Wednesday, January 8, 2014

The Legal Side of Pool Building



Building a swimming pool isn’t just about aesthetics. Your pool's design must also meet legal requirements. Otherwise, you won’t get a permit to build your pool. Pool Builders Near Me has differing pool building requirements, below are some of the essential aspects you should consider:

Barrier
In most states, temporary and permanent barriers to enclose the pool are a must. Barriers may include a fence, wall or a combination of the two. Be sure that you check with local authorities requirements regarding barrier height, opening, and other specifications.
Alarm
Pool alarms, if required, should comply with existing standards. In many jurisdictions, pool owners are required to procure alarms that:
·         Detects unauthorized entry into the pool water by a child;
·         Emits audible alarm in the pool and nearby areas;
·         Installed in accordance with manufacturer specifications.
Design
Pool designs must comply with local zoning and code requirements. In most instances, these include:
·         Site location
·         Materials used to construct
·         Equipment employed
Drain cover
Pool drains can be a drowning risk. Most states therefore require pool owners to install drain covers to prevent accidental entrapment and drowning.
Sanitation
Most areas require pools to be kept clean and sanitary. Towards this end some states require equipment to prevent backflow.
Other requirements
It’s important to consult with your pool builder or designer as to what requirements may be needed to be incorporated in your pool plan. If your pool builder has long experience, his advice will ensure the success of your project.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Mistakes to avoid when choosing a pool builder

A swimming pool is an expensive investment that you'd like to put into the hands of a reliable pool builder. To ensure you'll build your dream pool without hassles, see to it that you avoid these common pool buyer mistakes:
1. Not being patient
Choosing a pool builder is not the same as shopping for a pair of pants. Spend considerable time in selecting a builder. In your search, you should verify:
  • Builder’s phone number is listed in directory
  • License to conduct business in locality
  • BBB accreditation and membership to industry trade organizations
2. Being carried away by hard sales tactic
Watch out for builders that use hard sales tactics. Refuse these at all costs. After all, it’s your money that’ll be spent.
3. Not asking for references when looking for austin pool remodeling.
Some builders may post phony testimonials on their sites. So relying on testimonials online alone is a big mistake. If you can, find out for yourself how the work was done and see if the past client was satisfied with the craftsmanship.
4. Failure to verify insurance
Always make it a point to ask for proof of liability and worker’s compensation insurance. If the builder can’t provide it readily, it’s a red flag.
5. Settling for a super-low bid

Low bids should raise alarms. If the builder offers super-low bids compared to competitors, it may be a sign of shoddy craftsmanship. Worse, you may even end up dealing with a fly-by-night builder who’ll scam you.

Factors to Consider in Maintaining Pool Water Quality

Keeping your pool water quality in good condition is important in experiencing worry-free swimming. Below are the factors that you should consider in maintaining pool water quality:
Chlorine
Pool builders educate clients on the importance of keeping chlorine level at the optimum (between 1.0 and 3.0 ppm). That’s because if chlorine level drops, your pool will be exposed to sanitary issues, such as algae and bacterial growth.
pH
Burning nose and eyes while swimming? That’s due to low or high pH. To enjoy a fun and hassle-free swimming experience, maintain pH at standard levels (between 7.4 and 7.6).
Total alkalinity
Total alkalinity levels must be kept at the optimum so that pH levels remain stable. Total alkalinity is the amount of alkaline substances in the pool water. The ideal level is 80-120 ppm. If it’s too low, water can get cloudy. If too high, water becomes green and irritates the eyes.
Cyanuric acid
This chemical is used to stabilize dissolved chlorine to protect it from solar degradation. By keeping cyanuric acid below 40 ppm, you can keep your pool water in good condition as the chlorine will remain stable and perform its usual job.
 Calcium hardness

One essential water quality factor that a pool builder may tell you is calcium hardness (level of dissolved mineral calcium). If it falls below the range of 250-350 ppm, pool water becomes corrosive. If too high, pool water scales form and clog filters and pumps.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Building Swimming Pools: Knowing the Basics

Building swimming pools in the home is something that many property owners today consider, especially those that live in the southern portion of the country, where the weather stays warm for most of the year. Swimming pools not only provide a fun outdoor oasis for you and your family to enjoy, but they also can help increase the value of a home as well. With this is mind its easy to see why so many homeowners today are considering home swimming pools for their property. If you are one of the many people who are considering building swimming pools in their home then there are a few different basics that you may want to be aware of so that this process of installing swimming pools is easier for you.

Hiring Swimming Pools Professionals

It is important to keep in mind that hiring the right professionals to build swimming pools because this is no small undertaking. The contractor will be responsible for creating a rather large and complex part of your home’s current landscape. If they do their work right then they can vastly improve your home and give you a beautiful outdoor place to enjoy with your family. If they do the job wrong there can not only be aesthetic issues but there unprofessional work can also lead to leaks, and other issues that can end up damaging your home or property and result in a great deal of damages for you and your family to take care of. With this in mind, hiring the right contractor for swimming pools is very important.

Creating Swimming Pools

This is not the only thing you will need to know about the process of creating swimming pools. When it comes to adding a swimming pool to your home, you will also want to keep in mind, that there are a number of different decisions that you will have to make about your pool. You will need to choose the type of materials that your actual pool is made of, whether its fiberglass, tile, cement or any other material. You will also have to choose the materials for your deck and surrounding areas. Swimming pools require a great deal of equipment in order to keep them up and running so you will also need to choose the right type of equipment for your pool as well to make sure this process is a success.

The Basics of Hiring Pool Builders


When you are looking to add a new pool to your home, one of the first and most important things to consider is who you will be hiring to create that new pool for you. The process of finding and hiring pool builders can be rather complex, but if you are serious about adding a new pool to your home, you will want to take the process of finding these new pool builders seriously. Here are some tips and things to consider when it comes to hiring pool builders.

Before you sign a contract for a contractor to come in and build you a new pool, you will want to do your research and find out some basic information on these professionals. First, you will want to research the basics of the company and take a look at their company website. Make sure that the pool builders that you are hiring have been in business for several years and that they are a well established organization in your community. You should also make sure that the pool builders you hire are fully licensed and insured. This is very important with any type of contractor that you are hiring. The right pool builders will also have insurance in place to cover the costs of any accidental damage that is done during the construction process.

You will also want to make sure that you take a look at the past work that these pool builders have done. You will want to ask them about the past pools that they have built so that you can see what type of experience that they have and what they are capable of. The right pool builders will not only be able to tell you about past projects that they have done but they will also be able to provide you with photos of the pools they have built in the past.

The right pool builders should be able to come to your home and give you an estimate on the project after they sit down and walk through everything with you and get an idea of what it is that you want. If the pool builders you are considering do not give you a written estimate, make sure that you ask for one. You will also want to make sure that they deliver you with a schedule on completion and payments so that everything you need to know is written out before hand and there are no surprises with your new pool construction.