Pools & Spas

Why You Should Add a Spa to Your Backyard

By Jacky Silva 320 0

Spas are an enjoyable way to relax and rejuvenate and they offer serenity and peace to your life. Adding a spa unit to your home is more convenient and affordable than ever and there really isn’t a better way to spice up your home. If you’re still not convinced, here are some reasons why you should consider getting a spa unit.

Ultimate Relaxation Right at Home

Spas are perfect for stress reduction and overall self-care. They help improve your well-being through the comfort of the water and the heat to decrease muscle tension. Spas are also good for rehabilitation and healing of your body and mind.

Despite its many benefits, going to a spa centre can be time-consuming and require planning, especially if they have limited hours of operation. Why go through the frustration of waiting to book an appointment to go to the spa when you can have one at home? The spa experience should provide ultimate relaxation from beginning to end. Having a spa in your backyard is a way to ensure that you can go to the spa whenever and however often you want.

With a home spa unit, you can say goodbye to the days of being uncomfortable around people you don’t know. A home spa unit is strictly for you and your family, providing the maximum comfort that you deserve.

More Quality Time

Spa units bring families together and encourage quality social time. Spas are a great family activity that everyone enjoys. They promote stress-free family time that is enjoyable. They are also beneficial for friends since nothing compares to being able to invite your mates over for an evening of relaxation. Sapphire Outdoor spas will naturally make you a great host.

A Great Exercise Companion

Spas can be used for fitness and exercise. Exercises while done in the spa unit can actually lead to great results. Aquatic exercises can help you take your workout to the next level. You can work more muscles at the same time while you are in a spa unit without the strain and intensity of working out on land. Resistance bands can also be attached to the unit to help shape those arms.

Spas Beautify You and Your Yard

Spas have amazing benefits for your skin, muscles, and body, but they can also beautify your yard. Landscaping is an important part of your home and a spa unit can improve the decor. A spa unit may also increase the value of your home, which is an added benefit most do not consider.

Cold Fronts? No Problem!

A spa unit can help you find an excuse to enjoy your backyard during those cold fronts. Instead of being locked indoors waiting for the weather to pass, a spa unit can allow you the freedom to immerse yourself in nature. Spas will provide you all the warmth you need to sit outside. Adding a spa to your backyard is an invaluable investment.

pool
Pools & Spas

Update or Remove Your Old Pool – What are the Options?

By Jacky Silva 254 0

Deciding what to do with your grungy, outdated pool can be quite the tricky decision. Pools get old and dirty quickly if they are not used and maintained frequently or maybe you’ve had kids move off to college and simply want to get rid of your pool. What options do you have as far as renovation or removal are concerned? In this article we will look at some of the available options to re-energize your pool as well as how to simply remove it altogether.

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Renovation and restoration

What if you love swimming and want to keep your pool but the current one just is simply not cutting it? Renovation or restoration of your old pool is definitely a possibility. Often times renovation is far cheaper than removing your old pool and starting over.

One of the main things that needs replacing in pools is the interior liner. Chlorinated water acts as a corrosive on the lining of most pools – which can cause problems when the it starts to break down. This might be all you need to return your pool back to its former glory.

Most pool renovation companies can do a multitude of tasks for you – whether it be updating the plumbing or fixing cracks in the cement or tiling. Prices will be all over the board for renovation jobs, so your best way to get started is by calling multiple companies to come out and give you their estimates. Show them exactly what you want done, and even ask them for advice because the professionals are bound to know a few options that may have slipped your mind.

Reshaping your current pool

Can a pool be reshaped? Generally, the answer is ‘yes’. Modern cement pouring technology allows pools to be remodeled without destroying the entire thing and re-pouring. Making your pool a little wider or deeper is now realistic. Other options include changing the color of your pool’s finish or adding stylish underwater lights.

Removal

Removing an unwanted swimming pool is quite a task. It is a lengthy process and can be quite expensive. Despite its price, pool removal can be cheaper than the alternative of maintaining a unused or poorly designed pool. Before you even think about removing an in ground pool, you are most likely going to need a building permit. Following that, all materials (cement, vinyl etc.) need to be completely removed and then the gaping hole left behind will need to be replaced with whatever fill you desire (sand is often the cheapest). After getting the empty hole filled and leveled, you can begin planting grass, trees or landscaping to your heart’s content. You should also be prepared for settling – in a year or two you will most likely need to add more fill to keep the ground level.

Things to think about before removing your pool

Other things to consider when removing an old pool is the cost of dumping the materials/trash and how to transport them to the dump site. If you don’t have a professional service do this, it can be a long, strenuous process. What about just filling in the pool with dirt? Check your local laws because this can be illegal in many municipalities – filling a pool with dirt may be legal in Indianapolis but illegal in other states, so make sure you consult a specialist before getting to work. The costs of pool removal add up quickly, but think of it as a one time investment to eliminate an energy sucking and space clogging pool that drains your resources each year it is left in the ground. Again, you’ll need to contemplate the costs and benefits of this as opposed to having your pool coating fixed & enjoying the pool for several years. Make sure you list all the foreseeable expenses and benefits of both options before opting for either option.

Regardless of your situation and the current condition of your pool, there are plenty of options available for you. Be prepared to spend a little bit of money, but as we mentioned earlier, updating or removing your pool can be cheaper than the alternative.

Pool Safety
Pools & Spas

CPR and First Aid Training, it Just May be the Most Important Pool Safety Measure You Can Take

By Jacky Silva 269 0

So you have a swimming pool now, but have you taken all the necessary safety measures that are now available? Here are some of the most popular and effective safety devices.

Pool Safety

· Door and Window Safety Alarms: Every door or window that has access to the pool area should have one.

· Wearable Alarms: Worn on the child’s wrist like a watch, these are reliable devices but they do not prevent the wearer from falling into the pool. You will still have an emergency on your hands.

· In pool Alarms: Whether you have surface or submerged alarms, both types rely on the victim struggling enough to trigger the alarm. Research shows that not all victims struggle enough to trigger pool alarms.

· Fences and Gates: Fences with proper functioning gates are probably the best way to go. Just make sure there are no stackable objects or chairs near the fence that can aid a child in getting over the fence. Don’t just rely on your pool fence. Sometimes gate locks and latches malfunction and allow children access.

· Pool Covers: Pool covers have been known to cause accidents of their own and children have been suffocated by them while others become trapped underneath them. Do your research before purchasing one.

The Reliability Issue

You may have the best, most expensive safety devices available, but they are still subject to failure. Even the most sophisticated device can experience battery problems, mechanical problems, and software problems. Any one of these can spell disaster if your child falls into your pool. Most of the time, adult supervision is enough, but they can be distracted as well. You may be watching your child around the pool area but what if you get a cry for help in the house away from the pool. Are you going to think to pull your child away from, or out of the pool before coming to the rescue of the other child? Distractions as benign as the doorbell or landline ringing can pull your attention away long enough for disaster to strike. The best answer here seems to be the layered approach to pool safety. Employ as many of the mechanical safety devices as you deem necessary, and watch your children like you don’t have any other safety device in place.

Your Last Safety Measure

Even though you have taken every possible step to protect your little ones, disasters have a way of sneaking up on people. For that reason it’s important for every parent to know how to swim as well as how to assist a person who is drowning. It only takes a few minutes for a curious child to wander too close to the pools edge, or too far out at the beach. In the time it takes for you to turn around to respond to a question or anything that can take your eyes off your child, and suddenly he/she is underwater. Once underwater your child will lose consciousness very fast and after just four minutes the brain starts to die from lack of oxygen. You may end up saving your child, but he/she may have to live with disabilities the rest of his life.

If you’re going to learn CPR it’s important that you learn not only on adults, but learn how to perform it on infants and children, as well. You’ll notice that things like depth and rate of compressions, volume of breath, and the number of breaths per compression changes when you’re performing CPR on infants. If you press too hard on a child’s sternum you could crack it or the ribs which could easily puncture the lungs causing more complications. The more you can do before the paramedics arrive the greater chance of survival the drowning victim has. It’s all about making sure the brain and other vital organs have adequate oxygen and that starts with you as soon as you pull the drowning victim from the water.

Nothing takes the place of close parental or adult supervision. However, statistics show that over 80% of all accidental drowning deaths occurred while one or both parents were supervising the victim. For that reason it’s important to have more than one safety measure in place.