Ways To Turn Your Pool Area Into A Backyard Oasis
October 21, 2021, 10:07 pm227 Views
Installing a pool is a great way to cool off on a hot day. The pool is also an excellent place for family and friends to gather for fun and make memories.
Now that your pool is installed, you can start setting up the area around the pool to make it functional, aesthetically pleasing, and a place you want to spend your time.
There are a few tips on what you should follow to make your pool area an outdoor oasis.
1. Create a Decorative PatioWhen you and your family sit by the pool, you dont want to sit on the grass. Not only can this feel uncomfortable, but it wont give your pool area the outdoor oasis feel you are looking for.
You can have stamped concrete and pavers installed around the pool area. Make sure the area is large enough to fit chairs around the pool easily.
You can also create a larger patio section at the top of the pool, which will provide room for a table and chairs.
2. Check Your Pool FenceIt is best to surround your pool with a fence to prevent small children and animals from falling into the pool. In many communities, a pool fence is required by law. You can also reduce your homeowners insurance premiums when you install a fence around your pool.
If you want your pool area to feel like a luxury resort, you should check your pool fence and choose a fence material that will fit with your vision.
When choosing your furniture, make sure everything matches and fits with your pool area theme.
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Dont Be Afraid To Shock A Cloudy Pool
On the topic of chemicals, dont be afraid to shock your pool when necessary. While that may seem like a process only fit for public pools. But, think about how your pool water looks after you throw a big party. Odds are its murkier than it was the day before the big bash. That murkiness? Its bacteria that youll want to get rid of as soon as possible.Shocking refers to drastically raising the chlorine levels for a short period of time to kill bacteria. Its done by diluting three to five times the normal amount of chlorine or other chemical sanitizer with water, slowly poring it into the pools return line, letting it filter throughout the pool, and then slowly refilling the pool with water over time.While shocking too often would risk damage to your pools siding, you should aim to shock the pool at least twice every season.
Pros Of Starting A Pool Cleaning Business
There are a lot of advantages to working with pools. These are some of the main reasons you should consider it.
- Working Outdoors It is nice to be outdoors, especially in the summer. Operating a pool cleaning business means you rarely have to spend your time in front of a desk when the sun is out.
- Choose Your Own Hours When youre self-employed, you can set your own schedule and pick your pool cleaning hours at times that work for you.
- Good Excercise Cleaning a pool is a lot of manual work. a job like this can really help you stay in shape.
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Run The Filter For 24 Hours
With all of your good chemicals in and bad gunk out, you actually get to relax a bit while allowing your filter to do its job circulating and filtering your pool water.
Run the filter for a solid 24 hours to make sure everything gets cleaned up, sucked out, and thoroughly stirred before retesting the water.
Keep an eye on things and skim out any debris that might have fallen in. After the 24-hour mark, go ahead and retest the water. If everything is where it needs to be, grab your swimsuit and towel. Its time to relax!
Remove The Pool Cover
This part is easier said than done. Pool covers can be pretty cumbersome. To get an extra set of hands, you can always bribe a friend with a pool party invitation.
Spread the cover out nice and wide somewhere flat where you can see the whole thing. Most of us arent blessed with a pool-cover-sized garage, so the front yard is probably going to be your best bet. This isnt a flag, so theres no penalty if you drop it on the ground.
Give your pool cover the old looky-loo and see if itll last another season. If its worn or torn beyond hope, then the good news is you get to skip the next step. The bad news is, youll need to pick up a new one before the swimming season ends.
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What Do You Need To Only Clean Pools
If all you want to do is run a pool cleaning business and not overall maintenance then there arent as many regulations. If youre servicing private pools and not public, all you have to do is keep it clean.
However, it will be more difficult to find customers without providing a high standard of service. If a company that is more knowledgable and certified is operating at the same price, an unqualified pool cleaning business might not stand much of a chance.
While you will be able to clean pools, youll be unqualified to undertake the more serious maintenance work that pools needs.
Top 10 Pool Opening Tips
Spring opening is one of the most exciting times of the year for any pool owner. After months of cold, snow, and ice, the weather is starting to warm up for pool season! Even though the sun is shining and the water is warm, the pool isnt quite ready for swimmers, yet. There are some necessary steps every pool owner must take in order to have a clean and safe pool that is ready to handle a long summer season. Leslie’s is here to help with 10 tips on how to open your pool.
Before starting the pool opening process, we recommend having all the chemicals you will need on hand. Save this list as a quick and easy reference guide for opening pools in all climates.
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Have A Pro Test Your Water
Biscornet recommends having the water professionally tested. Take a water sample to a swimming pool store, Biscornet says, and they’ll test the water for you, usually for free . “It’s a good idea because they’ll do a complete test,” he says. “They’ll test the mineral content of the water, along with the total alkalinity and the pH and the chlorine levels.” They’ll tell you which needs to be adjusted and by how much.
You should also pickup your own DIY pool chemistry testing strips. Just dip the strips in the pool water and then hold them up to the color chart on the bottle. This is an easy way to measure the chlorine and PH on a regular basis.
Get Your Pump Running
After youve got everything ready, let your pool pump run for at least 24 hours. Vacuum out any debris that appears. Retest your pool water, and if the results are where you want them to be, grab your swimsuit and jump in!
Understanding how to open an above ground pool makes jumpstarting your pool season a lot easier. As youre going through the opening steps, take a little time to create a pool maintenance schedule to keep things running smoothly all season.
Just be sure to make some time to enjoy all your hard work. Or whats a pool for?
Happy Swimming!
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How To Start Up A Saltwater Swimming Pool
So you’re feeling salty, huh? It’s actually a good thing! Salt pools offer a ton of benefits including less time spent on maintenance and more time enjoying your pool. Unlike traditional chlorine, salt pools are gentle on eyes, skin, and clothes. They can be harsh on some equipment though so make sure you follow these steps when starting up or converting to a salt pool!
*As with any product, always refer to your salt chlorinator’s owner manual for detailed instructions specific to your model and brand.
PRO TIP: Regardless of the type of pool you own the water does not need to be drained, even when converting a chlorine pool to salt pool. This is especially true if you have a vinyl liner pool. We cover the only time you should drain your vinyl pool here.
Create A Maintenance Schedule
As you learn more about your pool and how to care for it, your to-do list might start to seem a little intimidating. Creating a pool maintenance schedule makes it easy to stay organized and make sure important tasks dont slip through the cracks.
Not only will you be able to stay on top of basic upkeep, but youll be able to plan ahead for more advanced pool maintenance tasks like closing your pool, caring for it during the off season, or getting your swimming pool ready to roll when pool season returns.
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How To Build Skills And Get Certified
As a pool service professional, youll obviously need to know how to clean and service swimming pools. One of the best programs available is the Certified Pool/Spa Operator Certification Program by the National Swimming Pool Foundation. You can also look into Certified Service Professional certification from the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals. In certain states, such as Florida, the health department requires open-book testing to become certified to clean public and health-club pools, spas, and hot tubs.
Investing in your professional growth and education helps to keep your pool cleaning service growing, but also allows you to offer additional services, such as pool maintenance, to increase your income. Continually make investments in your education to give yourself an edge against the competition.
Because many of the pool cleaning chemicals on the market today are hazardous to your health, its worth learning about environmentally-friendly alternatives. Some customers may not want to rely on the harshness of chlorine, and having something thats just as effective available for them can set your business apart from others in the area.
Measure Water Chemistry At Home With Test Strips Or A Test Kit
The easiest and quickest way to test your water at home is to use test strips or a test kit. It’s important to test your water chemistry before adding any chemicals, because this will help you know exactly what’s needed and how much chemical to add. To start with, test for total alkalinity, pH, chlorine, calcium hardness, and stabilizer levels.
Pool chemistry can get way out of balance over the winter, and will need to return to safe levels before swimming. Whether opening the pool or maintaining water chemistry, safe and proper chemical levels for standard chlorine pool water are as follows:
- Total Alkalinity : 80 to 120 ppm
- pH: 7.4 to 7.6
- Free Available Chlorine : 2.0 to 4.0 ppm
- Calcium Hardness : 200 to 400 ppm
- Cyanuric Acid : 30 to 50 ppm
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Not Using Your Inground Swimming Pool Anymore A Pool Deckover Saves Money & Gives You Back Usable Space
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With a swimming pool Deckover, you can utilize all of that valuable space in your backyard thats currently being consumed by the pool any way you want to!
A Deckover is the process of placing composite decking over an existing swimming pool, giving you usable living space while protecting your pool until the time comes that you either want to use it again or sell your property.
Thats right, a Deckover pool cover can be completely removed so the swimming pool can be filled with water and used again without any damage to the pool itself.
Deckover, a Phoenix pool & spa retirement company, covered Wrights pool with composite material decking. It cost him $6,000 but the move isnt permanent. The space underneath can be used as storage and its completely reversible.
Clean And Store Your Pool Cover
With your cover folded up, have your friend help you move it to your yard, and spread it out flat. That small step will help make your pool cover cleaning easier and go much more quickly. Apply pool cover cleaner or car wash soap and use a soft broom to scrub it gently. Avoid using any abrasive or sharp tools or harsh chemical cleaners, which could destroy your pool cover.
Rinse away all the cleaner or soap. Dry the cover with a towel or leaf blower before folding it up again. Store the cover inside a storage bag or heavy-duty container with a lid. And voilà! Your pool cover cleaning is done!
Important: Do not store your pool cover on the ground or the floor of your shed or garage. Thats just an invitation for bugs, rodents, and other pests to make their home in it over the summer. Then, when it comes time to close your pool, youll be buying a new cover.
Tip: If you used water weights, empty them and allow them to dry completely before storing.
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Fill Out The Online Form
If you want to come to Canada as a skilled immigrant, your first step is to submit your profile to the Express Entry pool.
If youre eligible, we will:
- place you in a pool with others who are also eligible
- give you a score and rank you using several factors
- invite you to apply to be a permanent resident of Canada
You can only apply online if we send you an invitation to apply.
Completing an online Express Entry profile or entering the pool doesnt guarantee that well invite you to apply for permanent residence.
Balancing Your Water Chemistry
Step away from the Bunsen burner. Pool chemistry might sound intimidating and complicated, but you dont have to worry. While it is an essential part of effective pool maintenance and water care, basic pool chemistry is surprisingly straightforward.
The most important tool in your bag of water care tricks is your water testing kit. You wouldnt season your stew without tasting it. So before you reach for the chemicals, do some pool water testing. Understanding whats in your water, and what isnt, is the first step to balancing it.
The three most important parts of pool water chemistry are:
- pH levels: The measure of how acidic or basic your pool water is. Low pH levels are acidic, while high levels are basic. The ideal range for your pool is 7.4 to 7.6.
- Alkalinity: Works as a pH buffer and helps avoid huge spikes in basicity or acidity. The ideal range is 100 to 150 parts per million . And you can use baking soda to increase your pools alkalinity level.
- Sanitizer levels: The amount of chlorine, bromine, etc. in your pool water. Proper levels vary depending on which type of sanitizer you choose.
Once you know your pH, alkalinity, and sanitizer levels, you can start to add chemicals to tweak your water balance. Take your time, follow all the directions, and be sure you know what each chemical does and how itll affect the water, and the folks who swim in it, before you add it.
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A Pool Cleaning Schedule
If it has proper circulation, youve already made cleaning your pool much easier. But youll still need to apply some good old-fashioned elbow grease. The basic tools youll need are:
Both Mother Nature and the folks using your pool bring all sorts of wild and wacky things into your pool, from leaves, mold, and the odd duck or frog to residues from shampoos, perfumes, and hair products. Add in the risks of bacterial contamination, and cleaning your pool becomes an absolutely essential part of safe swimming.
Skim, brush, and vacuum your pool weekly, at a minimum. This will keep debris out of your water, and your walls sparkling clean. Baking soda paste works particularly well as a basic scouring cleaner that wont damage delicate tile or a vinyl liner when you brush.
An automatic pool cleaner can significantly cut your pool cleaning time. It wont eliminate the need for regular skimming and brushing, but itll make both tasks easier, freeing you up to spend time enjoying your pool instead of cleaning it.
You can also make your cleaning life easier with a few unorthodox additions to your pool. Toss a few tennis balls into your skimmer basket, or even right into the pool, and theyll absorb surface oils left behind by suntan lotion, cosmetics, etc. You can also wrap your skimmer baskets with pantyhose to create an extra-fine filter thatll catch more contaminants than a skimmer alone.
How To Open An Above Ground Pool In 11 Steps
If you own an above ground pool, your thoughts are probably never far from the sun and fun of pool season. But before you can enjoy your pool, youll need to open and prep it. You could pay someone to do it for you, of course. But why P-A-Y when you can DIY?
Once you learn how to open an above ground pool, the process will become easier every year. All you need is a friend, the right supplies, and a little elbow grease, and youll be swimming again in no time.
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