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River Pools & Spas Blog
The most educational swimming pool blog in the country, providing fiberglass pool articles and videos, as well as information on inground concrete and liner pools.
Concrete Pool Information | Pool Maintenance
The following is a guest post from Diane Pierce at Authentic Plaster & Tile. Owning a pool can be a relaxing way to take a break after a long day, or enjoy the majority of your summer vacation. They’re the ideal location for any backyard barbecue where friends and family can gather together, connect with each other, eat good food, and splash around. They can also be a lot of work if not properly maintained in a timely manner.
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Hey guys, my name is Mike Harper, aka The Pool Care Guy, and in today's post I'm going to be talking about the pool water saturation index. It's a bit of a complex topic that involves lots of numbers, but I'll try to break it down into plain English as best I can. The water saturation index, officially known as the LSI (Langelier Saturation Index), is a scientific formula created to calculate the perfect water balance, or essentially whether it is corrosive or scaling. Specifically, it's defined as “an approximate indicator of the degree of saturation of calcium carbonate in water.”
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Don't blindly wonder if a fiberglass, concrete, or vinyl liner pool is right for you. Our educational ebook does a deep-dive comparison of the 3 types, all while noting the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Patio and Coping | Pool Maintenance
The following is a guest article from Bill Michaels at Patterned Concrete. Nothing beats that “fresh, new look.” Unfortunately, too many things in life lose their luster if not properly cared for. That can be the case even for something as stable as stamped concrete, but it doesn’t have to be. Your new installation is beautiful, whether it's your patio, walkway or even indoor surface. With proper care it can keep up its appearance and luster for many years.
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Well, it's that time of year again, folks. And after another relentless winter, I say good riddance! But with the warmer weather, the ‘swimming bug' will soon be affecting all of us. (That is, if it hasn't already done so.) In fact, as I write this article and sit in my car at a parking lot in Yorktown, Virginia, the temperature outside is about 93°F degrees on April 7. Wow, now that's what I call skipping spring!
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The following is a guest post from Mike Harper, aka The Pool Care Guy. Flocculant may sound like the white fluffy stuff you spray on your fake tree at Christmas, but it's actually a really useful chemical you can use to clean up a cloudy pool. In fact, it's probably the fastest way to clear up a pool that you can’t seem to get clean with your filtration system. But in case that’s not enough information for you, let’s talk about it a little more.
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Cost and Pricing | Installation & Construction
Sometimes it’s time for a switcheroo. I’ll reorganize my nonfiction bookcase, or my mom will plant new flowers around her house, or my cat will suddenly start sleeping on a new corner of the sofa for no reason. You might have reasons behind it, or you might just feel like a change. Maybe for you—whether for money, maintenance, or just a plain ol’ change of pace—your vinyl liner pool is the subject of that change. At River Pools, we specialize in fiberglass pools, and several times a year we replace vinyl liner pools with fiberglass units. Our clients are thrilled with the results, and with fiberglass pools gaining market share every year, we expect to take on more and more of these replacement projects.
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Concrete Pool Information | Installation & Construction | Options and Accessories
Concrete pools are often called “gunite” pools... but you may have heard of "shotcrete" pools, too. Researching your options when you want to buy an inground pool can feel overwhelming if you're unfamiliar with all the terms, technologies, methods, and processes professional pool builders toss around on a daily basis. But it's not as complicated as it can seem from the outside. This guide will help you understand the difference between gunite and shotcrete -- particularly when you want to use this material to build a sleek inground pool in your backyard. When you can speak a pool builder's language, you'll be on firm footing to negotiate your pool project's dimensions, costs, timelines, and options. Let's get started... Concrete fundamentals Concrete is a mix of water, cement, sand, and a coarse aggregate, which is a material made up of small particles, usually small crushed stones or gravel. The difference between sand and aggregate mainly comes down to the size of the particles and (sometimes) what they're made of. The sand you'll find at the beach or in the desert is usually made of quartz or limestone, but sand particles are always smaller than gravel, even if sand and gravel are made up of the same basic chemicals. Dry concrete is considered an "initial mixture" of cement, sand, and aggregate. The process of mixing water into an initial mixture of concrete gives the end product its name.
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Pool Closing/Winterization | Pool Maintenance | Swimming Pool FAQs
I have zero tolerance for the cold. My family teases me for my wimpiness. I’ve accepted it. Around November or December every year, I vow to move to Hawaii. I spent most of my life in a pretty chilly area and now live in a warmer climate—and I still hate winter. If I have to wear a coat outside, I don’t want to go outside. I’d rather huddle indoors with blankets and hot chocolate for four months.
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Fiberglass Pool Information | Fiberglass vs Concrete vs Vinyl Liner | Vinyl Liner Pool Information
Considering a fiberglass or vinyl liner pool? We’re here to help. While we manufacture fiberglass pools, our main goal is happy pool owners. So, we try to provide information on all types of pools.
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Concrete Pool Information | Installation & Construction | Options and Accessories | Swimming Pool Design
When it comes to concrete or gunite pools, the finishing options have expanded significantly in recent years. While traditional plaster remains a classic choice, alternative finishes can offer additional benefits such as increased durability, smoother textures, and unique aesthetic appeal. Exploring these options allows pool owners to customize their swimming experience and potentially enhance comfort for all users.
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