With Summer approaching, pool owners are beginning to take the early steps to get their pool back in shape for the warmer weather. Whether you’re searching for ways to remove stains from your pool surfaces or you’re just trying to find out more about keeping your pool crystal clear, here’s 7 tips on how you can keep your pool sparkling clean this Summer. 

1. Regularly Check Your Pool’s Chemical Levels

Thankfully, it’s easier than ever to monitor the chemical levels of your pool with available test strips and kits that’ll give you all the information you need to know about the chemical levels in your pool. As a rule of thumb, you should aim to check your pool’s chemical levels at least once or twice a week. 

2. Chlorinate Your Pool Weekly

The main function of chlorine is to kill bacteria. To keep your pool safe and clean to swim in, you should aim to chlorinate your pool weekly to prevent harmful microorganisms from sharing viruses such as swimmer’s ear to people that swim in your pool. 

3. Constantly Clean the Pool Filter

If the filter is blocked up, your pool is quickly going to have a buildup of leaves and dirt. A buildup of leaves and dirt is the surest way to having a pool that’s filled with bacteria. By cleaning the pool filter constantly, you can rest assured knowing your pool has the filtering systems in place to keep your pool crystal clear and bacteria-free. 

4. Skim Regularly

Unfortunately, it can be nearly impossible to keep leaves from falling into your pool. This is why it’s important to regularly skim your pool to ensure your pool is leaf-free all summer round. 

5. Check Surfaces for Algae Stains

Have you found stains on your pool surfaces that won’t go away? The chances are, these stains are caused by algae. Algae stains are incredibly difficult to remove and require professional interventions. People often opt for draining and “acid washing” their pool, which is both highly toxic and damaging to the longevity of your pool. The main types of algae stains you need to be aware of are:

1. Black spot algae
2. Pink algae
3. Green algae

Depending on the type of pool you have, different stains are likely to appear in different areas. If you’ve identified that your pool has algae stains, the Pool Stain Removers offer pool stain remover kits to keep your pool crystal clear. They can either post you a DIY kit so you can remove the stains on your own, or they can deploy a serviceman to remove it for you. 

6. Brush & Vacuum 

As mentioned, the surest way to prevent bacteria from building up is by removing dirt and leaves from your pool. The most reliable way to do this is through a thorough brush and vacuum. You should aim to brush and vacuum your pool at least once every two weeks.

7. Set Up a Pool Cleaning Routine

With all of this in mind, the next step is to set up a pool cleaning routine that you can follow religiously. Once your pool cleaning routine becomes a habit, maintaining a crystal clear pool becomes second nature. 

Where Can I Go For More Information on Pool Cleaning? 

Pool cleaning is an incredibly complex process that requires an artisan’s touch. Fortunately, there are various channels on YouTube that are gaining in popularity for their high quality information regarding pool cleaning. If you’d like to search elsewhere, turn to your local search console and give your local pool cleaning services a call. Often times, they’ll offer some free advice and information on how you can keep your pool crystal clear this summer.

House additions can be a great way to increase the square footage of your home and add an extra room for guests, family members, or pets. You can even do them yourself if you enjoy decorating. Here are some tips that can help you decide what type of house addition would best suit your circumstances. 

Think about your needs. It would help if you determined how many rooms you need to add and then decide how you are going to make them fit in your space. For example, if you already have a living room, you may not need to add another place. If you don’t have a lot of space, you can consider adding a new room. When you are choosing a room for an addition, think about how much space is needed so that you can figure out what kind of new room you should pick. Don’t forget to include any room you may need for storage.

What Kind of Addition Will Suit My Home?

Consider what style fits in with your personality. While you can add a modern contemporary look with a sleek black couch and a black coffee table, you may want to choose a traditional look for a more intimate feel. Your new addition will reflect your taste and personality.

Once you have figured out what style and design you want, choose the materials you are going to use for your additions. You will need to find out what the current building codes are in the area that you live in. You should also take into consideration the climate and weather conditions in your area when choosing materials.

Check out what other people are adding to their homes. If you see other people in your area who are adding extra rooms, you may want to check out some ideas for additions to your own home. You can look online to see what others have done.

How Much Will My Add-on Cost?

The best way to get an estimate of your add-on is have a professional inspect your property. The cost of your add-on will hinge upon your building characteristics, age and location. When you are looking at house additions, get multiple quotes so you can compare them to each other. You should find out if they added to the value of your home as well as how much you will have to spend. This will allow you to determine if it is a good idea for you.

Decide if you will hire a professional to do the work. If you want someone to install the additions, it will cost more than doing it yourself. If you have experience with DIY projects, it won’t cost much more than a couple of hours a day. If you are going to hire someone to do the work, ask them how much it will cost you per hour. to complete the project.

Is a Home Addition Worth the Investment? 

If you follow the tips above, you will find that your house additions will enhance the life and beauty of your home and you will enjoy adding features to your home that you did not have time to add before. On the Melbourne house market, it’s been found that pergolas and decks are highly attractive to potential buyers.

One of the most important things you can do is to get the measurements right. The plans will tell you what you need to measure, but you will also need to do it yourself unless the house additions are substantial or have to be installed very close to the existing house.

What Else Do I Need to Keep in Mind? 

Another thing to consider when planning your house additions is to think about the styles. There are various styles and designs that you can choose from. They can be made of concrete, bricks, wood or stone. You can even have one that is a replica of the exterior of your home. When you add new house additions to your home, you will have room for everything you need for your new home, so the cost will be minimal, and it will fit in perfectly. As you can see, by making sure that you are following these tips, you can make an addition to work well. It doesn’t matter what size the addition is; it can enhance your home and bring it to life.

If a full-blown renovation isn’t on your to-do list, there are numerous ways for you to stretch your living space to the max. Outdoor areas like patios and decks provide the much-needed space for you to try out new ideas. You can tailor them to your taste while adding space for playing, relaxing, lounging, cooking; the possibilities are endless. 

Patio Styles

Patterned Patio Designs

Are you looking to add a creative flair to your patio? Using patterns should create a distinct appearance. Explore different shapes and tones of patio stones to find one that complements your planters and garden furniture. Be sure to add kern stones, too, to give the pavement a neat and tidy finish.

Natural Patio Design

If you’re a nature lover, you can transform your patio to depict this style. Apart from incorporating planters or gardens, a natural pavement adds hints of nature to your patio too. Natural stone paving comes in different sizes, styles, and materials, including slate, limestone, granite, and Indian sandstone. The paving adds a warm and welcoming feel to the space while creating a sophisticated style.

Rounded Patio Style

The style delivers a stunning focal point depending on the amount of space on your patio and garden style. It also creates the illusion of an additional outdoor space where you can set up a vintage fire pit or barbecue area. Consider adding a few pieces of furniture and some planters, too, to create a homey feel. Think of a round garden table or a curved rattan sofa.

A Beach Vibe

The style is perfect for houses located near the beach or ocean. You can use eucalyptus poles on the patio to add to the beachy vibe and create a sitting area using tables and sofas where people can relax. It would help if you added a few lounge chairs to allow your guests to take in the ocean view. 

Deck Styles

The Rustic Style

If you love deck styles that take you back to the 80s or 90s, adopting a rustic style is the way to go. The best way to create this look is to use reclaimed wood and other rustic materials. The materials not only lend an authentic feel to the space but also make a one-of-a-kind appearance. 

Using exposed wooden beams on covered porches is another popular deck style for a rustic vibe. For the colors, you want to stick to an earthy brown color palette as it blends in easily with other colors and lends the space a rustic and modern vibe.

Hybrid Style

For a more contemporary look, consider mixing modern and rustic accents. The style creates a versatile deck space that allows you to play around with a range of features without restrictions. Here are characteristic design features:

• A balanced color palette: The color schemes shouldn’t be as extreme to define either of the styles. Instead, use a balanced mixture of whites, grays, and warm browns
• Clean lines: Clean lines and simple structures primarily define the contemporary style. As such, this style is likely to dominate a hybrid deck style
• Blend rustic elements with modern ones: You want to throw in a few rustic elements to tone down the contemporary design features. Incorporating exposed beams or a few items made from reclaimed wood should do the trick  

Platform Deck Style

If looking for a simple deck design, you can never go wrong with a platform deck. It’s easy to set it up, especially if your house is on level ground. What’s more, you don’t need to outfit it with railings because the deck is pretty low to the ground. 

But if you want to highlight the perimeter, you can use benches or built-in planters. Setting up a sunburst railing, curves, and an enormous screened gazebo helps add style and function.

Accessorising with an Outdoor Rug

Convert your deck into a cozy outdoor space by accessorizing with an attractive outdoor rug. The idea is to create a comfortable feel to the outdoor seating area while blending it with the existing color scheme. Consider adding some texture underfoot to differentiate the dining area from the lounging space.

Once you have decided on a style that suits you and your outdoor space, it’s worth getting the right people to get the job done. Whether it be a deck, patio or both, Cool As Patios are a great team to deal with and will be able to go over your best options with you. It does depend on where you’re based and it is best to go with someone nearby, but for a Sunshine Coast deck builder they are the people to call!

With the summer season fast-approaching, you want to pay attention to your outdoor living spaces and these ideas should help you make a start on revamping it to make it look it’s best!