Different Advantages of Owning Your Own Swim Spa
A swim spa is a relatively new idea, but one that more and more people is taking advantage of. Often called “endless pools,” these are much smaller than a traditional swimming pool but a little bit longer than your average spa. The jets in a swim spa can be set so that the current is constantly flowing in one direction. This allows you to swim against that current “endlessly” (thus the name endless pool). There are many different kinds of swim spas, and the jets can usually be set so that you may either enjoy a relaxing soak with the full benefits of a traditional spa, or you can get in a good swim without the need of a full size pool in your backyard.
Benefits of a swim spa
Obviously the main benefit is the ability to have a swim whenever you like. Studies show that swimming is one of the most beneficial forms of exercise, providing great cardio and muscle training while also easier on the joints than running. Swimming is a full body workout, unlike most exercises which focus on only one or a handful of parts of your body. This is actually better than a pool though, because it eliminates the need to “turn around” every dozen or so strokes. You can keep a comfortable pace all in one direction for as long as you want, you can usually also adjust the pace at which you must swim to keep with the current.
Along with being a great way to workout, a swim spa is perfect if you do not have a ton of room for a full size pool in your backyard. Also because it is smaller than a pool it is much easier to heat in the winter months, meaning you can swim year-round even if you live in a colder climate.
On top of that, in most swim spas the jets can be adjusted for when you just want to relax. Whether you need to loosen up after a swim or if you are inviting friends or family over to enjoy your spa, simply adjust the settings and you are ready to go.
Different types of swim spas
There are mainly three types of swim spas available; Molded shells you put inside of a deck, self-contained swim spas and component or modular swim spas.
1. Molded shells – These are usually 12 to 24 feet long and come with only the molding for the spa. Heaters, jets and filters are set within the deck however you wish—though generally you’ll need the help of a contractor to do this. The benefit is you can install them anywhere you would like in your yard and decorate the surrounding landscape however you feel.
2. Self-contained swim spas – Also called a portable swim spa, these are just like an above ground spa, but made to the specifications of a swim spa; meaning longer in length with jets that can be adjusted for swimming purposes.
3. Component swim spas – This can go inside or outside and is the most versatile type of swim spa. These can be built to nearly any specified length or depth.
4. Self-contained Fast Lane swim spa jets – While not a swim spa officially, this is one option where jets can actually be fitted to an existing pool, allowing for the “endless swim” experience without the need for an entire swim spa.
Click here to see our gallery of Long Island Swim Spas
Automated Pool Safety Covers – How to Keep Your Pool Safe Year Round
Having a pool is a great for those hot summer months, family get-togethers and other occasions, but keeping it clean and safe when not in use can be a real hassle. That is unless you have an automated pool safety cover installed. An automated pool safety cover is simply a pool cover which stretches over your pull automatically with a push of a button. There is more to it than that though. This type of pool cover has a list of great benefits, some you may not have considered, and this type of pool cover is much safer than other more traditional pool covers. We will go over some of the options and some of the details about different types of automated pool safety covers.
Different types of pool covers
Traditionally a pool cover was simply a tarp pool owners placed over the pool in the winter, sometimes held in place with hooks, more often just with rocks or other heavy objects… sometimes even just left floating on the surface of the pool.
Really any piece of plastic can work as a pool cover, but it is not the most efficient way to cover your pool. Modern pool covers have a lot more to offer and are much safer.
The material can be a bubble or a solar cover, this offers the best insulation. Insulated vinyl offers great installation as well and for warmer areas or if you do not use the pool at all in the winter, a regular sturdy vinyl cover will work.
The way the tarp is placed over the pool can also vary. Today automated pool covers ensure all of the water is actually covered. These systems operate via remote and “roll” the pool cover over the entire body of water. A mechanism on each side of the pool holds the tarp tight so that none of the water is exposed. This has the additional benefit of being a whole lot safer.
Do pool covers keep the pool cleaner?
One of the main expenses of having a pool is keep it clean. Along with the chemical balance, objects like dust, grass and leaves that find there way into your pool can make it harder to keep clean. During the winter months when most do not pay a lot of attention to their pool this problem can become worse, sometimes pool owners may even need to drain then refill their pool should the problem get too bad. Of course covering you pool can go a long way toward avoiding these problems. Automated pool covers work best because they cover the entire pool, while most older covers only go over a portion, leaving plenty of room for debris.
Safety issues pertaining to pool covers
One of the main factors to consider is the safety of your pool, especially if you have small children or pets. Pool covers which are not held tightly on each side and which cannot support weight are actually more dangerous than an uncovered pool. If a person or pet falls in they can become tangled, making it more difficult for even strong swimmers to get out.
Automated tarps are held firmly in place, and a quality cover will be able to hold more than enough weight to ensure should someone accidentally fall in, they will have no problem getting back out.
Click here to take a look at our Long Island Pool Covers?
Finding a Great Gazebo in the Long Island Area
Have you thought about putting a gazebo in your backyard or porch area? A gazebo can be any free standing or attached enclosure with a ceiling to protect from the elements. A gazebo may have walls or be open, and often they will have shorter walls with a gate of some sort. There are a number of different uses for a gazebo, they: provide shade when it is hot, can keep the rain off of an outdoor picnic, they are often used to enclose a hot tub, it is a great place for a picnic or barbeque area, and there are many other possible uses in addition. Gazebos can be found all over including in public parks and pools, picnic areas, in recreational areas, and gazebos are even used as a pavilion for different shops in or store fronts in some cases.
Different sorts of gazebos
A gazebo is a generic term for any of the structures similar to described above. There are a couple different kinds of gazebos though, and these do differ from one to the other—though most do use the terms interchangeably we will describe the difference. A pagoda is a specific type of gazebo with tiered sections. Historically and outside of the world of home improvement a pagoda is very specifically a tiered tower often found in eastern countries like China, India, Japan, Napa and Vietnam used as religious temples. The tiered roof is what makes it a pagoda. For the home, obviously most don’t have tiered towers in their backyard, here a pagoda will be a structure with a single “tier” or roof which juts out. They can be open or semi open. The second is called a rotunda. A rotunda does not have a jutting roof and is circular. There are many examples and they can be used for a number of purposes. The circular structure is almost always domed and can be open or semi-open when referring to backyard rotundas. Outside of home improvement, rotundas can be found everywhere and the most popular example is perhaps the capital building. Rotundas are popular both for the functionality and the beauty of the round design.
What kind of gazebo should I get for the yard?
There is no right or wrong answer to that question, though a pagoda may more often be associated with a pool or tropical setting, and a rotunda with a picnic or other gathering, they are completely interchangeable for home use, both coming open or semi-open and of varying materials. Choosing which is right for you is matter of style and preference.
Advantages of a gazebo
1. It is a great way to get out of the elements quickly should it start raining on your picnic or barbeque. It is also a great place to get out of the hot sun for a little while but still enjoy the outdoors.
2. Custom Gazebos can certainly be a stylish touch as well, and many add one for that reason alone.
3. Finally in many instances a quality, stylish gazebo can actually add value to a home.
Advantages of Granite Pavers in Long Island
Granite is a very common type of rock, often intrusive to an area and indigenous to many more areas. It is also widely used in the home, on patios and decks, and even in and around commercial centers. Granite deposits above the surface of earth, or close enough underground for us to reach them, actually come from deep in the crust of the earth. Magma from a depth of around 2 to 50km below the surface many times will find its way up due to a number of factors, the molten rock is the naturally occurring granite from this deep area of the earth’s crust, the resulting cooled magma will have large portions of different types of granite. The precise way granite makes its way from this depth to closer to the surface is a matter of contention, and it is thought there are different ways this occurs in different areas. Granite has a course to medium texture and can come in a wide range of colors including shades of pink and grey. The color depends entirely on the chemistry and different minerals making up the stone. Generally different areas will have stone of a slightly different shade. Another common feature of granite is the different colors within any slab of stone. The overall hue will usually range from gray to pink, but within are shades of both pink and gray along with tan, black, white and a clear or shiny crystal. Just as the overall color or hue of the stone can vary so to will the makeup of the different colors within the stone.
Granite in construction
Granite has been used in construction for tens of thousands of years. It is a popular stone due to its very tough and durable nature along with an abundance of the stone found around the world. Most granite deposits are massive. This also tends to bring down market prices when compared to some of the other types of stone used in construction. In addition to this however, granite can also be quite beautiful and is many times preferred in areas where style is the primary concern as opposed to the functional characteristics of the stone.
Uses for granite
The third largest Egyptian pyramid, the Red Pyramid, is named for the color of the granite surface when the sun reflects off of it. There are other examples of ancient Egyptian structures using granite in large quantities, and a few even older examples. Today builders use more durable or pliable substances for the actual building process and granite is most often used for flooring and polished granite for areas like kitchen countertops. It has become in large part a style preference more than an essential portion of the building process. That is not to say there are not a number of advantages though:
1. Granite is durable – Granite is a very hard stone and will last for years with little or no wear. In fact many who carve monuments have begun switching from marble to granite due to increased acid rain, which over years will degrade the marble more so than granite.
2. Granite is beautiful – Granite comes in a wide range of shades, and polished granite can be a truly stylish addition to nearly any home or building.
3. Granite is inexpensive – Compared to many stones granite is very affordable due to its abundance.
Feel free to take a look at our Granite Pavers Gallery.
Advantages of Cultured Stones in Long Island
You see cultured stone in nearly any residential community and in many storefronts and commercial centers as well. What is cultured stone though? Unlike many stones used in masonry and construction, cultured stone isn’t exclusively, or even usually, a functionally structural part of the building process. In almost all cases cultured stone is adhered to another, sturdier or more easily manipulated surface like wood, concrete, steel, etc, for aesthetic reasons. Cultured stone is a relatively new option for builders, masons and home improvement companies. It was not invented until 1962 by two brothers from Vellejo, California, Garret and Floyd Brown, a couple of plasterers. They wanted a material that was easy to work with but with all of the beauty of natural stone. They created flexible molds and used exact stone replicas to come up with an exact copy of the more difficult to work with stone, and at the time hand colored these in order to look as real as possible. They weighed less than one quarter what stone weighs yet were durable enough to be used outdoors. The veneer was light enough to be plastered to nearly any surface with an adhesive and the materials used could stand up to the elements.
Modern cultured stone
Today of course the process for creating cultured stone is streamlined, bringing down the cost significantly but also allowing for more options and even sturdier, yet equally light and easy to work with stone. Cultured stone is perhaps most often used around fireplaces, more and more they are found at the entrance to homes, around garden areas, as chimneys, steps, walls, fire pits, outdoor kitchens or grills, even walkways. Today an entire home may use cultured stone to give the appearance of an actual stone building.
How real do cultured stones look?
Most people literally will not be able to tell the difference between cultured stone and real stone, even if they are standing next to an actual stone structure and a cultured stone structure. The molds used for these stones are created from real stone and carefully selected for a specific appearance or style. The casting process captures every single detail of each individual stone and the mold is then colored using iron oxide pigments that look exactly like stone. Masons and others who work with real stone and cultured stone alike may see the difference, only in that the cultured stone actually usually looks cleaner and more appealing than if one were to use real stone due to the simplicity of the installation process and less likelihood of cracking and breaking like real stone.
Benefits of cultured stones
1. It is lightweight and easy to work with, and can be adhered to nearly any surface.
2. It comes in a wide range of styles.
3. It offers the beauty of stone, but without the expense and construction difficulties.
4. It is easily customized and changed if you decide to do a makeover. This cannot be said of stone in most cases.
5. Adding cultured stone can often increase the value of a home.