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Archive for the ‘Outdoor Patio and Deck’ Category

Keep your pool warm with a solar pool heater
When summer is over it does not indicate the end of playing around in your family swimming pool, just as long as you install a solar pool heater you can bask in your pool deep into the fall. There are four stellar components to a solar powered pool heater involving a filter, a pump, a diverter valve, and the solar collector installed on the roof through which the water is pumped, heated, and then pumped back into the pool. The larger your solar collector the longer into autumn you will be able to enjoy your pool, so the collector should be anywhere from 50% to 100% the size of the surface area of the pool. The initial factor you will need to determine is where to place the solar collector to get the maximum amount of sunshine, and don’t forget to set your pump timer to operate during daylight hours. Because pools lose a tremendous amount of heat it is prudent to use a pool cover to minimize evaporation, and help prevent dirt or debris from blowing into the pool. You can lay out as little as $2,000 and as high as $10,000 on a solar heating arrangement, but average costs run in the $3-4,000 range, comparable to old fashioned propane heaters or heat pumps, but without the on-going operational costs of traditional pool heaters. Unlike conventional pool heater systems, solar pool heaters feature low maintenance expenses, as the only moving part is the diverter valve which controls the flow of water to the solar collector. Because solar pool heaters use natural sunlight for an energy source, you will not be emitting pollutants as you would with a propane heaters.

Swimming pools toys are not just for kids
Getting sufficient exercise these days is difficult enough for adults, but inspiring kids to give up their tweeting, texting, face-booking, and video games in order to get outside and exercise is a daunting challenge, fortunately a solution for that is the traditional swimming pool. Swimming by itself is a lot of fun, but if you feel the need to add to your recreational activities there is a great variety of swimming pool toys and accessories from which to select. The easiest swimming pool toys to get are items such as water guns, fins and goggles and even adults like to play with a beach ball or an inflatable raft. There are larger accessories that add a lot of enjoyment to swimming pool activities, like pool slides for the kids, starting platforms for the serious swimmers, and diving boards for all ages. Other terrific swimming pool pastimes are water games, which are many of the standard recreational games adapted for the pool, like basketball, polo, tennis, ping pong, volleyball, and badminton. The underwater surfboard is one of the more popular swimming pool items, especially among kids who love their surfboards and skateboards, because the skills they learn skateboarding and surfing transfers easily to a underwater surfboard. Swimming pool accessories can also be purely practical, such as a pool ladder and railings, often installed toward the deep end because it allows for a fast exit in case of sudden cramps or other emergencies. No matter what toys you provide for a swimming pool, if you have children in the pool you will need to supervise their playing and be sure they are following appropriate safety procedures.

Want to install a swimming pool? Choose fiberglass!
An in-ground swimming pool will produce hours of enjoyment for you and your family, and among the options are concrete, vinyl or fiberglass models. Vinyl pools feature liners that will wear out and have to be replaced every 5 to 7 years, while concrete pools will eventually develop cracks that need to be patched. Concrete often cracks when the ground swells and contracts due to weather or earthquake, while fiberglass can bend and will not crack when the ground shifts. A fiberglass pool shell costs more than other pool materials, but it costs much less to maintain and keep clean. Bacteria development is not a problem with fiberglass because the non-porous surface doesn’t allow algae or mold to take hold, as opposed to cement which requires to be cleaned with heavy chemicals. You could get a fiberglass pool put in over two or three days since the shells are pre-made and quickly set up.

Above ground swimming pool covers
For the protection of your loved ones and the durability of your swimming pool, always use a pool cover to keep kids safe and junk out of your pool. Most water evaporation is due to the impact of wind, whether it be an in-ground pool or an above ground model, but a pool cover will reduce evaporation. Either insulated or non-insulated pool covers made of sturdy vinyl can handle a number of people standing over them. Also quite popular are solar bubble models, which use the heat of the sun to keep the pool warm and are normally less costly than heavy vinyl. Families with small children should avoid the solar bubble covers, which cannot hold the weight that vinyl covers do. Automatic pool covers are commonly the most expensive, followed by semi-automatic covers and then manual ones, the three basic pool cover models. It is highly recommended that you do significant research into the pool covers available and keep your eye peeled for bargains that pop up.

Whenever you wish to continue exploring the subject of swimming pool accessories, clicking on these few sites may be helpful. As an example, if you need information about above ground pool liners, then Buy Above Ground Pool Liners will have plenty of usable tips. Need more details about electric pool heaters? Then Buy Electric Pool Heaters may provide the advice you need. There are also other resources pertaining to above ground pool ladders at Buy Above Ground Pool Ladders. Lastly, information pertaining to swimming pool supplies will be found at Best Swimming Pool Supplies, a useful and instructive website.

Outdoor lawn furniture
As soon as you finish your backyard landscaping and your deck or patio is built, get some outdoor furniture to blend with your exterior decor and give your family and friends a place to sit and relax. Some outdoor furnishings are variations on indoor furniture, such as tables, chairs, recliners, and stools, while other items like swinging chairs and tree benches are designed for outdoor use only. There is a huge variety of outdoor lawn furniture from which to select, so always remember that you need pieces to provide comfort, good looks, and the sturdy durability required to withstand fickle weather conditions. Depending on your personal taste, you can buy outdoor lawn furnishings to perfectly suit your needs, whether it is made of polyresin, plastic, wood, metal, or wicker. The best-selling outdoor furnishings these days are constructed of polyresin, which is less expensive than metal or wood, more sturdy than wicker, and has a better appearance than plastic. If your personal tastes take you down the metal route, you can choose between steel, wrought iron, or aluminum, although you have to be careful about rust, in which case the most rust-resistant metal is aluminum. The most attractive outdoor furnishings are usually manufactured out of wood, but the disadvantage of wood pieces is the potential lack of durability. There are bargains galore to be had when looking for outdoor lawn furniture, especially after summer, and many clearance sales in-store and on-line.

Outdoor pool tables
Shooting pool has been transformed into an outdoor activity in the past few years as durable outdoor pool tables have entered the market for outdoor entertainment. The outdoor pool game is just as high as the indoor game since outdoor pool tables are quite durable and endure all weather conditions. Neither rain, nor snow, nor sun should inflict damage your outdoor table, but always check the manufacturer’s warranty to make sure what conditions are specifically covered. Double checking the manufacturer’s warranty is the first step you take before spending money on a pool table, and always shop for the longer warranties. These pool tables function just dandy indoors, and choices concerning an outdoor table often take into account how the table will fit indoors. Lively kids can be a lot harder on an outdoor table than the weather, which is one excellent reason you might want a longer warranty. Although most outdoor tables do not require a table cover, many folks decide to protect their table whether indoors or out. Outdoor pool tables come in a wide selection of styles to match both your outdoor and indoor decor, and there are even tables you can assemble yourself.

Lounge chairs for the patio
When looking for recliner lounge chairs for your backyard patio, terrace, deck or barbecue area, you have a full choice of colors and styles that are available in four basic materials: metal, wood, plastic, and polyresin. Before you spend a bunch of money on outdoor furniture you need to consider how cost-effective the pieces are, how comfortable they will be, how they fit with your existing exterior decor, and how long they will last outside in the elements. The first issue you need to figure out is how much you are willing to spend on outdoor lounge chairs, and to answer that question you need to know how much you plan to use these pieces, because there is no point spending good money on items you won’t use that much. If relaxation is the main concern, shop for lounge recliners with padded cushions that are weather resistant. The quality of outdoor patio lounge recliners varies greatly, and high quality, durability and looks often depend on the material used to make the chairs. Wood outdoor furnishings are the most attractive, but wood is often the least durable, while aluminum is rust-resistant and lightweight, and other metal furniture like wrought iron and steel need to be treated with rust-resistant coatings. Plastics are more economical and easy to clean, however they can appear kind of cheap. The material that is gaining in popularity is polyresin, which is only a little more expensive than plastic chairs, but is more long-lasting than either metal or wood, and always looks terrific. One little feature that you don’t want to disregard or overlook is whether or not the chair has a cup holder, an item of considerable convenience.

The subject of patio furniture and accessories is very extensive and there will be a wide variety of websites which address a particular topic. Here are a few links that might help. For example, when you need information about wood decks, then Your Wood Deck will have a lot of useful tips.