Pool Safety

Posted on May 18, 2012 by premier

School is almost out for the kids in my house, and they are so excited! They won’t have to wait until after homework is done to go swimming. However with this increased use of the pool, comes an increased risk of pool injuries. So lets talk pool safety. It’s not a fun topic, I know, but it’s necessary. I don’t want anyone to become a statistic on drowning in the home. Two-thirds of drowning deaths occur between May and August with the majority of those being on the weekends. Swimming Pools are the most common sites for drowning for children ages one to four.

Take a Swimming Class

Safetykids.org recommends lessons for kids at four years of age. I discovered that The Red Cross has really great swimming classes. My kids took them when they were little and I was impressed because the very first thing they worked on was how to get out of the pool after falling in and they talked about “Pool Do’s and Don’ts.” They learned the mantra of not diving into a pool that said “no diving,” don’t run near the pool, especially if it has tile that can be really slippery, and don’t swim alone. And they expounded on what qualified as not swimming alone, which I thought was great. We took our swimming classes through our local YMCA, so if you’re looking for swimming lessons I’d start there or your local Park and Recreation department or a similar organization.

Supervise Children Closely

We all know how quickly kids can move and get into things. Turn your back for half a second and all of a sudden every toy has been removed from the toy box and is on the floor. It’s just like that with water, and in a national study it was found that in nine of 10 drowning incidents caregivers were present and claimed to be supervising the child. Tag-team supervision with another adult, and don’t leave the area for any reason until the other set of eyes is there. Keep a phone at arm’s reach for emergencies. It would probably be a good idea to know CPR as well. At a party, assign a “ designated watcher” and the only thing they should do is watch the kids in the pool. Swap the watcher out periodically. And if you discover a child is missing, check the pool first.

Use Barriers, Alarms and Locks

Almost all municipalities now require at least one layer security between the home and the pool, most require more than one, ie: a fence and door alarms. Barriers, et al, are not fool-proof but they do give you extra time to locate an adventurous child before they get to the pool. Fence your pool, and if your door opens into the fenced area put alarms on the door that sound if they are opened. Many cities require these be separate from any existing security system. Make sure gates are self-latching and close automatically. There are also alarms on the market that are placed at or in the pool that sound if the surface of the water is broken. If you have an in-ground pool look into a safety cover, or a kid net to keep people from falling into the pool (for information on covers check out this blog article), if you have an above ground pool, take the ladder out and put it up where small people can’t help themselves to it.

Use a Personal Flotation Device

If you, or your kiddo, can’t swim, aren’t a strong swimmer or aren’t comfortable in the water use a Coast Guard approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD), aka lifejacket. Especially if you are boating. In 2010 nine children under 12 died in recreational boating accidents and more than half of them weren’t wearing a PFD. The US Coast Guard does require that all children under 13 years of age wear a PFD, and boats must carry one per person aboard.

For additional information on pool safety please visit the following websites:

Please note that the statistics mentioned in this article came from:

Pamper Mom at the Pool Side!

Posted on May 11, 2012 by premier

If you have a pool, and you’re a mom, you probably spend a large portion of time either at the pool side or in the pool supervising the kids. I know I do. And since Mother’s Day is just two days away, I thought a list of nice things for Mom to use pool side would be fun. And if you need a gift idea for Mom, maybe this will help.

An Automatic Pool Cleaner

Who cleans your pool? When I was younger it was my mom. She would spend a few hours every Saturday morning scrubbing and vacuuming our pool. All the while my brother and I were impatiently watching and waiting for her to be done (notice our lack of helping). I’m willing to bet that she really liked the Kreepy Krauly we eventually decided to purchase. So if the mom at your house cleans the pool, and she digs practical gifts, this might be the way to go. If you’re wondering what pool cleaner would be best, check out the blog article about just that.

A Space for Mom!

Give Mom a space of her own by the pool! If money is no object I recommend a cabana. I think the bar in the picture is a nice touch. Just don’t forget to stock it. Premier Fiberglass can design and build a cabana, pergola or gazebo just for your mom if you so desire. We can also design an outdoor kitchen or fireplace if your mom likes to entertain and spend her free time outdoors. Let Mom sit down and put up her feet while the rest of the family whips up a tasty meal.

For those of us who are on a smaller budget, maybe Mom would like a chair that is all her own and super comfy. I think I’d like some really nice, fluffy, quality towels. And if they were white, I could even pretend I was at a spa resort, and that those hollering kids belonged to someone else. But I digress. And as long as we’re making a space for me, I mean Mom, to lounge by the pool and feel like a queen, how about a garden or patio mister to keep cool. These handy things make those hot afternoons not quite so hot. Or a nice patio umbrella that can do double duty for the picnic table for outdoor dining and entertaining, and always look great by a pool. Any way you go, I’m sure Mom will feel appreciated in a space lovingly put together for her.

Mom’s in the Pool!

Is your mom always in the pool, either with the kids or for fitness? Maybe Mom would appreciate a pool lounger, and if it’s big enough, she could even have some snuggles with the kids while floating. Or have a relaxing solo float after the kids are in bed. Does Mom like to swim laps? Maybe some new goggles or even a swimming tether would be appreciated. Celebrate Mother’s Day with a family game of water volleyball, or a water fight.

Whatever you choose to do, be sure to tell Mom that you love her. Because, really, that’s all we moms really want for Mother’s Day.

Hard Water Problems and Fiberglass

Posted on May 4, 2012 by premier

“Hey, there’s this area of white discoloration on my practically new fiberglass pool. What gives?” I’ve gotten a few calls about this lately, and apparently I’m not the only one. Leisure Pools recently sent out a technical release to their dealers regarding the issue. So what is the problem? Turns out it’s your standard hard water staining/scale. I’ve addressed this before, in relation to using Bead Blasting to clean up tile work and other fixtures, but let’s revisit the topic with a mind specific to solutions pertaining to a fiberglass gel or color coat.

Most pool owners first notice an issue with the finish at the waterline, especially if it happens to be lowered. It appears as an inconsistent white discoloration. This is caused by calcium leeching out the water in the pool and clinging to the walls, steps and/or floor of the pool. It’s especially noticeable when the calcium deposit becomes exposed and dries. This will happen more frequently in some areas of the country than others depending on the hardness of the water in that particular community. If there’s a high amount of calcium in the water it will tend to leech out of solution more than an area with less calcium. Pool water chemistry also plays a part in the ability of calcium to come out of solution. When the PH level is between 7.2 and 7.4, the calcium is in balance. However, if the PH rises above 7.4 the calcium will leech out of the water, and as the PH gets higher the deposits will become more pronounced.

Treating the deposits is easy if the situation is caught early, usually within one to three months of occurrence. At this point they can be treated by a chemical solution: first the PH in the pool is lowered to 6.5 and the pool is treated with muriatic acid or calcium treatments. I would recommend consulting with your pool store guru to make sure it’s done properly, especially as some pool equipment will need to be protected from the chemical treatments. After the treatment is done the PH can be raised back up to 7.2 to 7.4 and if those levels are maintained the deposits shouldn’t reappear.

The the problem is more sever, or the pool has been left with a high PH level for an extended time, the calcium deposits will combine with the chlorine in the pool and create a salt called Calcium Chloride. The salt will attach itself to the pool surfaces and cause areas of the gelcoat to look white. There are two stages of this advanced calcium chloride. The first, and easier to treat, stage is less advanced. If the gelcoat returns to normal when it’s hydrated (or just wet), then you can treat it using the same chemical solution as the less sever case mentioned above. However, it will take up to 6 months for the treatment to totally dissolve the calcium chloride. Due to the time this takes, and the fact that the water will be very acidic in this time, we recommend that this treatment be done in the off season.

If, perchance, the salt deposits are visible even when they’re hydrated, the treatment is not as easy. An effective chemical treatment hasn’t been found or developed so the recommended solution is to remove the salt is to buff and polish the surface to return it to its previous condition.

If your pool needs the gelcoat touched up give Premier Fiberglass a call. We’d be happy to help you restore your pool to it’s former beauty.

New “Green” Option for Filter Media?

Posted on April 27, 2012 by premier

In the past, pool owners wanting a more “eco-friendly” filter media with great filtering capacity would use a Diatomaceous Earth (DE) filter (more info about those here). But a growing trend of using glass as a filtering media is giving the DE filter a run for its money. Using glass in a filter isn’t really anything new, as it was used in slow filters in England as early as the late 1700’s and was the basis for several early patents.

Glass filter media is compatible with many water sanitization systems, including ozone, saline, UV, traditional chlorine and bromine systems as well biguanides and aqua catalyst mineral platforms. Glass is designed to be backwashed every 5th week, unlike typical DE or sand filters that require weekly backwashing. And because it requires fewer backwashes, you can reduce the amount of water you use, some technicians report as much as a 100,00 reduction per swimming season per pool (according to April 2012 Pool & Spa News). And if it’s important to you and the maintenance of your pool, it is possible to vacuum through the filter with this media.

Part of what make the glass a great filter media is that the surfaces of the glass pieces have a slightly negative charge which helps it to capture fine particles and hold them until backwashing. The glass grains made from bottle glass, as opposed to plate or window glass used in the past, are prove a fine particle separation, and since the grains are very angular they have a more open packing space and greater permeability than a standard sand filter. Glass grains are also more resistant to breakdown through backwash cycles and they don’t provide a toe-hold for bacteria to resist flushing during the backwash cycle because of their homogeneous shape.

Filters using glass media need a multiport valve instead of a slide valve, and require a pea gravel base (like most sand filters) above the laterals. Purging the entire filter bed depth, which is larger than the typical 6” depth of a sand filter, does require a different method than your standard sand filter so make sure your pool technician is aware of it and familiar with glass media. In residential pools, the estimated life of the glass media is about five years, but may require a bag to restore the bed depth after two or three years.

If a glass media filter has peaked your interest, give Premier Fiberglass a call and we’ll be glad to help you out.

A Pool Gizmo for the Tech Savvy

Posted on April 20, 2012 by premier

Are you a “Gear Guy (or Gal)?” Into technology? Do you like to have the newest gizmo? Do you like to be the Jones’ to keep up with? Then boy do I have a gadget for you. And I promise I’m not just shilling for the company, I just think it’s pretty cool. But check out the iAquaLink by Zodiac.

Zodiac introduced a new product this past February at the Orlando Pool and Spa show that allows you to control your spa (or pool) from your web-enabled device. Cool, right? I can think of so many situations where this would really handy and pretty cool. If you’re on vacation and think you forgot to adjust the timer on the pump (you know, that proverbial “did I leave the iron on?” thing), you can check it and make adjustments from your destination. If you use a pool service, you can even allow them access to check your system, make adjustments and even troubleshoot a solution. You can get your spa up and running before you even get home from work. Control lights, fountain jets, spa spillways, pumps and filters all from your smart phone. Imagine hosting a backyard soiree and firing up the lights and water features just as your guest cross the threshold. Impressive? I think so.

While the apps to run the iAquaLink via Android or iPhone are free, the system itself is a bit of an investment. But if you have the budget for it and would like another gadget give us here at Premier Fiberglass a shout and we can help you get the system for your pool.

Cyanuric Acid Problems?

Posted on April 13, 2012 by premier

This past week I received a call from a customer about high cyanuric acid levels in his pool. And after doing some research and talking to him I thought maybe some information for general consumption would be good.

First off, let’s look at what cyanuric acid does and why it’s in your pool in the first place. Cyanuric acid is a “conditioner” or a “stabilizer.” It helps protect the chlorine from the sun’s UV rays, which will destroy the chlorine. In the appropriate proportions, it will help keep your pool looking sparkling clear and pretty. It is a necessary part of pool maintenance and should be used as a routine part of your chemical regimen. Ideally, cyanuric acid readings should be between 30 and 80 parts per million (ppm). Unlike chlorine, cyanuric acid doesn’t evaporate out of the pool water, so it can build up over time. This is common when using chlorine products that contain a built-in stabilizer chemical. It’s common for chlorine tabs to contain the stabilizer, which means you could be adding extra cyanuric acid every time you put more chlorine in your pool and not eve be aware of it. Problems arise with cyanuric acid when the levels get too high. 110 ppm is considered excessive for this chemical. If you have high levels of cyanuric acid, your pool will probably look dull, and chlorine tests will probably show very high levels of free chlorine.

Unfortunately, there is no chemical you can add to your pool to reduce the amount of cyanuric acid in the water. We at Premier Fiberglass do recommend a few things though.

Drain at least 1/4 of the water out of the pool and refill it with tap water. If the acid is reading exceptionally high you will have to drain more water. Tap water contains almost no cyanuric acid, so the fresh water will help dilute the concentration of the acid and you should be able to get it back within tolerances.
Check your chlorine product. Get the kind that doesn’t contain stabilizer or conditioner, if possible.
If you can get chlorine without the stabilizer or chlorine, you will need to purchase a package of cyanuric acid and add it that way.
Check the cyanuric acid regularly. The test kits can be kind of expensive, so you certainly don’t have to do it weekly. Once a month would probably suffice.

Please remember to handle chemicals safely, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and instructions, and check with a pool care professional when in doubt. We always recommend having your water tested by a professional before you make any large adjustments to the chemistry. If you’d like to do some reading on cyanuric acid, I recommend Pool Manual. Their page was very helpful to me and has tons of information.

So here’s to a summer of fun in a beautiful, sparkling and well-maintained pool!

Accessories for the Pool

Posted on April 5, 2012 by premier

Now that we’ve got that pool, we’re going to need some things to go along with it. So I thought a list of some items, some common sense and necessary, some maybe a little extravagant, to have around the pool would be handy.

Sunscreen. It’s important. Sunburns are not fun and skin cancer is not glamorous. I personally use a 35 spf or more, but I don’t tan: I just turn burn, turn red and then peel, so your mileage may vary.
Towels. My kids are quite adamant that they each have their very own towel, and if you like to host guests it’s always nice to have a few extra on hand for them too, just in case. I even heard that a certain blue, big box store has beach towels on sale right now.
Non-breakable tableware. There is nothing worse than broken glass and trying to keep bare feet out of it, especially outside around a pool. Plastic dishware has come a long way from that Tupperware tumbler in avocado green and harvest gold, and you can find super cute plastic dishes in many stores.
Toys!!! There are all kinds of pool toys out there, for the big kids and the littler ones.
- Noodles. I think these are one of the most versatile toys I’ve seen. And in the office here at Premier Fiberglass we have a really cool spin on standard Noodle: it lights up and blinks. How cool is that? And they are currently available for purchase from our office if that tickles your fancy.
- Diving sticks. Or anything else to retrieve from the bottom of the pool. We had some diving sticks when I was little and they were lots fun. We also had rings, but the sticks were much better for making it all the way to the bottom for more diving and retrieving fun. I think they were off the market for a while due to safety concerns (I think someone was silly and “impaled” themselves on one), but I was at a local sporting goods store the other day and saw a whole bunch of them.
- Goggles. Everyone likes to be able to see underwater. Especially handy for those of us who wear contact lenses.
- Floaties. I figure this encompasses everything from water wings, the perennial necessity for beginning swimmers, tubes and beach balls to those floating lounge chairs that have a shade umbrella and cup holders, inflatable, floating bounce houses, slides and bars from which to serve your guests (yep, it’s a real thing). I think I’ve even seen floating speakers for your radio (that was probably in a Sky Mall or something like that), and I know I’ve seen floating coolers on the river, which would work just as well in a pool for those big kids who need their tunes and cold drinks.
- The BIG toys. Volleyball net, basketball net, diving board, built-in slide …. you get the picture.
Storage. Now that you have all those fun toys you should probably have something or somewhere to keep them. We used plastic hampers for the toys and goggles when I was little and had baskets for the clean towels. I also think it’s great to have a standing rack or clothesline to hang claimed and wet towels on so they don’t take up prime seats around the pool-side.

With your pool, the limit to accessories is really only your imagination and your price point. Need help acquiring an item or just some ideas? Feel free to contact us.

Great Reasons to Own a Pool

Posted on March 30, 2012 by premier

After a brief hiatus for Jury Duty last week (yes, really), I’m back with a few more reasons to invest in a pool. I want to touch on one last practical reason to own a pool and then move on to my last two reasons that are slightly more …. frivolous.

Practicality first. If you are interested in maintaining, or starting, a healthy lifestyle, a pool can be a great investment. There are no expensive health club dues just to use your pool. Swimming is great exercise, it involves lots of muscles and works them very well in a short amount of time. As my husband says, “it’s a real smoker.” Swimming and water aerobics are great carido exercises for those who need a low-impact activity or have joint pain. With what is practically a built in exercise facility in the back yard, there are almost no excuses for becoming a couch potato. Playing games and sports in the pool is fun for the whole family, and you can use your imagination to invent your own games.

Now that we’ve covered the last of the practical reasons on my list, I’d like to submit that pools also have value for those who are looking to add beauty and romance to their homes. Your pool can be the centerpiece of your garden. The sparkle and reflection can enhance any of its surrounding adornments. You can create your own tropical paradise, or hidden lagoon. Add romance to your life by using that tropical paradise for a “secret” rendezvous with your spouse after the kids go to bed. Go skinny dipping with your sweetheart in your private lagoon. Have a private, mini stay-cation, with the pool as a backdrop, to reconnect with your love after a stressful week of deadlines and meetings. Foster intimacy by just spending time together floating and relaxing. If you’re just starting a relationship, sitting by a pool or spa and watching the moon and stars rise can be the perfect way to become acquainted with each other. And nothing is more romantic and elegant than a pool-side wedding with the sound and sparkle of cascading water and the smell of beautiful flowers.

Once more I’d like to thank the folks over at Pool and Spa Living Magazine (now Pool and Spa Outdoor) for supplying the “100 Reasons to Own a Pool” list, which was framework the last few blogs.

Did I miss any? If you think you have a great reason to own a pool, feel free to share it! I’d love to hear your ideas. If any of these reasons makes you think you need a pool, give us here at Premier Fiberglass a holler and we’ll be more than happy to meet with you and design a pool-scape to meet your need.

More Reasons to Have a Pool

Posted on March 9, 2012 by premier

If your family is plenty fun on its own and convenience isn’t an issue there’s still oodles of good reasons to have your very own pool. Like to be one of the “haves” or entertain? Want a luxurious lifestyle? Consider investing in a pool.

Luxury!

Love to relax? Water has immense soothing effects. Whether it’s laying pool-side listening to the water or floating, enjoying a pool is one of the best ways to shake off the stress of the day and refresh yourself, body and spirit. Knowing that you can just “take a break” from the stresses of life in your own backyard can bring perspective and balance to a hectic life. If gifting is your language of love, a pool can be a large “I love you” statement, and an incredible gift. And lets admit it, nothing says luxury like a custom pool designed to fit your tastes and fashion just for the enjoyment of you and your family.

If you’re not like me and can actually tan (as opposed to turning cooked-lobster red and then peeling), playing outside in the pool can help create one of the best looking tans you’ve ever seen. We all know that natural sunshine is a great source of Vitamin D even if you don’t tan and don’t want to. Please do be sure to be smart about your sun exposure though and use sunscreen, especially on those kiddos.

Be Sociable!

There’s no place more natural for a gathering, party or picnic than a backyard with a pool. Warm weather entertaining is easy when you have a pool. We always had a huge party/cook-out/birthday party with swimming on the Fourth of July when I was growing up. It’s one of my favorite memories as a kid. We also hosted the youth group from church for swimming parties. When you have something as great as a pool, you just want to share it. And everyone wants to come to a pool party, all you have to do is invite people.

That custom pool can be the talk and envy of the neighborhood when you have folks over. The Joneses will be keeping up with you when you start the trend of pool ownership amongst your friends and neighbors. You can show them the pride you take in your property and home by investing in a great pool and showing it off.

If you think pool ownership is right for you, give Premier Fiberglass a call. We’d love to discuss your vision for your very own backyard paradise with you and make it happen. We look forward to hearing from you.

Spice Up Your Home with an Outdoor Kitchen or Fireplace!

Posted on March 2, 2012 by premier

If you are selling your home or looking for an alternative to entertaining in the winter months, consider having an outdoor kitchen installed in your backyard!! Either to add to the pool, or even without, outdoor kitchens can add thousands of dollars in value to any property and don’t involve a large amount of overhead to build. When installed, outdoor kitchens are well worth the investment. Outdoor kitchens are nothing new as people in the Mediterranean have used them for more than a thousand years and today everyone is catching on to the benefits of cooking outside. Outdoor kitchens are fully functional, semi-portable cooking spaces that allow the chef in your family to cook all your meals outdoors without running back and forth to the kitchen.

Tell each other stories around the fire and roast marsh-mellows with your family while enjoying the convenience of a backyard fireplace. Well worth the investment to be enjoyed for years to come.

Looking for ways to improve the value of your home? When preparing your home to be listed in the often difficult real estate market, most homeowners focus on basic improvements like painting indoors and out and installing some basic landscaping. Neglecting a perfectly good backyard during this process is an easy way to miss out on possible selling opportunities. Interested buyers will find value in a home that has a backyard that is useful, as opposed to an unkempt piece of land that isn’t appealing or inviting. By creating an outdoor space that is both functional and enjoyable even in the winter months, your home will seem larger and more inviting overall, making it more attractive to buyers. As an outdoor kitchen or fireplace does add to your property value, they can make your home worth more overall.

To stand out from the millions of other homeowners, take a look at the numerous outdoor kitchen and fireplace options that are available from Premier Fiberglass. Whatever you select will be installed professionally by our experts, as do-it-yourself installations can often turn into nightmares when done by inexperienced individuals. Get the most out of your investment with a proper installation, and you won’t have to worry about a thing. Installing an outdoor kitchen is an easy way to add a special feature to your home that will make it stand out from the rest, without draining your relocation budget.

If you want to even go a step further, Premier Fiberglass offers flagstone patios, water features, retaining walls, rock gardens and other custom stone work as well. After your outdoor kitchen has been installed, you’ll be amazed at how different your backyard looks. Whether you just moved in and are renovating an older space or are decorating a brand new home, these improvements add value, and endless entertainment to any backyard. With the ability to cook and entertain outside, you’ll never have to be stuck in a hot kitchen again cooking for your guests during the warmer months. To start enjoying the outdoors, contact Premier Fiberglass to set up an appointment for a free estimate today!

Belgard Outdoor Living Belgard 2011 Kitchen of the year