What is the difference between overlap and beaded liners and which one is better?
Let us show you the differences!

Overlap liners are always cheaper, but do require much more time to install than
a beaded liner. Overlap liners actually fold over the top of your pool underneath
your top caps. To replace your liner, you must take off all of your top caps in
order to get your old liner out and then must put them all back on once you have
installed your new liner. Taking off the top caps and removing your current liner
normally takes anywhere from 2-5 hours to complete. Then you also have the same
amount of time to reinstall a new liner and place the top caps back on. If you
are planning on doing this in one day, I would set aside one whole day to complete
this project. The benefit of overlap liners is they are cheaper than beaded liners.
There are several liner colors and patterns you can choose from if you have an
overlap. YOu can get a larger variety of patterns moving up to a beaded liner.

Beaded liners are usually a little more expensive. With a beaded liner,
you have a bead track that you actually place your liner into. This makes for easy
removal when you need to replace your liner. You do not have to remove the top
caps with this type of liner so the time that it takes to put one in and take one
out is usually about 2 hours. There are so many more printed liner patterns that
you can purchase with a beaded liner as well.

Liners will typically last anywhere from 5-7 years before they need replaced. The
longevity of the liner will be determined by weather, abuse, chemical usage and up
keep, quality, as well as age. Please refer to our tips on how to keep your liner
in the best shape possible to make your liner last as long as it can!

Posted: June 29th, 2008 under Pool Tips, Swimming Pools.
Comments: none

Automatic chlorinators can be added to any aboveground or inground pool. Adding one
of these systems will make your life much easier! These chlorinators are small
tubular vessels that hook on to your filter system. You then add your chlorine tabs
in this vessel, filling it 3/4 of the way up to allow for some water to get in
and erode them. During the heat of the season, filling it 3/4 of the way up should
get you about a weeks worth of sanitizer. This is all depending on the weather,
the size of your pool, how often it is used, and how many bathers are in at once.
These are great if you go on vacation as well, as you can throw the tablets
in your chlorinator and not have to worry about not having a sanitizer level
while you are gone!

These systems are very inexpensive and can save you alot of time since you don’t
have to add tablets to your pool every single day now! You can also get the most
benefit out of your tablets because you turn the dial to the number that suits your
bather load and pool size. This amount will then be automatically released into
your pool water, maintaining the proper level of sanitizer. You will have to figure
out for sure which number you need to have it on for your size of pool in order to
keep the best sanitizer level possilbe. You don’t want the tablets to erode too fast,
giving you a very high amount of chlorine in your pool. Once you figure which setting you
need it at, you will be sailing right along with no worries! Imagine that…a pool
with no worries! Now that’s amazing!

Posted: June 29th, 2008 under Chemicals, Swimming Pools.
Comments: none

Natural Chemistry has come out with several products that aid in helping to reduce
your risk of algae in your pool all summer long! The product Pool Perfect + Phos Free
will help to prevent a phosphate build up (which is a source of food for algae to grow
and feed on), reduce waterline ring, unclog your filters, reduce eye irritation,
and reduce chemical odors. Pool Perfect is an enzyme remover, which helps to get rid
of body oils and lotions that may build up in your pool. The enzyme removal and
phosphate technology put all into one bottle makes this product one of the best!
Just add a few ounces a week and enjoy your clean pool for the rest of the summer!

Another new product is called Phosfloc. This is a phosphate remover in grandular
form that comes in a 4 lb container. Phosphates are the products in your water that
the algae uses as a food source. If you take the food source out of your pool, you
will have no problem with algae because it has nothing to feed off of! This is a
fast dissolving products that reduces the high phosphate levels in your pool water
that may cause algae. To us this product, make sure that your ph is running around
7.2, add the required dosage to your pool, let circulate for 1-2 hours, then turn
your pool off for 12 hours to let everything settle to the bottom of your pool.
Then come back and vacuum all of the sediment from the bottom of your pool the next
day. Make sure to vacuum to waste so all the sediment does not go through your sand
filter. This will ensure that you get rid of the problem and not store it in your
sand filter. You will need to add water after this though. You should be on your
way to an algae free pool after this!

Posted: June 29th, 2008 under Chemicals, Swimming Pools.
Comments: none

The Natural Chemistry line of pool chemicals has several different products that can be used to clear, prevent, and get rid of minerals, metals, and stains. If you have ever had a problem with your water turning brown or yellow, it is most likely due to a high metal or mineral content in your water source. There are products out there to help prevent this from happening as well as products to get rid of the problem after it has already taken place. 

 The best product we have found to use to prevent your water from turning colors is Natural Chemistry’s Metal Free. This product will help to deactivate iron, copper, and other minerals and metals in your water. It will help to prevent stains and water discoloration. This product is PHOS FREE, which means it does not provide food for algae to feed off of (called phosphates).  If you already have the discoloring going on in your pool from metals and minerals, you can use Ferri – Iron tablets that will help to restore your water clarity. You use 1 tablet for each 3,000 gallons of water in your pool. Then just backwash within 18-24 hours after adding these tablets. Then your pool should be back to its beautiful Caribbean blue!  If you are having staining problems on your pool or liner, Natural Chemistry Stain Free is a granular powder product that will help to remove any stains that you have. This is an all natural Vitamin C ascorbic acid based product that is very organic and safe to use. Just sprinkle this product directly over the stains. Then add Metal Free to help protect your pool for this problem in the future. Let the Stain Free sit for a few hours, get a scrub brush and brush it into the stain and watch it disappear. The next day, vacuum your pool and backwash and you should be good to go! Now you can enjoy your beautiful looking pool!

Posted: May 13th, 2008 under Chemicals, Swimming Pools.
Comments: none

Have you ever wondered what you can do keep your pool liner clean and looking great for years? Here are some solutions and tips to keep in mind that will help you to achieve this!

1. Never throw chlorine tablets directly into your pool because they will sink to the bottom of your pool, sit on your liner and cause a bleach spot. These can never be taken out once it has happened.
2. Using too much muratic acid and too often can cause your liner to be bleached.
3. Making sure that your children don’t bring sharp objects into the pool that could puncture the liner.
4. Make sure that your chlorine and ph are always balanced to avoid extreme wear and tear on your liner.
5. Make sure to disperse all chemicals all the way around the pool and not just in one spot to avoid it from settling at the bottom of the pool in one spot, causing it to be bleached.
6. Make sure you don’t get algae in your pool because it can stick to your liner and even grow into your liner and could discolor it.
7. Make sure to always properly winterize your pool in the winter time. Always use a cover to prevent harsh winter damage to your liner, remove everything out of the pool including ladders and slides, fittings, hoses, and make sure your water level is down past the skimmer.
8. If you get any type of metal or calcium stains in your pool, always make sure to quickly remove any stains that you see starting to appear before they embed into the liner.
9. Make sure you don’t have any wrinkles in your liner, which could cause discoloration if you were to unwrinkled it. It can cause unsightly creases of all different shades.

10. Make sure that you always get the leaves and debris off the bottom of your pool will ensure that your liner will stay nice and clean. Also make sure you wipe down the water line on the liner as well to insure that it doesn’t turn different colors.

With these simple tips you can ensure that your pool liner will last for years to come!

Posted: May 2nd, 2008 under Pool Tips, Swimming Pools.
Comments: none

Safety in swimming pools has become a huge issue over the last several years.  There have been several different drownings that have occurred across the United States, as well as right here in our area.  There was a little girl, 6 years of age that ended up passing away from a disembowment of her small intestine while she was swimming last year. This was such a horrible story, but unfortunately it is not the only one. A girl named Virginia had also drowned in 2002. Not only is it horrible and heartbreaking to hear about one young children that this happened to, but to hear about another one made it even more real. The reality of this is something we know about being in the pool and spa business, but the sad thing is, there are not many people that really do know about the dangers of this. 

 The story of Virginia Graeme Baker is a heartbreaking one. She was the granddaughter of former Secretary of State James Baker. Virginia went with her family to a friend’s house for a big graduation party. The focal point of the party was the swimming pool in her friend’s back yard. It was not long after they arrived to the party that Virgina was already in the pool and spa swimming around. Before her mother knew it, her other daughter came running across the yard yelling for help. Virginia was stuck next to the drain in the spa and they could hardly see her with all of the water movement going on. Her mother then jumped in the spa and released her from the suction of the drain only to find that it was too late. Virginia was only 7 years old and her life was cut extremely short by this incident that could have easily been prevented with the proper equipment. Because of Virginia’s family, there has now been a Safety Act that has been put in place. The act is called The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act of 2007.   This act includes: prohibiting the manufacture, sale or distribution of drain covers that do not meet anti-entrapment safety standards established by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Creating an incentive grant program for states to adopt pool and spa safety laws that require certain safety devices in all swimming pools and spas to protect children, to establish a national drowning prevention education program within the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and to require public pools to incorporate anti-entrapment drain covers and other layers of protection into their facility. To read more about this act, please go to http://sk.convio.net/site/PageNavigator/Campaigns/PoolSpaSafetyAct%20/CampaignPoolHome.    We would like to take the time now to share some very helpful and positive information with you regarding these stories. Had these safety devices been installed on both of the pools that these children had been swimming in, they would most likely still be alive today.   There are systems out there that can help prevent these horrible drownings! We have a new system that we just brought in called Stingl, which will do just that! It is a safety vacuum release system (SVRS) that has been designed to shut down the pumps on your pool in the event of something obstructing, covering, or being inserted into the drain. If this system senses any type of restriction, this Stingl system is meant to trip the pumps off, therefore reliving any pressure or suction that might be placed on an object. In the cases stated above, if they would have had this Stingl system installed, the instant that the children would have been pulled close to the drain, the pumps would have shut off, releasing the children unharmed before any serious damage could have taken place.   This system is not very pricy if you think about your children’s safety seriously. What price tag can you put on your own child’s life? How much would you spend to ensure that you would never lose your child this way? This system is very easy to install and only requires putting a sensor into your piping, which will be used to sense that there is a restriction, and the box that will be placed near your pumps to help you control it.  These systems are already mandated in California for any pool owner, either residential or commercial. You must have one of these systems on your pool in California or you could be fined heavily. We believe that within the next year or two, the Midwest states will also be mandated to have one of these systems installed on every pool. You mise well get ahead of the game and make sure you are protecting your most precious investment (your children) today, instead of waiting until it’s too late.   Please consider purchasing these products soon to protect your children’s lives. Drowning is still the second leading killer of children under the age of 14. We believe that at least half of these drowning incidents could be prevented with these types of systems.  

Posted: April 22nd, 2008 under Pool Equipment, Pool Safety, Swimming Pools.
Comments: none

Have you ever wondered what some of the top reasons for owning a swimming pool would be? Well we are here to help you out! Here is our list of the top 35 most important reasons why everyone should own a swimming pool!

1. IT’S AN ENDLESS VACATION! Having your own swimming pool can be like an endless vacation right in your own backyard! Why spend thousands of dollars every year to travel places, when you have so much enjoyment in your own backyard? It’s well worth it and the family will love your new paradise!
2. IT’S FULL OF ENJOYMENT! The pool is always a fun place to hang out with family and friends! All the games you can play, the relaxation, and the exercise…what else could be better!
3. HELPS KIDS LEARN HOW TO SWIM EARLY! It’s more important now than ever that children learn how to swim at an early age to avoid drowning! You are the best teacher that your child could have so why not teach them in your own backyard pool?
4. FAMILY TIME! It’s a rare thing now days to have a lot of family time so why not have an excuse for your family to all join in a weekly pool party in your own backyard! Then you can pass around the stories of the week and share some splashes!
5. RELAXING! Who doesn’t like relaxing? And it’s even better in your own backyard, in the comfort of your own pool!
6. THE BEST PRESENT EVER! Your family will thank you for years to come for the best present that you could have ever given them!
7. BETTER HEALTH! It’s true that you can increase your health, circulation, and joints when using your swimming pool.
8. EXERCISE! We all need more of this and what better way than to be outside on a nice sunny day, enjoying your own pool while losing those pounds you’ve complained about for months!
9. GREAT FOR ARTHERITIS! The water therapy that you can receive from swimming and taking the weight off your body is tremendous!

10. HEALTHIER HEART! Increase the blood flow to your heart, which will then make your heart stronger and healthier!

11. WORK OFF YOUR DINNER! Swimming is one of the easiest ways to get rid of unwanted fat easily! Eat dinner, wait 30 min, and then go for a swim! You’ll be amazed at the results!

12. BETTER THAN TV! Swimming in your own pool is much better, and might we add healthier, than sitting around watching tv! At least go swim a few laps during the commercials!

13. BEAT THE HEAT! The easiest way to cool off is to jump in some cool water during the hot summer. Refresh yourself before you’re hard at work again!

14. CLOSE TO HOME! Your pool is so convenient and close to your home, why would you ever need to leave your house? Except for those silly groceries!

15. WHERE YOUR KIDS ARE! Ever wondered where your kids are and aren’t for sure of the answer? Now you will know because they will be in the backyard, in the pool with all of their friends!

16. KNOWING YOUR CHILDREN ARE SAFE! Not only will you know where your children are, but you will know they are safe.

17. LESS GRASS TO CUT! That means more time to enjoy your pool, and less time doing yard work!

18. NO COSTLY POOL MEMBERSHIPS! You can put your money where it should be, in your own pool, instead of having to use a public pool!

19. IT’S ALWAYS READY TO SWIM IN! Sometimes public pools can be a hassle and you are never sure when they are open! Having your own pool eliminates this!

20. KEEPS YOUR CHILDREN OUTDOORS! That way they are not stuck in front of the tv or computer all day and not getting any exercise!

21. SKINNY DIPPING! You can’t do that at a public pool!

22. STAR GAZING! Relax in your pool on a warm evening and enjoy the stars with your spouse!

23. MINI VACATIONS! Ever needed just a quick get away from the housework and children? It’s in your own backyard!

24. MAKE NEW FRIENDS! Invite your neighbors over for a dip and enjoy their company!
25. PERSONAL LUXURY! You’ll wonder how you ever lived without it and why you waited so long once you have one!

26. PERFECT TYPE OF ENTERTAINMENT! It’s great for parties, family, your children’s friends, and the neighbors!

27. POOL PARTIES! You’ll enjoy all the parties that you can have in your new pool!

28. PRICES WILL NEVER BE LOWER THAN TODAY! We know most things don’t decrease in price, so that makes today the best day to purchase a pool!

29. POOLS ARE AFFORDABLE! No matter what you’ve heard in the past.

30. POOLS ARE GREAT ALTERNATIVES TO EXPENSIVE VACATIONS! Instead of going on a far away and expensive trip, why not relax in your own backyard?

31. POOLS MAKE YOUR HOUSE A HOME! Your children will think so too! You have no idea how many friends they have until you get a pool!

32. POOLS ARE THE CENTERPEICE OF YOUR GARDEN! People will look in amazement at your garden when they see a beautiful pool of your own in your backyard!

33. POOLS ADD VALUE TO YOUR HOME! Most people today are looking for pools in their backyard! If you are planning on selling your home in the future, make sure you have a pool to increase the value of your home tremendously!

34. CREATE A TROPICAL PARADISE! Add waterfalls, lagoons, palm trees, decks, and slides to your pool and you might just think you’re on the beach!

35. GOOD CLEAN FUN FOR YOUR WHOLE FAMILY! You’ll know the water is safe and healthy because you are taking care of it yourself and you know what goes in it, unlike public pools!

Posted: April 22nd, 2008 under Swimming Pools.
Comments: 1

Solar covers are really outdated and old technology. They have been around for years and have been the number 1 way to inexpensively keep your pool water warmer. Over the years though, these solar covers have become a big problem in regards to your family’s safety. There have been several instances where children have fallen into their pool while the solar blanket was on and their parents did not find them until several hours later. By this time it was already too late. They had fallen on the edge of the solar blanket, rolled underneath it, and then the cover came back up to the surface of the water while the child was underneath it, unable to get out. The parents were unable to see them and didn’t think anything of it. Because of this, a lot of the states in the U.S. are now making laws that state you have to have 2 barrier methods on your pool, one being a fence and the other being either a pool alarm or a safety auto cover. To help prevent the drowning issue and remove the worry about pulling your cover off every time you want to jump in your pool, we are trying to provide new products that are not only safer on your skin, more cost effective, but also safer for your children to be around.   The new alternative, unlike using bulky solar blankets, is using Heat Saver which is all liquid! This new liquid option comes in a gallon container that will last you throughout the whole pool season. You just add a few ounces of this product a day and you are on your way to warmer water with a lot less hassles and risks. This product will do everything that a solar blanket will do except keep the leaves out of your pool. It will help you to maintain a warmer temperature in your pool, cut down on the water evaporation, as well as keep your children safe with no tastes or odors. You don’t even know this product is there since you can’t taste, touch, smell, or feel it.    So why not invest in Heat Saver! You can save yourself a whole bunch of money instead of buying expensive solar covers that will eventually mold and rot away, know that your children and pets will be safe from falling in the pool while you are unable to see them, and still receive all the same benefits that you have been getting from your solar cover! Try it today and see what a difference it will make!

Posted: April 16th, 2008 under Pool Safety, Swimming Pools.
Comments: none

Are you looking for an algae free pool this year? Well we have all of the solutions for you to make that happen! Here are some great tips to remember to keep your pool crystal clear all year long!

The MOST important thing to remember is to always keep a sanitizer level in your pool. A sanitizer level can be from chlorine, bromine, biguinide, or salt. As long as you always have a sanitizer reading in your pool, you should never have algae! During the heat of the season, you may need to add sanitizer daily to your pool, but this is not uncommon. It will evaporate out of your water as well as get used up from your bathers. Remembering this simple step, which takes just a few minutes a week, can save you a lot of time and money. If you let it get out of control, than you have to spend all that time cleaning up the algae once you get it which can be take a lot of time and be very costly.

The next step is to shock your pool once a week. Remember to always shock at night. The shock will actually burn off the rest of the bacteria that is still left in your pool. You must do this at night to get the most benefit because the shock is not normally sunlight stabilized, which means once sunlight hits it, it is gone. By doing this shock process at night, it has all night to work before the first bit of daylight in the morning burns the rest of it off! Shock will help to keep your pool sparkling blue all year round!

The next step would be to use an algaecide to prevent the growth of algae. Although you can maintain your pool with the first two steps ONLY, using an algaecide to help prevent will give you a little extra boost to make sure if you do slip up and forget to add sanitizer for a day, that you will lower the risk of getting algae. You will just add a couple ounces every week to make sure you are protected for the long haul!

With these simple tips, you should have no worries at all this summer! 

Posted: April 16th, 2008 under Chemicals, Swimming Pools.
Comments: none

There are many different types of pools. Today we would like to briefly tell a little about them all to help you decide which pool would be best for you!

The different types of aboveground pools are metal walls and soft sides. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of both.

Metal wall pools have to be set on ground that is within .25 inch level. The preparation time and set up time normally equals at least 2 days for the home owner to install. The pool wall is rolled out into a circle or oval and is then braced. There is a liner that then is hooked on the inside of the pool or pulled over the top wall. You can either get an overlap liner (one that has to be placed under the top rails of the pool) or a beaded liner (which goes in a track). The advantage of a beaded liner is the fact that when it comes time to change your liner, you do not have to remove the all the top caps of your pool just to get your liner out. It will just pop out of the bead track and you can easily and quickly slide the new one in. Liners will normally last anywhere from 3-5 years before they have to be replaced. Depending on size of your pool, liners will cost anywhere from a hundred dollars up to seven hundred dollars. On metal wall pools, you can only actually swim in about 3 ¾ ft water at any given time because of the height that the skimmer is fixated to the wall. The water does have to be drained down past the skimmer during the winter before you close it up. Metal walls however are one of the cheaper ways to go if you are looking for an aboveground pool. Metal wall pools normally will last anywhere from 10-15 years before having to be replaced. Aqua Palace is the only aboveground company in the metro Omaha area that also offers stainless steal metal wall pools. You will double your life expectancy of your pool if you go with stainless steel. The cost on these pools are ranked at $.

Splash Super Pools are a soft side membrane pool that can be set up with your ground being 3-4 inches off level. The reason for this is because the skimmer floats with your water level, allowing you a few extra inches to adjust your water level. With the Splash Super Pools, you will be swimming in 4ft of water, not just that the walls are 4 ft high. Splash also offers 5ft deep pools as well. These soft sided pools are easy to set up within 3-4 hours. Everything snaps together and there are no tools required. The best thing about the Splash pools is that they can be set up and torn down very easily. If you move around a lot, these are the best pools to have because you can always take them down and move them with you. Splash pools have no liner in the pool, the whole pool is the liner! The liner is reinforced with polyester and then has a flexible pvc poured over it. You do not have to drain these pools during the winter, nor do you have to take them down. You just simply unscrew the skimmer that is in the pool and you are done. Although Splash pools are a little more pricey than metal walls, your life expectancy is 25-35 years. They hold their value very well and look just as new 10 years down the road as they did the first day you put it up. The cost on these pools are ranked at $$.

There are also several different types of inground pools.

Vinyl liner pools are most predominant of the inground pools thru out the metro area. The pool walls are composed of plastic or steal (preferred) and are approximately 3 ½ ft high. The floors are hand shaped to 8-10 depths and then a 2 inch thick layer of what looks like cement (called poolcrete) is applied to retain the shape. A vinyl liner is then installed to provide a water tight membrane just like an aboveground pool. It usually takes 3 weeks to have this type of pool installed in your backyard. The liners last 5-7 years and the pool itself has a life expectancy of 15-25 years. The cost on this type of pool is ranked at $$$.

Fiberglass inground pools are a one piece shell, pre-designed, colored, tiled…whatever you want! Install time can be as little as one day, but usually requires 2-3 weeks for a complete project. Fiberglass is naturally insulated so it stays warmer and consumes less gas to heat. A big benefit is all the curveatious shapes, child safety ledges, swim out benches, and staircases that are standard with all fiberglass pools. All of these features would be expensive to add on any other type of pool and they come included with fiberglass pools! Fiberglass pools are the least expensive of all the inground pools to maintain because they never need painted and you don’t ever have to replace liners! Life expectancy of a fiberglass pool is 50 years. The cost on this type of pool is ranked at $$$$.

A shotcrete pool is built from a high strength concrete and sprayed (shot) onsite. A tremendous amount of steel rebar is used to form the shape which builds strength, just like the construction of a bridge. Any size, option, or shape can be designed into this type of pool including beach entries. The concrete is then tiled or plastered to resemble anything from a simple blue to a natural pebble rock finish. Refinishing the interior is required every 10-15 years. Life expectancy is over 50 years. The cost on this type of pool is ranked at $$$$$.

We also offer a lot of additional services such as concrete walk ways all the way around the pool, stained concrete, landscaping, waterfalls, water features, alcoves, retaining walls, and synthetic decks. Stop in today for more information on which pool would suite you best!

Posted: April 1st, 2008 under Swimming Pools.
Comments: 2