Imagine you’re sitting in your new backyard oasis, gazing at the beautiful, custom pool of your dreams. The breeze is blowing, the sun is shining and you’re relaxing with a cold drink. However, you look over to your right and there it is, the pool equipment. One thing you may have not considered when building your new pool is all the pool equipment that has to have a home in your backyard as well. Filters, heaters, pumps, plumbing, and PVC pipes are all necessary equipment for a pool to function properly, but you’d probably rather not have to look at them. So, what are the options for hiding these necessary, but not exactly attractive, pieces of equipment? Ideas for Hiding Pool Equipment Landscaping Bushes: The denseness of bushes make them a great option for hiding pool equipment. They are also able to grow thick and tall enough to create a pseudo wall, which also helps with filtering out noise! When selecting bushes for concealing equipment, make sure you choose ones that don’t grow too fast or drop a lot of debris. Stay away from any that flower or drop fruit – the berries can stain your deck and also attract insects. Trees: Here in Central Florida, palm plants are ideal. There are so many varieties available that are short and full, perfect for hiding pool equipment. Palms are generally low maintenance and you won’t have a problem with fronds shedding into your pool. Same with bushes, stay away from any Read the full article…
When you’re building your outdoor oasis, plans don’t stop at the pool. You want a beautiful backyard around your pool that feels warm and inviting, cool and especially peaceful. The space should welcome relaxation, entertainment and especially FUN! You want places to sit, sounds to enjoy, colorful surroundings and maybe a spot for cold drinks and food. When designing your backyard to further enhance your amazing pool, there are many different features and additions you can add to take your outdoor oasis to the next level. Pools by Bradley offers numerous options when it comes to backyard design from outdoor showers to pergolas, we also have entertainment options that can be added to enhance the recreational time that you will be spending in your new outdoor environment like outdoor kitchens. Here is some additional information on the additions we offer to help take your backyard to the next level: Backyard Enhancements Outdoor Showers Outdoor showers are a great addition to any backyard with a pool. You may think of an outdoor shower as something you’d find at a beach house, and while that may be true, the benefits of outdoor showers don’t stop at salt and sand. An outdoor shower is the perfect spot for cleanup and changing after a dip in the pool. They’re also a handy area for getting the kids cleaned up without tracking everything in the house. Have a lot of guests this summer? Shower space for everyone. From a one-stop dog-cleaning spot to a post-gardening Read the full article…
Here in the Orlando and Central Florida area, we are accustomed to heavy rains, especially those late afternoon storms during the summer and fall months. Most of the time these storms are welcomed, as a good rain usually cools down the temperature and provides our lawns and landscaping a much needed watering. Hurricane season has also just begun, meaning we are more susceptible to perhaps seeing some big storms. When strong storms like tropical depressions or hurricanes do hit, they can dump too much rain on our property, including excessive water being “dumped” into our pools. But what do you do when your pool’s water level gets too high? Plus, exactly how high is too high? Here’s what you need to know about draining your pool, when to be concerned, and how you can lower your pool’s water level. Draining Your Pool to Lower the Water Level Accumulation of excess water is one of the largest problems caused by heavy rains and is the cause of multiple problems. When your pool overflows, it can lead to debris and extra runoff in your pool and can also flood your pool equipment like the filters and pumps (an essential and expensive component to your outdoor recreational space). Even if your pool doesn’t overflow, yet the water rises enough from a heavy rain, your surface skimmer will no longer effectively skim the surface debris into the skimmer basket and draining it back to the correct level is necessary. If you know a hurricane Read the full article…
You’ve done your research on pool decking options and have decided to go with a paver deck. Pavers are typically made from stone, brick or concrete and their design can be as intricate or as simple as you want. One of the benefits of going with pavers is that they can be easily removed and replaced if you need work on the plumbing underneath or one cracks or breaks. They are very durable, non-slip and weather resistant – perfect for the deck on your outdoor oasis. As your pool deck ages, however, you may start to notice a few common paver deck problems – like sand being tracked in your house or pool, mold growth and ants. Although still one of our favorite decking options, there are things you can do to correct these problems. Here’s what you need to know. Problem #1: Sand tracked into the pool & house When pavers are installed, they are laid on top of a sand bed, then secured in place with sand that is added to the top of the pavers and compacted until the joints stay filled. As time passes and the pavers settle, you might start to notice that this sand is making its way into your pool or even being tracked into your house. A way to prevent this is having a “sand lock” applied over your pavers after they are installed. This product is made of fine granules of sand and polymeric adhesive that hardens after being exposed to Read the full article…
As you’re designing your dream pool, one of the most important aspects of the design will be your decision what deck size and deck material will be used. There are many choices for decking, all of which are based on factors such as cost, appearance, size of area and typical use. The main rule when choosing pool decks is to purchase as much as you can afford once you make your final decision. The main reason for this being that it is more cost effective and easier to add square footage while you are building. Deciding to add more deck later will definitely cost you extra, not to mention having to give up your back yard again plus the potential of the decking you choose no longer being available. This is often easier said than done seeing as you have a budget to stick to and adding a few thousand dollars on additional decking isn’t in the cards. So you have to decide if you’re going to go for a larger deck using less expensive material, or a smaller deck using a more expensive option. It comes down to personal choice and is a decision you have to make for yourself. When exploring the pool decking options that are available to you here in Central Florida and the Orlando Metropolitan area, please keep in mind that we here at Pools By Bradley try to educate our clients that they should perhaps stay away from the stamped concrete, exposed aggregate, brushed concrete Read the full article…
