Archive for the ‘Patio and Outside’ Category

Fun in your backyard swimming pool

Winter swimming pool covers
When it gets too cold to comfortably swim protect your pool wisely with a good quality pool covering. If you neglect to keep the pool covered a lot of junk gets in there during the winter, like dirt, rocks, twigs, leaves, and wind-blown garbage like food wrappers and plastic bags. The primary concern is safety and for families with smaller children a heavy duty pool cover is recommended. One important feature some safety pool covers offer is solar heating, which will warm the pool with the sun’s heat while keeping it clean and secure. There are mesh covers and solid covers and the mesh ones are best for people who live in wet climes with lots of snow and rain which will drip through the mesh rather than collect on the top of the cover. In the case of a solid cover you keep the pool below the cover clean but water could heavily collect on top during the rainy season, so have a pump on hand. Make sure you comply with the instruction manual or the warranty might be voided, and always comply with local laws that cover the covering of swimming pools.

The advantages of a fiberglass swimming pool
Fiberglass in-ground swimming pools have major advantages over concrete or vinyl models, although all of them will supply many hours of enjoyment for you and your family. The major drawback of vinyl pools is the 5 to 7 year life cycle of the vinyl pool liner, while the most serious problem with cement is that it cracks and needs to be patched or resurfaced. There is an amount of bend in fiberglass that allows it to stay intact when there are shifts in the ground from weather, temblors, or the impact of aggressive tree roots. Any fiberglass pool shell costs more than other pool materials, but it costs a lot less to maintain and keep clean. Bacteria growth is not an issue with fiberglass since the non-porous surface doesn’t allow algae or mold to take hold, as opposed to cement which requires cleaning with harsh chemicals. You could get a fiberglass pool installed over a few days given the fact that the shells are pre-made and quickly set up.

Non-polluting, low cost, low maintenance pool heaters
Get the most enjoyment out of your home swimming pool by installing a solar pool heater, and you will save money over other heating systems. Solar heated pools require a solar collector installed on your roof, into which the filtered pool water is pumped, then heated, and then pumped back to the pool. The bigger the solar collector the longer into autumn you can enjoy your pool, so the collector needs to be anywhere from 50% to 100% the size of the surface area of the pool. To attain maximum results the solar collector needs to be placed where it receives the most sunlight, and you need a pump timer set to operate during the day. Pool covers are a top notch investment to keep the pool from losing significant amounts of heat, and halt the debris and wind blown dirt from entering your pool. Solar pool heater systems typically cost in the $3-4K range, comparable to propane heaters or heat pumps, but those systems have on-going operational expense that solar systems do not have. Since the only moving part in a solar pool heating system is the diverter valve, which controls the water flow to the solar collector, solar systems have very low maintenance costs, unlike old-fashioned pool heating systems. Additional benefits to solar pool heaters is the use of natural sunlight instead of pollutant energy sources like propane gas.

Fiberglass inground pools
A while back the only choices for a sturdy in-ground swimming pool were constructed out of concrete or vinyl, but these days there are fiberglass swimming pools on the market that have proven to be far superior to vinyl or concrete pools. When you contrast the sleek surface of a fiberglass pool with the tough, scratchy surface of concrete, the distinction is like comparing glass with sandpaper. Fiberglass pools offer even surfaces that are easy on tender skin, while the rough surfaces of concrete frequently leave cuts and scrapes and can readily catch and rip bathing suits. The divots and grooves in concrete also collect bacteria which germinate into algae, and the chemical composition of concrete also encourages the growth of other potentially harmful micro-organisms. Concrete pools need to be cleaned and scrubbed and given acid washes, while fiberglass is chemically inert, non-porous, and doesn’t require treatment with harsh chemicals. The typical image of concrete is one of strength, but the fact is that fiberglass is a lot stronger than traditional concrete, which has a tendency to crack when the ground around it swells or contracts due to the weather. Don’t look at the initial expense of a fiberglass pool in contrast to a concrete pool and conclude that concrete is less expensive, because the extra cost of fiberglass is made up for in savings on cleaning and maintenance. The edge fiberglass swimming pools have over concrete pools are many, including quicker installation, more cost efficient maintenance, a more pleasant swimming experience, and since fiberglass pools don’t employ nasty chemicals, they are easier on the environment.

Any question regarding swimming pool accessories will concern a lot of different things. The following links will take you to additional sites which might be a wonderful source of information. Need further assistance finding above ground pool liners? Then Buy Above Ground Pool Liners is the place to begin looking. If you are curious about electric pool heaters then go to Buy Electric Pool Heaters. Additionally, a person might want to read more about above ground pool ladders. If this is the case, Buy Above Ground Pool Ladders will have a lot of pertinent information. Plus Best Swimming Pool Supplies is an additional site which provides suggestions on swimming pool supplies, a topic which may be of interest to you.

Cost-effective patio improvements

Pool tables for the patio
Outside entertainment got even better with the arrival of outdoor pool tables, a provocative addition to any barbecue or party. The quality of the outdoor pool game is just as high as the indoor game because outdoor pool tables are very durable and withstand all weather conditions. Neither sun, nor rain, nor snow should inflict damage an outdoor table, but always check the manufacturer’s warranty to make sure what is specifically covered. Prior to committing to buying a table, carefully check the manufacturer’s warranty to see not only what weather-related circumstances are covered, but the length of the warranty itself. There should be no problem putting your pool table indoors if you have the space, and you might want to base your buying decision on this flexibility. Active youngsters can be a lot harder on an outdoor table than the weather, which is one reason you might want a longer warranty. Many people will be inclined to place a cover on an outdoor pool table, but lots of manufacturers do not require a cover at all. Outdoor pool tables are built in a wide variety of styles to fit both your indoor and outdoor decor, and there are even tables you can assemble yourself.

Buying lawn furniture
As soon as you finish your backyard landscaping and your patio or deck is built, get some outdoor furniture to complement your exterior decor and give your friends and family a place to relax. Outdoor furniture usually consists of the same types of furnishings we use indoors, such as tables, chairs, stools, and recliners, but also items designed specifically for use out-of-doors, like swinging chairs or tree benches. There is a large variety of outdoor lawn furniture to choose from, so keep in mind you need pieces to provide good looks, comfort, and the sturdy durability necessary to withstand volatile weather conditions. Depending on your personal taste, you can buy outdoor lawn furniture to perfectly suit your needs, whether it is made of polyresin, metal, plastic, wicker, or wood. The most popular outdoor furniture nowadays are made of polyresin, which is less pricey than wood or metal, more sturdy than wicker, and has a better appearance than plastic. Your choices for metal outdoor furniture are aluminum, steel, or wrought iron, and while aluminum is naturally rust-resistant, iron and steel have to be specially coated with an anti-rust treatment. Wood furniture looks terrific but is less durable under rough weather conditions, and is less reliable given the wear and tear of normal use such outdoor furniture is expected to withstand. It pays to do your homework when shopping for outdoor lawn furniture, as there are terrific discounts to be had in the off-season months, and plenty of clearance sales on the Internet and at the outdoor furniture outlets in town.

Relax on an outdoor lounge chair
There is a terrific array of outdoor lounge recliners available in a full range of designs and constructed out of materials like metal, wood, plastic, and polyresin. There are four key factors that ought to govern your purchasing decision, looks, comfort, durability, and price, and you need to evaluate each one of these carefully before spending money for new patio lounge chairs. Before you make any selections you will want to establish a budget and then figure out how often will these patio recliners be used, and whether you are more interested in looks or comfort. When relaxation is the top concern, shop for lounge chairs with weather-resistant padded cushions. The quality of outdoor loungers ranges greatly, and high quality, durability and looks often depend on the material used to build the chairs. The most attractive loungers are built out of wood, but wood is not as durable as other materials. Aluminum is the only metal that’s rust-resistant, even though you can get wrought iron and steel pieces treated with rust-resistant coatings. Plastics aren’t as good looking as lounge chairs made of the other materials, but plastic is cheaper and easy to clean. Probably the finest all around outdoor patio furnishings are made of polyresin, because chairs made out of this material are nearly as inexpensive as plastic, are more appealing than metal chairs, and are more durable than metal or wood. One little detail that you don’t want to overlook or discount is whether or not your chair has a cup holder, an item of considerable convenience.

To continue exploring the subject of patio furniture and accessories, checking out the following sites could be useful. The following link will lead you to information concerning wood decking.