pool might add a nice touch to the thing. Professionally-built in-ground pools seem to cost quite a chunk of change, and I'm always in the mood to save, and to build stuff myself. So here's my idea. I dig a hole in the ground, approximately the size and shape of the desired pool. Then I build a plywood frame that's a bit smaller than the hole, and that is the size and shape of the desired pool, and then I pour concrete between the frame and the ground, reinforce it, and let it set. Then I seal the concrete, and boom! A pool. First, has anyone done such a thing? While I'm sure this isn't the most efficient way for a professional pool-building crew, all this can be done with stuff from the Home Depot. Also, does anyone have anything thoughts on how to seal it? Or would concrete (if it's thick enough) hold water well enough for the summer? Of course, I'd need some sort of cover over the concrete, because concrete wouldn't be that comfortable. It seems that crystalline waterproofing could do the job ([url]http://www.toolbase.org/techinv/techDetails.aspx?technologyID=165[/url]). Thoughts? Feedback? Has anyone else built their own pool using other methods?

I am buying a house that has a pool. In the bottom are a couple of spots where the plaster is beginning to flake. I would guess these total about 75 square inches total. Depth of the flaking appears to be approximately 1/4 inch. There are also some thin, shallow oval depessions on the steps. I am not sure of the pools age. My question is.......what are the consequences of ignoring these for a year or two? How fast will the plaster deteriorate at this point? Is patching these spots a reasonable alternative or should I look at replastering the whole pool? Money is tight, but I don't want to be "penny wise....and a dollar short"! Any help on this would be greatly appreciated! Thank you, WrkHrdPlaHrdr