Make a Splash: Build Your Own Swimming Pool

To many people indoor swimming pools conjure up the idea of fun, relaxation, and family time. Still, there are many misconceptions about building one's own pool; it is too difficult, and costly to name a few. To clear up these mistaken beliefs, building it yourself will actually save you money, while getting you the pool that you have always wanted.

To start, do some research and ask around, find friends and neighbours who have indoor swimming pools, find out what they like or dislike about them. Draw up a plan of how you want it to look; do you want it above or in ground? Do you want it attached to the house, or to have its own separate pool house? Putting all this on paper is the best way to map out where everything from where seats to windows will go in the design scheme. Graph paper is the best in these projects because it is easy to draw scale and dimensions on them.

There is also the question of seating; will those be built into the deck or pool area? Will there be a hot tub or spa added; what about a small one for the young swimmers, or adding a slide in the pool?

For a pool that is above ground, consider building a deck around it so that it won't resemble a free standing barrel. The best option is to place the pool into a low-level deck.

This takes considerable planning because you have to plan the deck around the pool; you can't just have the deck, and then cut a hole in it and place the pool in it. Add to the atmosphere by incorporating potted plants, and flowers to make a lovely landscaping scheme.

For ground pools, don't start digging and hope that the pool will fit, measure how deep and wide the pool is and then start to dig. Ground pools have to be built on level surfaces, and reinforced with concrete slabs.

Legal issues are another thing to consider when building a pool. Look into local building laws in your area and read up on issues involving height limitations and fences and pad locks. Pools are very tempting for little ones to climb into; having a pool cover adds an extra deterrent for them.

Adding a pool is an investment, since it will add value to the home. Having your own pool encourages a healthy lifestyle and helps relieve stress, improves circulation, and is great cardiovascular exercise. No matter what kind of pool you choose, as long as you have a plan and have done your research, building one can be a rewarding project.

Stop Feeding Algae in Your Swimming Pool   

Simple Swimming Pool Maintenance

When it comes to swimming pool maintenance, just about every pool owner has a few green pool horror stories. However, keeping your water clear is a simple process that can be made easy by properly using the two methods of chlorine delivery. This process can be easily accomplished on a weekly basis. On the other hand, these simple tasks can turn into a nightmares that require hours upon hours to clean up if they are not monitored consistently. Proper delivery will keep you in the pool and out of the pool store.

First and foremost, you have to maintain a proper chlorine level. When it comes to chlorine delivery, you have two main options. You can purchase it in granulated powder form, or you can buy it in tablet form. The powder form is what you use to "shock" the pool with. This type of chlorine provides a high, short term dosage of chlorine to the water. By contrast, the tablet form provides a moderate, long term dosage of chlorine to the water. Both types of delivery are important, but the tablet form is crucial to pool maintenance made easy.

The trick is to never let your chlorine level drop below 1 or 2. When you try to accomplish this with powder chlorine alone, every couple of days you will have to add the chlorine powder and brush it around until it is dissolved. Depending on the size of your pool, this can take as long as thirty minutes. If you use tablets, this process can be accomplished by filling your chlorinator once a week. Also, since the tablets dissolve gradually they do not raise your chlorine level so high that you cannot swim for hours afterward. In addition, the tablets will usually minimize the number of times the pool has to be "shocked" to only after heavy swimming or rainfall.

There are two main types of chlorinators you can use to dissolve the tablets. The cheapest and most reliable is the floater. This type can be loaded with tablets and simply placed in the water. The floater is the most reliable because it dissolves the tablets regardless of circulation or water level. However, the floaters have been known to turn over and spill the tablets in the pool. This can lead to bleaching of the liner and can be very expensive to fix. The other alternative is the inline chlorinator that is permanently installed in the water return line plumbing. The main benefit of this type of chlorinator is that it eliminates the risk of tablets being spilled on the liner. On the other hand, this type is not as reliable because an air pocket can be created in the tube as the equipment is turned on and off. If the tube is full of air and not water, your tablets will not dissolve at all. If you have this type of chlorinator, it is important that you open the cap every time you turn your pump on so that the air bubble can be pushed out.

While tablets are the most important, powder chlorine is still a necessary element of water clarity. As mentioned earlier, you should only have to add powder chlorine after heavy swimming or rainfall if you are adding the tablets weekly. Both events introduce large amounts of radicals to your pool that your chlorine has to remove. Since tablets dissolve slowly, you will need an immediate large dose to compensate for the chlorine needed to get the water back to normal.

From my experience, just about all water chemistry issues begin with improper chlorine levels. If you stay on top of this process with chlorine tablets, you should have far less horror stories in the future. However, do not forget to give the tablets a boost with powder chlorine when events occur that get the pool really dirty.

Stop Feeding Algae in Your Swimming Pool   

When Should You Resurface Your Swimming Pool?

If you are fond of relaxing and enjoying around your swimming pool area, then that place should be kept neat and clean. One of the primary things to be done for your aging pool is to resurface them after a period of few years. This process will keep them in good conditions for the years to come. Old pools in our houses have two major options to be done, one is resurfacing and the other is remodeling. A swimming pool which is 10 - 15 years old should at least be resurfaced to make it last for a longer time.

The process of resurfacing is exactly as what the term indicates. The design of the pool will be same as it is, but the whole surface will be peeled off and laid with new tiles or covering material. The process is to drain the pool, chip out the old tiles or surface material, and then install the new ones. This allows you to update your pool with newer materials like fiber glass or treated tiles. There are some consequences if you are not resurfacing your pool at regular intervals. The pool which is in the exterior of the house is always at the mercy of weather. This will lead to the formation of cracks and unevenness on its surfaces. Such cracks will lead to injuries and algae stains which will eventually make your pool look unusable.

As the process of resurfacing is something which is done only once in a few years, care should be taken to get quality resurfacing services. Then only the new installations will last for a longer time. High quality service will prove to be beneficial in the longer run. Do not consider the process of swimming pool resurfacing as a cheap one, you should find the best possible products to get a beautiful and lasting appearance. If you are not able to cover the leaks properly it will cost you a lot in terms of water charges. Newer materials which are slick and non porous ones can avoid the formation of algal materials. Using such materials will help in reducing the cost of regular maintenance.

The process of resurfacing should be done at the first sign of any cracks or deterioration. The sooner you are working on them, the better will be the results. Avoid temporary patch works which will not last even for a whole year. It is always recommended to do permanent resurfacing for making your pool look good as new.

Stop Feeding Algae in Your Swimming Pool