Tips for Enjoying Your Backyard, Part 2

by Scott Newton, brand manager, BioGuard pool and spa care products, Lawrenceville, Ga.

Here are some more tips for enjoying your backyard:

6. Maintain a perfect pool. A pool filled with cloudy water equals no fun. Fortunately there’s a pool-care strategy – Circulation, Filtration, Cleaning, Testing and Chemistry – that equals a stellar pool season. Maintaining a pool, its equipment and beautiful water requires proper water treatment. A BioGuard dealer can provide computerized water testing and recommend the best regular care schedule for your pool.

7. Convert an ordinary salt pool into a backyard oasis. Instead of using typical bulk salt, try a product such as Mineral Springs from BioGuard. It contains a special blend of minerals, pool equipment protectors, water enhancers and pH adjusters that all work to make silky, relaxing water.

8. Soak in a sensational spa. A backyard spa can offer the same soothing effects as a professional spa with a few easy, affordable ideas. Place flameless LED candles around the edge of the spa. Take tunes into the spa with a floating speaker that connects wirelessly to an MP3 player. Add a soothing scent to the water with single-use aromatherapy packs.

9. Make a smaller footprint on the Earth. In order to be more environmentally friendly, make sure to always keep pool chemicals properly balanced. Overworked filters and motors waste energy and hike utility bills.

10. Help pets swim safely. It may seem like fun to let the dog paddle around, but before you let a pooch jump in, make sure he can get out without damaging the pool or hurting himself. Also check with the vet – swimming in a pool should be appropriate for the breed. Finally, make additional time to monitor the pool’s water. A typical dog can be the equivalent of about 50 swimmers in the pool, meaning extra vigilance is needed to maintain the chemical balance.

Don’t miss these pool and spa trends and ideas from Atlanta Home Improvement magazine.