The Teaster's Journal
Thirty years of building and looking after outdoor property in the Smoky Mountains, written down. Practical guidance on pools, stone, planting and grounds care — what we would tell you standing on the site.
Planning a pool in East Tennessee: what to sort out first
The decisions that shape a pool project before a shovel moves: access, slope, soil, sun, setbacks and how the pool will actually be used.
Read →How to choose a pool builder in East Tennessee
What actually separates pool builders in the Smoky Mountains: who holds the whole build, who has worked on slope and rock, licensing, and the questions to ask before you sign.
Read →Indoor or outdoor: choosing for a mountain property
The honest trade-offs between an indoor and an outdoor pool on a sloped, wooded East Tennessee lot — season, site, upkeep and what each one asks of the building.
Read →How to build a custom gunite pool in East Tennessee
The full path to a custom gunite pool in East Tennessee — why gunite suits mountain lots, how the site shapes the build, the construction sequence, and the design calls.
Read →Installing a pool on mountain terrain: access, soil and permits
The three site conditions that decide a mountain pool installation in East Tennessee — how equipment reaches the lot, what the soil and rock hold, and the permits a slope pulls in.
Read →Building a pool on a sloped lot
How mountain terrain changes a pool build: retaining structure, drainage, access and the design moves that turn a slope into the best part of the property.
Read →Gunite, vinyl liner or fiberglass: how to choose
An honest comparison of the three pool construction types — shape freedom, durability, maintenance and which suits a mountain site.
Read →What actually happens, week by week, when a pool is built
The real sequence of a gunite pool build, from layout and excavation through gunite, tile, decking, plaster and start-up — and where the waiting happens.
Read →Smoky Mountain cabin pools: building one on your rental property
What it takes to add a pool to a Smoky Mountain rental cabin: how it changes bookings, the year-round question, and the mountain-lot realities behind the build.
Read →Private pool cabins in the Smokies: design ideas for rental owners
How to design a private pool at a Smoky Mountain rental cabin so it books: the listing photo, privacy, the hot-tub pairing, and finishes built for turnover.
Read →Smoky Mountain cabin rentals with pools: how to stand out
How a pool actually helps a Smoky Mountain cabin rental stand out — the listing photo, the year-round angle, privacy and safety, and the build choices behind each.
Read →Putting a pool inside a cabin: what the building has to do
An indoor pool is a building problem before it is a pool problem. Structure, vapour control, ventilation and drainage decide whether the room lasts.
Read →Pool water chemistry without the guesswork
What to test, what the numbers should be, and why balance matters more than chlorine — a practical guide for gunite pool owners.
Read →Opening and closing a pool in East Tennessee
When to open and close a pool in the Smoky Mountain region, what each process involves, and the freeze-protection details that matter here.
Read →Pool maintenance in East Tennessee: a year-round guide
A year-round guide to keeping a pool healthy in East Tennessee — the seasonal rhythm, water chemistry, spring opening and fall closing, and the freeze-thaw winter risk.
Read →Running an indoor pool through a Tennessee winter
What changes when a pool is under a roof and in use in January: heating, dehumidification, air quality and a water chemistry routine that does not get a winter off.
Read →Saltwater vs. Chlorine Pools for East Tennessee Homes
Saltwater or chlorine for an East Tennessee pool? Compare upfront cost, upkeep, equipment life, and how mountain water and winters treat each.
Read →Choosing pool decking: travertine, pavers or concrete
How pool decking materials actually behave underfoot, in the sun and through a Tennessee winter — and how to choose between them.
Read →Why retaining walls fail here, and how to build one that does not
Drainage, base preparation and freeze-thaw: what actually makes a retaining wall last on East Tennessee terrain.
Read →Outdoor living hardscape design: patios, fire, and kitchens
How outdoor living hardscape is designed in East Tennessee — patios, fire features and kitchens as one connected system, built to the slope and to survive freeze-thaw.
Read →From bare dirt to finished design — before anyone breaks ground
A real case study from Smith Creek Reserve: how a graded dirt pad and a hand sketch became photoreal renderings, films and a walk-through model of the finished backyard — before any ground was broken.
Read →Best pool decking materials for East Tennessee
How to choose pool decking in East Tennessee — cool underfoot, slip-resistant, and built for freeze-thaw. Travertine, pavers, natural stone and concrete compared honestly.
Read →Natural stone patios for mountain homes: materials and ideas
How a natural stone patio is chosen and built for a Smoky Mountain property — flagstone and fieldstone, mortared or dry-laid, and the freeze-thaw base that makes it last.
Read →Outdoor kitchen design for Tennessee homes: what to include
How to design an outdoor kitchen that gets used in Tennessee — the layout, the utilities that are the hard part, weatherproof materials, and surviving a freeze-thaw winter.
Read →Pool Lighting Ideas for Mountain Homes and Cabins
Pool lighting ideas for mountain homes and cabins, from underwater shows to step lighting, edge glow, and landscape fixtures that suit sloped lots.
Read →Fire Features for Outdoor Living: Pits, Bowls, Fireplaces
Fire pits, fire bowls, and outdoor fireplaces shape a yard differently. Compare design, seating, fuel, and hardscape before you build.
Read →Pool Landscaping Ideas for East Tennessee Homes
Pool landscaping ideas for East Tennessee homes, from splash-tolerant plants and native shade trees to stone paths, focal features, and sloped-site fixes.
Read →Pool Safety and Drainage: A Practical Guide for Homeowners
Pool safety drainage covers two systems: the drain inside the pool and the drainage around it. Here is how both protect your investment.
Read →What does a pool actually cost here?
Almost nobody in this trade will answer that in public. We built a tool that does — pick your size, shape, depth and finishes and it returns a planning range for your build, with no phone call first.
Build yours and see the range