Author: Lisa

Hiring a swimming pool contractor is the first step to creating your dream backyard oasis. Professional contractors ensure proper installation, design, and functionality, setting the foundation for a beautiful and long-lasting pool. Once installed, maintaining your pool becomes essential to keep it safe, clean, and enjoyable.

Many wonder, how hard is it to maintain a pool? While it requires regular attention, proper tools and knowledge make pool maintenance manageable. Tasks include balancing water chemistry, cleaning debris, and maintaining equipment. The effort depends on pool size, usage, and environmental factors like weather or nearby trees.

Following a swimming pool checklist helps streamline maintenance. Key steps include testing water chemistry weekly, skimming leaves and debris daily, and inspecting the pump and filter regularly. Also, ensure your pool cover is in good condition and the water level remains consistent.

A common question is, how often should a pool be cleaned? Skimming and surface cleaning should happen daily, while a thorough vacuuming and scrubbing of walls and tiles should occur weekly. Equipment like filters and pumps may require monthly checks or cleaning. Ultimately, is it hard to maintain a pool? With a consistent routine and professional guidance, pool upkeep is straightforward and ensures years of safe swimming enjoyment.

As soon as Memorial Day hits, most pool owners see this time of year as the time to start opening their pool. Yet opening a pool can often be a complicated and multi-step process.
Luckily, if your winter pool closing went down without a hitch, then opening your swimming pool this summer should be easy with these simple steps:

1. 1. Monitor Your Chemicals
      To make pool sanitation a priority, you need to make sure that you have the proper amount of pool chemicals on hand. Keep stock of your inventory of pool chemical and see if you need to purchase more. If so, make sure you are all stocked up on additional pool products in order to prevent additional trips to the pool supply store.
      Remember, chemistry management is important to every pool.
   2. Practice Spring Cleaning
      If your pool deck and cover is covered in brush, leaves, and twigs, this debris is wont to fall into your pool, making it more difficult to clean. Instead, clean the perimeter of the pool and the cover beforehand, making it an easier job. Cleaning the pool cover also prevents the cover form incurring any damage once in storage.
      Before storing the pool cover, make sure you let it dry on a clean surface such as your driveway. This prevents any mold or mildew from forming when it’s folded up.
   3. Inspect for Damages
      Vinyl lined pools are vulnerable to incurring tears and washouts. If you find a tear, these can be repaired with a patch kit, found at your local pool products and supply store.
      For pools that have fiberglass or concrete, check for cracks and chips. For damages like these, it’s often best to call in the professionals for assessment and repair.
   4. Reinstall and Maintain Pool Hardware
      For swimming pool products such as skimmer baskets, pool pumps, and automatic pool cleaners, make sure all parts are cleaned, replaced if necessary, and secured in tightly before running. Additionally, be sure to reconnect the filtering and plumbing, and make sure that the filter baskets are cleaned and repaired if necessary.

 

1. 1. Fill it Up!
      You’re almost there! With your garden hose, fill the pool until it reaches the halfway point on the waterline tile. While you do this, skim any excess debris from the pool.

 

1. 1. Filter and Test
      Now that your pool is full, it’s time to make sure the water is in tip top shape for swimming and lounging. Turn on the pool’s power system and start the automated pump and filter. Once the pool is filtered, allow the pool’s waters to mix for around 24 hours. Buy a pool test kit from a pool product supply store to text the water balance and quality, ensuring that the water is indeed fit for swimming.

 

1. Enjoy
   Whether you’re a strong swimmer or someone who likes to lounge around in a floating device, enjoy your hard work in your freshly opened pool. Don’t forget the sunscreen! More info like this.

Modern homes today have specialized features and design elements when it comes to their above ground pools. Everything from heated pools to jacuzzi upgrade and other amazing features can make time around and in the pool all the more enjoyable. But these advanced features mean that more advanced care and maintenance are needed. pool heater repair

You likely already have a found an above ground pool supply store that you have been working with. This can be a great place to get recommendations for someone to help with the routine care and more involved maintenance and repairs service your pool may need at some point and time. Whether you have something smaller like above ground pools for small areas or you have larger and more custom-made pool design, a skilled and experienced pool contractor can assist you with its care and management.

An artificial swimming pool that has been custom-made for your unique needs can be a wonderful feature for your home. But the most critical thing is that you get the right backdoor pool services. It will make it easier to enjoy your pool season after season!

Going swimming is a form of entertainment that is enjoyed by all demographics- no matter what age, gender, or culture. In fact, swimming is the third most popular form of physical activity in the United States, after walking and using exercise equipment. So it’s not to understand how owning your own pool enriches your quality of life, increases the equity in your home and saves you money in the long-run! If you are considering installing a swimming pool in your home or buying a home that already has a pool, here are a few tips from professionals who build swimming pools that will help you get the most bang for your buck:

1. Design a Pool That Offers the Greatest Return on Investment

On average, installing an in-ground pool costs between $20,000 to $50,000 and will increase the value of your property by 8%. This means that if you own a $500,000 home, the value of your home after installing a pool will exceed $540,000.

A great swimming pool builder offers custom design pools. Utilizing a professional’s expertise, you can optimize the functionality and design of the space you have. If you make the investment in a beautiful, quality pool from the get-go, you will get the greatest value for your investment and hold on to that value longer.

An easy way to increase the return on investing in building a pool without increasing the cost much is to build a geometric swimming pool design. A geometric swimming pool uses straight lines, clean angles and sharp corners to create an elegant design. Installing a geometric swimming pool both serves the functionality of making the most of the space available and is esthetically pleasing. The cost of a geometric swimming pool is not greater than a round or rectangular pool but makes the most of the space.

2. Take Care of Your Pool

A well-maintained pool has a lifespan that is twice as long as one that is not maintained properly! Fortunately, modern pool technology allows pool owners to use automated pool filtration systems that let it maintain itself. With the appropriate equipment and knowledge, cleaning a pool takes less than 20 minutes.

3. Invest in a Pool Cover

The drought crisis that faces our country discourages some home owners from getting a swimming pool, however since the water in the pool is filtered and recycled, a having swimming pool uses 33% less water than maintaining a green lawn of the same size!

Installing a pool cover is a great way to further minimize water usage costs. Research shows that a simple pool cover will reduce water evaporation in your pool by 50%-70%. It also reserves energy usage by maintaining the pool’s temperature and reducing heating costs!

Using these tips, in just a few weeks, you could be lounging in your own beautiful pool, sipping a drink with a colorful umbrella in it without breaking the bank. Depending on how fancy your drink’s umbrella is that is.

The great outdoors! Part of the American identity is built on a close relationship with nature, being out in the woods, on the rivers and lakes, and in the beauty of the landscape. Even though plenty of kids these days spend more time glued to their smartphones, and plenty obese Americans spend their weekends glued to television sets. There are still plenty of Americans enjoying the great American outdoors.

Hunting and fishing are activities enjoyed by more than 38 million Americans. 38 million Americans also enjoyed camping during the year 2012. That’s a lot of equipment that must be purchased for all of that camping, and a lot cooler brands that sell plenty of coolers to keep food at the campground cool.

The cooler, a simple, typically square box with some kind of insulation to keep the contents frigid, is perhaps the single most useful piece of outdoor equipment that you’re sure to find in plenty of American garages, closets and sheds. Think about all of the possible uses for coolers, and all of the outdoor activities where a cooler is brought along.

Cooler brands create coolers for all kinds of outings. Think fishing coolers, backpack coolers, marine coolers, coolers for tail-gating, coolers for backyard barbeques, coolers for corporate picnics. There are plenty of uses for coolers that are sure to keep cooler brands busy.

Boaters, for instance, have various needs for coolers, and boating, like camping is another outdoor activity that is very popular. Cooler brands are sure to market their products toward the users of some 16,800,000 boats in use across the US.

But of all the activities where a cooler is needed, camping may be king.

A significant amount of the demand for coolers is made up of young adult campers. In fact a quarter or more of all campers between the ages of 18 and 44 purchased coolers in the last year, over 24% of campers aged 18-34, and more than 27% of campers aged 35-44. If they aren’t already, cooler brands would do well to take notice of this trend amongst young outdoor campers, and account for these types of customers in their marketing strategies.

Every year, Disney World plays host to the USASF Cheerleading World Competition. An estimated three million people are cheerleaders in the United States, and half as many more are on dance teams. These teams prepare all year for competitions such as the one at Disney. The sport is incredibly popular in the United States, and is one of the most visible female-dominated sports. Since it’s conception at the University of Minnesota, cheerleading has grown to the point that 80% of schools now have a cheer squad. Here’s just a few things you may not have known about this beloved sport.

In 1994, American Cheerleader magazine made its debut, and today it has an impressive 200,000 copy circulation with a readership of one million.

Each summer, around a half-million cheerleaders attend cheer camp.

Dwight Eisenhower, George W. Bush, and Franklin Roosevelt are just a few examples of U.S. Presidents who were cheerleaders.

12% of cheerleaders are between the ages of five and 13, and 12% are dancers.

Getting tumbling instructions or taking tumbling classes from a young age helps build strength, balance, and flexibility skills that can help a child’s performance not only in competitive cheerleading but other sports they may participate in.

A hands on safety technique called spotting is used to teach maneuvers like forward and backward rolls. A cheerleading coach may also use spotting to teach backbends or cartwheels.

Worldwide, there are more than four million cheerleaders in thirty-one countries.

About 98% of female cheerleader have previous experience in gymnastics.

Though it is now a predominately female sport, when cheerleading first started it was all men.

Overall, 97% of cheerleaders are women and girls. However, at the collegiate level, the gender split is about 50/50.

Many cheerleaders pick the sport up young and continue all the way through college. Were you a cheerleader? How did it impact your life? Tell us in the comments!

Summer vacation is almost here, but for many kids, it’s easy to stay inactive until September. Current research estimates that children spend approximately 7-1/2 hours per day in front of the TV or computer screen, and only about one-third are getting the recommended one hour of physical activity per day. Combined with the sugary drinks and junk foods that kids like to snack on, this can be a recipe for health problems and bad habits later on in life.

Fortunately, there are solutions that parents can take to keep their kids healthy and active during the summer months. If you want to get your kids off the couch and outside, here are three easy steps you can take to ensure that your children stay active this summer:

1. Make time for the outdoors as a family. One of the best ways to boost a kids fitness routine is to set a good example yourself. Make sure that on weeknights and/or weekends you and your children get some time outdoors. Play a game of kickball or basketball at home, or take a walk around the neighborhood. Days off are the perfect opportunity to head to the beach for some swimming or go hiking at a local park. Not only will this get your children to enjoy physical activity, but it will also produce quality time spent together as a family.

2. Sign up for team sports. Check out your local town or city organizations to see if they sponsor any sports programs for kids. Kickball, soccer, football, basketball, and other summer fun activities are a great way to get the kids off the couch and outside. In addition to learning a new skill and staying active, kids will also enjoy making new friends while discovering the importance of teamwork.

3. Have your children attend summer camps for kids. Summer camps, which can be both daytime or sleep-away kids camps, are another option for the summer. Many day programs have a focus on kids nutrition in addition to fitness, and they range in setting from camps in wooded areas by the water to beach camps in warmer environments. Some summer camps are also designed for kids to stay in for a week or more, so children can enjoy an entire outdoor experience that they’ll remember for years to come.

What will you do to keep your kids interested in fitness and the outdoors this summer? Tell us in the comments below.

Americans are not strangers to running. The numbers show. Every year, more than 57 million Americans take to the streets (or tracks) and run or jog at least once. The United States is host to a variety of races, from the intrepid marathon (26.2 miles) to the solid 10K (6.2 miles) to the relatively modest 5K (3.1 miles). The country sees more than half a million people compete in marathons every year. Thousands of other kinds of races are held as well. 5K races are popular, for example, as fundraising drives. Others are created to promote wellness and diversity. Whatever the reason, the running remains the same — as does its popularity.

If you’re not into the competitive aspect, running as an aerobic sport works wonders for your body. Running is known to improve your health in several ways. Running for just 45 minutes, for example, can lower your blood pressure by as much as 12 mgs. Running has been consistantly shown to improve other aspects of your body. It can reduce weight, build muscle, strengthen your cardiovascular system, improve your breathing, bolster your stamina, increase your metabolism, and generally make you feel like a rock star. Perhaps the best part about running, however, is that it is easy to pick up. By walking for just 30 minutes a day, you can complete a 5K run in less than three months!

Chances are, you know somebody — a coworker, a friend, a relative, etc. — that enjoys running. For these active men and women, why not treat them to specialized presents for runners? Personalized running gifts are perfect for people in your life that take up running. From ultra distance runners to the casual jogger, runners of all kinds will appreciate these special, running-themed gifts. From more traditional running gifts such as running shoes and running socks to more unique gifts such as running decals and runners wine glasses, presents for runners will be sure to impress your runner friend (or more).

For more information about presents for runners, feel free to leave a comment or question below.

Pools are an excellent way to beat the heat during the long, hot, dog days of summer, however, they also serve another entirely different purpose; they can make your backyard or patio look really, really good. Pools are very aesthetically pleasing and can enhance the energy and look of your outdoor space. However, even beautiful pool lighting can’t make a dirty or poorly maintained pool appealing.

All pool owners know — hopefully — that properly maintaining a pool is hard work, however, the reward of being able to enjoy your pool is well worth the work you put into maintaining it. While summer is still a couple months away, you can get a heard start on your summer pool maintenance now by stocking up on important pool essentials such as swimming pool products (especially pool cleaning supplies or pool cleaning products), sand filter sand if your filter requires it, and perhaps even some new beautiful pool lighting. Underwater pool lights can further enhance the look of your pool, and are a fun way to add some color.

In addition, it’s important to stay on top of your pool water’s chemistry. Neglecting to check and maintain your pool’s water for as little as two or three weeks can result in green pool water. Even during the winter, it’s recommended to check your pool’s water at least once week. Now that the weather is warming up, it’s recommended to check your pool’s water two to three times per week. Failure to do so can cut the lifespan of your pool in half.

Now is also a good time to ensure all of your pool’s systems are in good working order, such as the pump and filtration system. These are equivalent to the human body’s circulatory system, and are vital to keep your pool water clean and sparkling blue. Get more here.

American kids love sports, like their parents. It is thought that three out of five children in the United States play sports outside of school. Inside school, the figures are just as impressive. More than 7.7 million high school students played on a school sports team in 2013. Of them, nearly 284,000 boys and 209,000 girls played soccer. Though those are a lot of high school players, they are just a drop in the bucket compared to the more than 25 million children who play soccer (or “football” as it is known outside of the U.S.) in the world. Needless to say, there is no shortage of soccer players in this country as well as outside of it.

Some teams and coaches in the U.S. are so passionate about soccer that they’re willing to take it to the next level. International soccer tours are wonderful ways to show young and aspiring soccer players the world around them as they pursue the sport they love. Several countries have programs, tours, and tournaments for young players. Soccer tours can be arranged on nearly every continent and on all corners of the world.

For example, the San Marino Cup in July will host a tournament for both boy and girl soccer teams under 19. For one week, young soccer players can stay in gorgeous San Marino, the oldest independent republic in Europe. Situated near the beautiful beaches on the Adriatic Sea, San Marino is known for its rich historical heritage and opulent surroundings. From July 5th-10th, young soccer players can compete against teams from around the world, getting to meet new people and make new connections in the process. When they’re not playing soccer, they can explore San Marino and the nearby Italian cities of Florence, Verona, Venice, and Rome.

Of course, Italy soccer tours are just one of the various options teams have to choose from. No matter what, though, soccer travel tours present to young children an opportunity of a lifetime. For more information about international soccer tours, feel free to leave a comment or question at the bottom.

Spring is always a sad time for basketball fans and players. Even though the days are longer, the bees are buzzing, and the flowers are blooming, spring means the end of basketball season. However, just because basketball season is over doesn’t mean the excitement has to be! In fact, as a basketball player now is the perfect time to honor and recognize all the hard your coach has put in this past season by giving custom basketball gifts.

There are so many custom or personalized basketball gift ideas to choose from, all of which can be made to suite the personal preference or tastes of your coach. Personalized and custom gifts are always appreciated. Not only are they the best kind of sports gifts to give, but the added personal touch provides an element of sentimentality.

There are countless basketball coach gift ideas to choose from, however, if you’re feeling a bit stuck, here are few easy, simply, and fun ideas to get the ball rolling, or at least bouncing in this case.

Personalized basketball

Perhaps one of the most common basketball coach gift ideas is creating a custom basketball. Typically, each player will sign their name or or add a small personal message, however, you can also add your team’s colors. Who said you had to stick with a traditional basketball color? These pieces typically aren’t used on the court, but rather, serve as memorabilia.

Basketball tote bag

Basketball players have a lot of gear, and so do their coaches. There’s no better way for them to haul their gear from point A to point B than to design a basketball tote bag. You can choose to go with a simple design using your team’s colors, or you can decide to go with something a bit more daring.

Team shirt

Custom designed tee shirts are always an excellent way to rock your team pride as well as show appreciation for all the effort your coach put forth this season. Don’t just limit yourself to t shirts, however, consider creating hooded sweat shirts, windbreakers, leggings and more!

Some people may think that running — even if it is in one (or several) of the 15,000 5Ks or 2,000 half marathons in the U.S. each year — may get old after a while. Believe it or not, that’s rarely the case, especially with the increasingly creative and unique options available in terms of themed races. Here are a just a few of the wackiest themes from 2014:

How Do Runners Celebrate April Fool’s Day?

In a survey of 3,500 runners, 40% said they ran to lose weight and another 54% stated that they run to stay fit. That may not be the case for participants in the April Fool’s Day Twinkie Run. The Missouri race celebrates the now hard to come by treat by offering the 5K runners unlimited Twinkies at the starting line, the one-and-a-half mile mark, the finish line, and, of course, post-race.

A Change Of Costume Can Make A Big Difference

Food isn’t the only thing that can set a race apart. In fact, many 5Ks earn their fame thanks to their unusual dress codes. The international 5K Mustache Dache, The Bad Prom Run, and The Zombie Run are just a few, self-explanatory races featuring unusual attire.

What About When It’s Over?

There is an unfortunate thing about all of these themed races: they end, and some of them are one-time events (or, if you’re lucky, they may reoccur once a year). Thankfully, there are plenty of fun ways to celebrate these memories — anything from running necklaces, running decals, running jewelry, or personalized medal hangers may be available for sale at the race or available to custom order online.

A 5K or a half marathon is a memorable event — and even more so when there is a fun and wacky theme. Remember the good times with commemorative jewelry, trinkets, and accessories, like running necklaces or medal hangers.