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Ask The General: The Benefits of a Rectangular Pool

Dear General- My family has committed to getting in shape in 2019, and we’ve decided that since we want to have fun doing it, one of the ways we’ll get more exercise is with a new fiberglass pool! There are so many pool shapes and sizes out there—what are the best pools for both exercise and fun? Signed, Getting Fit in Fishers Dear Getting Fit- First of all, congrats on the decision to get an inground pool. You won’t regret it. In addition to getting in shape together– you’ll enjoy quality time with friends and family. When evaluating shapes to accommodate both exercise and games, a rectangular pool is your best bet. Let’s take a look at the reasons they’re great from several angles. They’re excellent for lap swimming. Since you’ve mentioned that exercise is one of your primary goals, a larger rectangular pool makes the most sense because of the wide-open swim lanes and straight sides. While you can also find some large freeform pools with wide-open swim lanes, the uniform length of a rectangular provides plenty of space for multiple swimmers to swim laps side-by-side. They play nice with automatic pool covers. You’ve heard me talk […]

How Much More Does a Beach Entry Pool Design Cost?

Is your family full of beach lovers? Have you ever sprung for a vacation destination just a few short steps from the coast? What if you could bring that beach vacation experience to your very own backyard? Now you can with patented (US Patent 10,472,839) zero entry, or beach entry, fiberglass pools. A beach entry pool costs more than some alternatives, but unlike an expensive beach vacation, it can be enjoyed for years to come. Once only an option in high-end resorts or custom gunite pools, inground fiberglass beach entry pools are now available for residential installations. And while they might seem like an expensive luxury, they may be more affordable than you think—and much cheaper than buying a house on the beach! Here are some helpful facts about just how affordable it can be to turn your backyard into a truly unique oasis with a beach entry pool that brings the shore to your door every day this summer. Select your pool size and design. It’s simply a question of time and material costs. Costs can vary considerably based on several site factors and specifications for each pool installation, but homeowners can expect the final costs of a […]

January Fiberglass Pool Dealer Spotlight: W.E.T. Pools and Spas, Effingham, Illinois

Every month, we chat with Thursday Pools dealers to learn more about their business and what’s trending in their area. This month, we talked to Doug Thoele, owner of W.E.T. Pools and Spas in Effingham, Illinois. Tell us a little about yourself and your business. We were originally in the pressure washer business. I started the company with a couple of partners in 1996. When the economy went south, around 1999, we switched gears. We had named the company Water Equipment Technologies (W.E.T.) so that we could go in more than one direction with the business if we needed to. It seemed at that time like there weren’t too many pool and spa companies around here, so we thought we’d work our way into that market. It turned out pretty well. And now, as far as the ownership goes, it’s just me. What geographic areas do you serve? We serve most of southern Illinois, and we’ll go as far as 75-100 miles away. Our primary service areas for fiberglass pool installations are Effingham, Charleston, Marshall, Mattoon, Shelbyville and Vandalia, Illinois. What do you love about being in the pool business? I like that it’s seasonal, and I like to work […]

Is a Built-In Tanning Ledge in your Fiberglass Pool Right For You?

Tanning ledges are among the hottest trends in backyard inground pool designs. They’re a newer innovation that is now widely available for inground fiberglass pools. A fiberglass pool with a tanning ledge provides the feel of the sun warming your skin while the refreshing water keeping you cool. It’s truly a blissful feeling. Most fiberglass pool buyers these days opt for a tanning ledge, and there are loads of reasons to want one, but is it right for you? To ledge, or not to ledge–that is the question. Here is a little more information to help you decide: Tanning ledges add luxury. Tanning ledges bring a resort-like feel to your overall pool design. Looking out into your backyard and seeing gleaming white ledge loungers beckoning you from the crystal clear shallow water of your tanning ledge makes you feel like you’re staying in a luxury hotel. Tanning ledges add personality. Tanning ledges add impact to your backyard design and help make it unique. The wide array of fabrics and cushions available for tanning ledge loungers allows you to create a living room-like feel on your tanning ledge and coordinate it with the rest of your outdoor furnishings and decor. It […]

Ask the General: How Do I Choose the Perfect Pool Design for My Family?

Dear General- Well, we’re finally going to do it. We’ve decided that we’re going to have a new inground pool put in this year. (It’s our New Year’s resolution to have more fun as a family!) So now we’re past the dreaming stage and on to the choosing stage. We feel that fiberglass is the right kind of pool for us. But, I have to say, we’re a little overwhelmed. We started looking at all the available pool designs–the options for shapes, sizes and features for fiberglass pools–and we couldn’t believe how many choices there were! This is a big decision. How do we pick the perfect pool design for our family? Signed- Overwhelmed in Oak Park Dear Overwhelmed- I hear you. Although I’m retired now, I was in the fiberglass pool business for many years, and it seemed like there was something new every time I turned around–new shapes, sizes, features and innovations to make your fiberglass pool easier to install. There is the Backfill Eliminator® to make pool maintenance for fiberglass pools easier and the Lucky 7 Skimmer® that ensures a perfect skimmer fit for fiberglass pools. In addition to new innovations, the design options just […]

The Millers Get a Thursday Pools Monolith

Meet the Millers: Todd, Susan, their kids Lauren (age 7), Camryn (age 5), Susan’s parents, and Stanley, their 10-year-old yellow lab. They live near Indianapolis, Indiana, in Carmel. Todd is an attorney, and Susan is a part-time realtor and full-time mom. She works around 25 hours per week and spends much of her free time chauffeuring the kids to and from swim meets, soccer practice and dance rehearsals. They have active social lives and especially enjoy spending time with Susan’s parents during the summer. The Millers want a pool. Getting a pool makes a lot of sense for them because Lauren is on the swim team and Camryn wants to join the swim team (as soon as he’s old enough). This wasn’t immediately a unanimous decision. Susan had to convince Todd just a little bit because he had some concerns about the swimming pool cost. Fortunately, Susan had done tons of research on inground swimming pool financing, and a pool will easily fit within their budget. She also made the point that an inground pool would increase the resale value of their home. (After all, she is a realtor, so she would know…) Worried that pool maintenance was going to […]

What Can I Expect for Fiberglass Pool Maintenance Cost?

Fiberglass pools bring hours of relaxation, family togetherness, social activity and exercise. What’s more, fiberglass pool owners find that maintaining a fiberglass pool is less expensive than other pool styles. So how much does it cost to maintain a fiberglass pool? It depends on several factors, but the cost of maintaining your fiberglass pool will largely be determined by your pool equipment, size, and usage. In all cases, there is a cost to maintaining healthy and balanced water with chemical treatments, as well as a cost of technically maintaining your pool equipment so that it runs properly and efficiently. This blog focuses mainly on the cost of maintaining healthy and balanced water. The cost of maintaining healthy and balanced pool water can vary considerably with sanitizing options, the addition of alternative sanitizing equipment, the amount of water volume, and swimmer load. Your perfect score is zero! The Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) is a formula for analyzing water balance. A negative LSI means your water is corrosive. A positive LSI means your water is scale-forming. A neutral LSI is ideal. The LSI formula analyzes the ratios of the following variables: Temperature pH Calcium Hardness Alkalinity Cyanuric Acid Total Dissolved Solids Ideally […]

December Fiberglass Pool Dealer Spotlight: Raft to Rafters Pool and Spa, Columbus, Indiana

Every month, we chat with Thursday Pools dealers to learn more about their business and what’s trending in their area. This month, we talked to Matt Miller, owner of Raft to Rafters in Columbus, Indiana. Tell us a little about yourself and your business. Our business goes back a very long way! Here’s the story: In the 1960s, my grandfather, Lorin Johnson, who was a delivery man for Wonder Bread, was trying to convince my grandmother to move from town out into the country. She refused, because the kids loved to swim in the town pool, and they wouldn’t be able to get themselves to the pool if they moved to the country. He made her a deal by saying, “If I build us a house with a pool in the country, will you go?” She said “yes”. And so my grandfather built the house and set about the task of finding a kit to build a pool. But everyone he talked to would only sell to him if he bought more than one kit. He finally found a place called Imperial Pools in New York state that agreed to sell him a single pool kit, so he bought it […]

What’s the Lowdown on Tanning Ledges

The Lowdown on Tanning Ledges It’s easy to get excited about the variety of available features as you explore inground pools. Built-ins add to the pool’s luxurious feeling, from wrap-around benches to swim-outs to tanning ledges. Because inground pool costs vary depending on the pool type and features, you may choose one pool type over another based on the price and availability of a particular feature. If a tanning ledge tops your priority list, compare the different pool types. Why People Love Tanning Ledges If you like the concept of “the best of both worlds,” an inground pool with a tanning ledge may be just what the doctor ordered. They allow you to enjoy the cool water while still soaking up the sun’s rays. They’re also a perfect spot for the kids to play in just enough water to cool off and still stay well within your sight. Additionally, they’re great for getting in and out of the water without the need to navigate steps. Tanning ledges are available for all inground pool types. Based on conversations with homeowners, installers, and manufacturers, along with our own experience, choosing a company skilled in installing pool features […]

The Top Five Things People Love About Tanning Ledges

In today’s frazzled world, moments of true relaxation are hard to find. We all need time to unwind, chill and find inner peace. For some, the ideal oasis may be a sunny spot on a chaise lounge in a windowsill or a cozy chair by the fire in wintertime. However, for those of us who own (or are considering) an inground fiberglass pool, a tanning ledge can be the ultimate oasis for relaxation throughout the swim season. They can also be a wonderful feature for every member of the family (both two and four-legged) as well as help make your pool unique. Let’s take a look at the top five reasons why you’ll love your tanning ledge. You can: Get sun and be chill. If you love soaking up rays but soon find yourself getting overheated and seeking shade, a built-in tanning ledge is the ideal solution for you. Cooling your heels (and your bottom!) in just a few inches of water while you revel in luxurious feeling of the warm sun on your face is absolute heaven. Add in a ledge lounger, complete with a sun shade equipped with a mobile device viewer, throw in an ice bin side […]

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