The Right Way To Shock Your Swimming Pool
Pool shock is a granular pool chemical, which should be added to your swimming pool at least once each week. You should shock more frequently if the pool is used heavily, after you receive large amounts of rain, or during extended periods of hot, sunny weather. The chlorine tablets or granular chlorine that you constantly dissolve into your pool water seeks out and combines with bacteria and other organics on a molecular level, to neutralize these harmful contaminants. In the process of killing these harmful contaminants the chlorine becomes inactive, and the chlorine and bacteria that have combined together is called “Combined Chlorine”. The combined chlorine must be removed from the swimming pool to keep your pool water safe and clean. The combined chlorine is removed by “Shocking” the swimming pool. Super chlorinating or “Shocking” means drastically raising the chlorine level of the swimming pool for a short time, to a high enough level that the combined chlorine is oxidized and burnt off.
Then read the directions and put in the right amount of shock. The manufacturer should have a chart to advise you how much chlorine you will need. You will have to have a fair idea of how big your swimming pool is. If you feel like you have put in too much, that’s ok because you cannot over shock a pool with chlorine. The amount of chlorine that you will need, will vary on the size of your pool plus how green it is. If you purchased the liquid shock, simply pour it into the pool itself from the deep end.
Always add shock to water not water to shock. Wear clothes you don’t care about cause they might get bleached. Warm water dissolves shock faster than cold, its your choice. Use a wooden stick and stir around the shock making sure it gets all dissolved or as much as your can. Pour the bucket of shock all around your pool or heave some in the middle. You may have some undissolved shock at the bottom of your bucket. In this case just dip your bucket in some pool water give it a swish around and pour it back into the pool to help dissolve some of that shock.
In addition to the chlorine based pool shock, you will find a product called Chlorine-Free Pool Shock. This revolutionary pool chemical performs the same task of oxidizing bacteria and organics in your swimming pool water, but it does not contain chlorine or chemicals that are harsh on swimmers eyes and skin. Chlorine-Free pool shock performs just as well as a chlorine based swimming pool shock by using the active ingredient Potassium Monopersulfate. Chlorine free pool shock uses a unique chemical process to destroy bacteria, instead of raising the chlorine level of water to dangerous levels. You can actually swim in the pool only one hour after using Chlorine-Free Shock. Chlorine based pool shock (Calcium Hypochlorite) has a high pH, and will naturally raise the pH level of your swimming pool water, in addition to changing your chlorine level. Chlorine free shock has a neutral pH, and will not affect any of your pool chemical levels.
Another type of shock that is widely available at any local pool store, hardware store and many grocery stores is liquid chlorine. This liquid chlorine is commonly used as shock, and used in place of chlorine tablets. Many pool owners believe this liquid chlorine is all they need to properly maintain a swimming pool, and unfortunately this is incorrect. Liquid chlorine is very inefficient and costly compared to properly maintaining a swimming pool using chlorine tablets and a weekly shock treatment. Liquid shock may seem easier to use than the granular shock for some pool owners because you simply walk up to the pool and dump the liquid in. The problem is that after you dump the hazardous liquid in your pool, you have to dispose of all the empty plastic bottles with the dangerous chemical residue inside. Granular pool shock is packaged in small, easy to use 1 lb. bags. If any children have access to the area where pool chemicals are stored it will be far easier to have an accident involving full or empty bottles of liquid chlorine, than an accident with bags of granular pool shock.
Inground Pool Designs: A Pool Can Change Your Lifestyle
If you’re looking for a way to increase the enjoyment you get from your home, to find a way to spend more quality time with your family, and increase your home’s value all at once, consider adding a pool to your backyard. Good inground pool designs will add richness to your quality of life, making the dollars you put into the purchase of a pool well worth the cost.
Summer tends to be the time of year most families are able to spend the most time together. Children are out of school during the warm months, and parents are able to spend more time out doors. But what do you do to spend that time together? You might be surprised how many families spend their time apart, even if they live in the same home. Finding activities to do together can be frustrating when there are so many diverse individual interests.
This is where custom swimming pools come into play. There are few people out there who can resist the temptation of the sun and clear, sparkling water. Swimming pools appeal to children and adults alike, and give a family a place to gather and enjoy each other’s company.
So, once you decide you want a swimming pool, you have to start looking for inground pool designs. To have a truly extraordinary swimming pool, you have to do your homework and research the market availability. Custom swimming pool is a feature that buyers will look at when you sell your home, so be sure to install your pool tastefully if you plan to resell.
Go crazy with your design if you aren’t concerned about what future buyers will think of it. There are endless options for pool designs. Pick something you like and stick to it. Imagine things in your life and use that inspiration to come up with a design. Examples could be, a desert, wildflowers, or the tropics. The whole design will come together better if you stay with one theme.
Consider your tastes and the style of your home when choosing inground pool designs. If you like the idea of a more natural look, consider natural stone surrounds and a garden setting. If you consider your tastes more modern, try sleek pavers and angular walls.
After you have researched your different design plans, be sure to talk with numerous professionals to allow you the best price for installation. If you would like to save some money, you may be able to find materials on your own. There are companies that will add additional costs to the material costs.
Having a custom swimming pool in your yard can greatly increase the value of your home. If you are looking to install a pool for your family to use it is very important that you take the time to consider how much you want to spend, what you want your pool to look like and how to ensure the safety of those using the pool.
Home Sauna: Maintenance Tips
A home sauna can be a real treat. You’ll experience all the benefits of a proper sauna and sweat bath right in your own home. However, saunas do need some upkeep. As long as you are willing to learn about how to maintain your home sauna, you’ll be able to enjoy it for years to come. Saunas are almost always built of wood and this needs some special care to keep it in optimum condition. Since home saunas tend to be fairly small, this is an ongoing task that really shouldn’t take much time.
Cleaning Your Home Sauna
Since the steam will kill any germs that happen to enter the sauna, you really don’t need to use anti-bacterial sprays or other disinfectants within the sauna. In fact, it’s not even a good idea to use cleaners like this, since they tend to seep into the wood and then let off nasty fumes as you are heating the sauna up again. With the wrong cleanser, you could end up with an unusable steam room!
Prevention is the best medicine and this applies to cleaning, as well. Rather than wait for sweat to stain your wood seating, it’s a far better idea to have towels ready to lay on the benches. Have anyone entering the sauna sit on these and you will find that the wood stays in great condition for far longer.
To actually clean the sauna, here are some helpful hints: - Use plain soapy water to wash the wood with a soft cloth. - Rinse with cool water. - For severe discoloration, sand the stained area before washing and treating as normal. - Watch out for ammonia in your cleansers, not only does it give off toxic fumes, it also turns the wood grey.
It’s also a big help to have people wipe down the seats when they use the sauna. This will help reduce the discoloration that is due to weat.
Maintaining the Sauna Heater
The wood isn’t the only part of the sauna that needs cleaning, the sauna heater will also need some regular care. There are two types of sauna heaters, electric and wood burning.
An electric heater is fairly easy to clean. You will want to wipe down the heater with a soft cloth and some mild, soapy water from time to time to keep it pristine. Don’t ever use a rough cloth or scrubby, since this tends to scratch the metal surface. Once a scratch has appeared, the humid environment in the sauna promotes rust.
Wood burning heaters will need to have the ashes removed after use and regular, professional inspections of the vents to ensure there is no fire hazard from creosote buildup.
The stones that are used to heat the sauna are also quite important. No matter what kind of stones you use in your spa, you really do need to inspect them on a regular basis. Any rocks with cracks or that smell odd will need to be replaced.
Another issue that many home sauna owners run into is a sticky door. The heat and moisture combined in the sauna room makes the wood swell. This can cause the sauna door to stick and is quite easily solved. Just take a piece of sandpaper, see where the wood is sticking and gently sand it just enough to allow the door to open and shut easily. It really isn’t that difficult to maintain a sauna if you know what you’re doing. Avoid harsh chemical cleansers and keep your heater in tip top condition and you’ll enjoy your sauna for a long time to come.
Roofing Repairs - Understanding What Your Roofer is Talking About
We don’t really think about the roofs on our homes until they have a problem. When they do, we call a roofer. Then comes the problem of actually speaking with the roofer. Why? Well, they have a language all their own. Here are some common roofing terms.
Truss: Engineered components that supplement rafters in many newer homes and buildings. Trusses are designed for specific applications and cannot be cut or altered.
Valley: The intersection of two sloping roofs joining at an angle to provide water runoff.
Vent: Any outlet for air that protrudes through the roof deck such as a pipe or stack. Any device installed on the roof, gable or soffit for the purpose of ventilating the underside of the roof deck.
Pitch: The degree of roof inclined expressed as the ratio of the rise, in feet, to the span, in feet.
Closed Cut Valley: A method of valley treatment in which shingles from one side of the valley extend across the valley while shingles from the other side are trimmed two inches from the valley centerline. The valley flashing is not exposed.
Dormer: A framed window unit projecting through the sloping side of the roof.
Boot: A piece of material preformed to protect roof penetrations from dirt, moisture and other foreign and/or damaging substances.
Hip: The external angle formed by the meeting of two sloping sides of a roof that have their wall plates running in different directions.
Exposed Nail Method: Application of role roofing in which all nails are driven into the cemented, overlapping course of roofing. Nails are exposed to the weather.
Gambrel roof: A type of roof containing two sloping planes of different pitch on each side of the ridge. The lower plane has a steeper slope than the upper. Contains a gable at each end.
Cornice: The top set of moldings just below a roofline, usually consisting of a fascia board, a soffit and appropriate trim moldings.
Telegraphing: Shingle distortion that may arise when a new roof is applied over an uneven surface.
Starter Strip: Asphalt roofing applied at the eaves that provides protection by filling in the spaces under the cut out’s and joints of the first course of shingles.
Asphalt Concrete Barrier: Asphalt based primer used to prepare concrete and metal for asphalt sealant
Edging strips: Boards nailed along eaves and rakes after cutting back existing wood shingles to provide secure edges for reroofing with asphalt shingles.
Eaves: The lower border of a roof that overhangs the wall.
Low Slope: Roof pitches that are less than 30 degrees.
Cant Strip: A triangular-shaped strip of material used to ease the transition from a horizontal plane to a vertical plane. Cant strips can be made of wood, wood fiber, perlite, or other materials.
Cool Roofing: A cool roof is defined as a roof surface that has both high reflectivity and high emissivity. High reflectivity requires the surfacing material to reflect solar energy away from the surface. High emissivity requires radiating heat energy away from the surface.
Self-sealing Strip: Factory applied adhesive that bonds shingle courses together when exposed to the heat of the sun after application.
As with any service, understanding the basic vocabulary involved will help you avoid communication problems. This, of course, helps avoid mistakes where you end up getting a bigger repair than you really ever needed.
Is Loft conversion a good investment?
When considering those “overall good value” projects are exactly what any buyer is looking for, so those developments are forced to compete for that somewhat-dissatisfied customer on price alone. Developers are looking all over to reuse space.
Typical example of a conversion, Originally built in 1926, the building was once known as the Republic National Bank. The building is designed in typical loft fashion with hardwood floors and large windows.
Originally popular with artists, they are now highly sought-after by trendy city dwellers. Another example of such legislation is to encourage the conversion of no longer economically viable industrial and commercial buildings to luxurious residential loft communities.
Adding rooms to the residential house offers you the ideal opportunity to make a self-sufficient unit if the project allows. In densely populated areas this a preferred way of converting areas into mixed user metropolitan centres.
Depending on the current demand in the area, you have several uses that you can put your loft conversion into. Most people only consider the prospect of converting the loft for personal use or office space.
As the investor is not reclaiming new land in order to provide additional living units it makes sense to add liveable loft conversion space. With the average price of such units starting from $400 upwards of $700 , naturally the argument of loft conversion investment is a sound one.
The space available in disused industrial building is huge and can allow for spacious luxury living accommodations. Luxury penthouse apartments spanning up to 4,000+ sq ft with their own open terraces are possible.
To offer the sophisticated buyers of today with modern kitchens and granite worktops with fancy fittings by Italian designers appliances to match. Both for the commercial and individual developer of these newly converted lofts and warehouses put them in par with the artists of the past.
Of Course it can! They too have space in the roof that is often over looked when considering any additions and mordenisation.
Grappling with Inefficient Fire Prevention and Forest Management
The hydraulic grapple rake, a versatile new loader/tractor/skid steer attachment, is speeding forest management tasks with a unique combination of strength, control, and flexibility.
Too many forest management tasks are still done the old fashion way, from logging and national part conservation to property habitat and fire protection. Even when equipment is used to pick up, move, or stack trees, logs, brush or other fire hazards with shovel, chainsaw, and backbreaking sweat, there are drawbacks whenever these tasks require control and efficiency.
Bucket attachments of the past tend to scoop excess dirt, incapable of holding unwieldy loads, and are largely ineffective for tasks in need of fine control such are raking limbs, or debris. Those who find themselves responsible for managing private and public forestland are now adding a new, versatile attachment - The hydraulic grapple rake - to their skid steers, tractors, and loaders. This new attachment is much more efficient than manual labor, and adapts easier than the bucket. It hydraulically opens, closes, and moves its jaws of spaced metal tines so it can remove trees, logs and brush or surface rake limbs and debris without removing topsoil that is essential in management of lands. No piling up of unnecessary dirt either. This grapple rake can dig out roots and stumps. It can safely pick up, move, and stack logs, trees, or irregular loads up to several thousand pounds. The grapple rake, with it’s intertwined teeth, can also grab and place material down to three inches, and reach within inches of desired forest habitat without disturbing it to lift, drag, rake, or haul loads. This attachment can make piles and pick up from the front or lift them from the top, being helpful when loading debris piles onto trailers or preparing piles for burn disposal.
In Steamboat, Colorado, Bob Chapman was faced with the enormous task of removing 300 trees because of beetle kill on his 70-acre property. Bob hired a commercial timber company to do the work due to the enormity of the un-welcomed task.
“It looked like a war zone with logs, branches, and stumps everywhere,” says Chapman. “I wondered how they were going to clean up the huge mess without destroying habitat for the living trees and adjoining grassland. I was so impressed with the way a skid steer mounted grapple rake navigated living trees while removing huge loads of debris that I talked the timber company into letting me operate it for a few days.”
The timber company used the hydraulic grapple rake manufactured by Anbo Manufacturing, based in Colville, Washington. Anbo specializes in high quality designed products for tractors, loaders, and skid steers. The grapple rake operates like a bucket because it can be raised and lowered, and rolled forward and backward, but it has a third function that makes it unique. It open and closes its jaws.
Bob Chapman decided to buy a grapple rake for his multi-terrain loader. By doing this he could handle the ongoing beetle kill and fire preventions tasks on his acreage. Anbo built the grapple rake to fit on Chapman’s loader. It was a 6-foot grapple rake with 6-inc tine spacing. This was to allow dirt, but not brush or debris to sift through the rake’s tines.
In the past, Chapman used a 4WD tractor with bucket attachment to get rid of the debris. This had unsatisfactory results. “Because the bucket lacked finesse, it left holes and skinned spots that removed topsoil and made it difficult for decorative grassland to grow back.” Chapman continued “Since the grapple rake just scrapes debris off the top and can back rake with accuracy, the grass grew back beautifully in one season.”
Chapman has also put the hydraulic grapple rake to good use for fire mitigation on a five acre, Nederland, Colorado property. While trying to clear a defensible space around the property before, he’d tried to remove flammable juniper ground spread and preserve the desired aspen. But as the juniper grew among rocky outcroppings, it had proved difficult.
With this difficult task in front of Chapman he said. “I’d hired a crew to remove the juniper, but it was basically pickax, shovel, sweat and cuss.” Chapman continued, “you couldn’t put a chainsaw to it because it grew among rocks and dirt. The needles went right through leather gloves. After two weeks of backbreaking labor, when they’d cleaned up less than 1/10 an acre, the finally quit.”
On his own now, Chapman used the grapple rake. He adds, “using the grapple rake, I was able to pull up the juniper by the roots so it wouldn’t grow back — right from its rocky outcroppings.” “My loader has a push force of about 6,000 lbs, and several times stalled it pushing on big rocks, but the grapple rake was fine. It’s strong enough to handle whatever you throw at it.”
To satisfy the need for strength, AnBo uses a special type of steel that has twice the yield strength (resistance to bending) and a much higher Brinnell hardness rating (resistance to wear) than T1 steel. This makes the grapple rake light enough for mini or compact skid steers or tractors and also adding strength preserves that give more lift and payload capacity than similar products.
Chapman single-handedly cleared a defensible space around his acreage, by using the grapple rake. “I ended up taking out 215 cubic yard of slash and debris, and loaded in onto trailers in about 100 hours,” adding, “It’s great at back-raking, grabbing, stacking, piling, whatever you need. Not only did I save over $10,000 in labor, but also lowered my insurance from $23,000 to $4,000 annually. I don’t know how I’d have done the job any other way.”
With thousands of trees toppled when Hurricane Katrina hit on Tom Hauptmann’s property about 60 miles from New Orleans, it took him and his wife three days to make it to their mailbox from their driveway. Cutting and moving downed trees. While others were dragging trees with a tractor and chain, Hauptmann used a front-end loader with a 4-way clamshell bucket to accomplish the task. The inefficiency still frustrated him.
“I could pick up logs, but it was always dicey,” explains Hauptmann. “Because the clamshell bucket had no teeth or curvature, I could pinch the logs but not really grip them. The load would slip out when it got imbalanced, so it was slow going and I had to be careful. When a load slipped, it not only took extra time to pick it up, but also to clean up the debris left behind.”
He was also dissatisfied with the bucket’s inability to rake limbs, leaves, and debris from the ground without scooping up dirt. Because the dirt mixed with debris in piles to be burned for disposal, the piles burned slowly, incompletely, or with too much smoke.
Hauptmann turned to a 6-foot, hydraulic AnBo grapple rake with 6-inch tine spacing.
“The grapple rake is strong enough to pick up anything your machine is capable of,” says Hauptmann. “My limit is blowing out the tires on my front end loader.” Hauptmann’s grapple rake was strong enough to pick up and carry 40-foot sections of tree up to 18-inches in diameter, which he estimates weighed up to 4,000 lbs. This, he found, was much faster and easier than cutting logs into smaller sections, then dragging or carrying them separately.
Because his control and grip are better with the grapple rake, he’s now more efficiently cleaning up and managing his property. He’s using it to pick up trees, logs, limbs, brush and debris, and even uses it to dig up stumps and roots.
Explaining what Hauptmann likes he states, “unlike bucket jaws that essentially pinch,the grapple rake wraps around a load. Its teeth and curvature are better for grabbing and grasping. It operates like a hand and give much better control and holding power. You can grab so much more with the grapple rake.”
Accidently Hauptmann built a burn pile of trees and logs for disposal under a power line. learning about the grapple rake’s efficient capacity.
He realized he had to move them. “With the bucket, such a job would’ve taken me 20 loads to finish,” he says. “With the AnBo grapple rake, it took me just five loads to move the entire pile. It made a two-hour project into a 20-minute one.”
Hauptmann finds the grapple rake is useful in removing “nuisance trees and brush,” quickly. “I simply put the teeth down and rip out the roots and all so they don’t grow back,” This works great on shallow roots. He simply slides the grapple rakes’ teeth along the ground until there’s a big enough load to carry to the debris pile. “I could never do that with a bucket because things would slip and go every which way.” he says.
Hauptmann finds the grapple rakes’ flexibility extends to placing and shifting objects in the burn pile for a cleaner, less smoky and more complete burn. “I can pick up and replace items in the burn pile, shift ashes, whatever necessary to keep it burning properly,” he says.
Whether for logging, national park conservation, fire prevention or forest management, the grapple rake is making traditionally, tedious clean-up tasks faster, safer, and easier with its unique combination of strength, control, and flexibility. Those responsible for such work are finding that substituting its technology for costly, time-consuming labor is a good investment that continues to pay back, year after year.
Swimming Pool Landscape - Design Your Backyard Oasis
As summertime rolls around, lots of individuals like to enjoy the great outdoors, and the spectacular views available. On the front of many landscaping and design magazines, there are pretty swimming pools with gorgeous plants and landscaping. Often, such a splendid backyard and pool area are just a dream for a many homeowners.
It’s not enough to be the owner of a pool, you want to have a lush and gorgeous swimming pool landscape too. This is simple enough to create, depending on what you as an individual want, as well as the style of the home and pool itself. Also, your location isn’t important- you can have a lovely swimming pool landscape in many different regions.
Before going shopping or hiring a contractor, you need to remember a few things. You need to consider your climate region, your budget, how much time for plant maintenance you are willing to commit and any other special needs or limitations that your plants will face in your backyard. You should determine your backyard’s soil type, evaluate how much wind, sun, or shade will be available, and consider your ability to supply those plants with water.
A good place to start for swimming pool landscape ideas is with pool and garden books and magazines. They can provide great inspirational ideas and tips that will work for your region. For any plant, you can look up its applicable climate zone map so that you can avoid buying plants that will not survive your area’s winters. You can also find out how large each plant will get when fully grown and what care requirements they have. Online resources are also excellent sources for education and ideas.
Landscaping is something that can be done even with a limited budget. Beginning with a few flowering bushes or a small tree and, as your budget allows, you can add on more interesting vegetation. Keep track of your purchases since most large outlet stores and garden centers typically provide a one year warranty on your plants.
If it seems like too much effort to do your own poolscape design, then consider a professional. An experienced individual will learn about what you want and then help you design a perfect swimming pool landscape without breaking the bank. A little thought, funding and some sweat equity will create a gorgeous pool surrounding for a reasonable amount of cash, which will be a source of joy for a long time.
Which Armstrong Tile Is Best For You
No other company cares for the home more than Armstrong does. Whether you’re looking for flooring ideas, or ceiling fixtures, or perhaps cabinet designs, this global leader-Armstrong International-guarantees that you receive only what’s best for you and your home.
Armstrong is a multi-national company specializing in the design and manufacture of ceilings, floors and cabinets. The company is currently based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania where it was founded, but has since expanded to several key countries and continents worldwide. These include Quebec, Latin America, Australia, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
The term “Armstrong tiles” refers to any floor or ceiling tile variations designed and manufactured by Armstrong International, or any other subsidiary Armstrong branches worldwide, for that matter. These tiles are grouped depending on function: either for residential or commercial use. Then these two are further divided into two other categories: flooring tiles and ceiling tiles.
Armstrong flooring tiles - Armstrong flooring tiles are some of the best tiles you can find in the world. Armstrong International uses only the finest material and the most innovative designs in creating these tiles especially for you.
Armstrong flooring tile categories features Hardwood, Laminate, Ceramic, Vinyl Sheet, Vinyl Tile, and Linoleum.
Armstrong ceiling tiles - Armstrong ceiling tiles are one of the best you’ll find anywhere, It is designed with such care that each individual tile reflects the mark of care that its makers have invested in its creation. This is definitely a tile that makes people’s heads turn.
Armstrong ceiling tile categories have Tiles (patterned, smooth, textured), Planks (light wood, medium wood, dark wood), and Panels (patterned, smooth, textured).
Check Armstrong International’s official website for more in-depth information about specific tile products. Prices are listed. However, these prices are subject to change depending on which part of the world you’re ordering from. Prices tend to be higher in countries with no Armstrong local branches available.
Patioscaping - One Word for Colourful Patio and Pool Designs
Patioscape design allows for a lot of creative leeway. In fact, the possibilities for patios and pools are nearly limitless. Still, the best in the business recommend following basic design rules by answering these questions:
After a careful assessment, it’s time to select your plants.
Colour, of course, is the element that usually catches the eye first. Though it can be tough, the designer in you needs to exercise restraint in this area. Choose colours based on your individual situation. For example, blue tones are popular because they give a feeling of serenity. They look great near a pool. Warm, bold colours - reds, orange and yellows - are temperamental and have a high impact. Mono-aromatic designs are elegant and trendy.
No matter what the trends are, don’t just consider aesthetics. Make sure the plants you choose have similar requirements for light exposure and water. They should also have similar growth vigor, or more aggressive ones might outpace those that grow slowly.
For a well-balanced design use tall, upright plants, mounding or medium-height plants and trailing elements. Work your way from the center to the rim, placing uprights in the centre, medium plants around them and trailing elements along the edges. If the planter is against a wall or in a corner work your way from back to front, with tall plants in the back and trailing elements in front.
Other important considerations are proportion and texture. Aim for the plants to take up to 2/3 of the entire design, leaving 1/3 for the visible part of the planter. Keep in mind that trailing plants will hide part of your container. Use simpler plants to accent a showpiece planter.
For a pool landscaping plan one idea is to consider using texture to create a natural design. Incorporate foliage plants for richness and work with different foliage and flower shapes and sizes. Design professionals favour such varieties as purple fountain grass (regular and dwarf forms), New Zealand flax, Mexican feather grass and sedges. You can also try perennials with intriguing foliage like Hosta, Heuchera, Ajugn, Euphorbia, Sedum or ornamental herbs.
Other excellent foliage plants are coleus, English Ivy, Ornamental Sweet Potato, and Strobilanthes. For novel flowering plants try Ange Ionia, Nemesia, Bacopa, Calibrachoa or Cleome ‘Linde Armstrong’.
In most cases it’s best to make a design last the entire year, but some gardeners prefer spring and fall planting. Sometimes plants become less attractive as summer wears on and fall planting becomes necessary. In this case consider including evergreens for winter interest. Try to limit complete change-outs to two to four times yearly, typically when the seasons change. Choose bromeliads over annuals for their longevity. Using mostly perennials will make fewer change-outs necessary.
Ideas For Landscaping Around Hot Tubs: Creative Designs
What exactly is it that makes landscaping around a hot tub so different from normal landscaping? The hot tub may be elevated. Of course you can just add a bed of mulch, but your hot tub area will look as cheap as the landscaping cost.
Ideas for landscaping around hot tubs don’t have to be complicated to look nice. The first option is to simply purchase some nice looking planters or pots and some of your favorite shrubs and flowers to surround the hot tub. I like to take two larger pots and place one on each side of the steps. Then I plant two narrow finely manicured trees that will never grow out of the pot or become too tall. This frames the entrance to your hot tub making it inviting and beautiful.
The first step in designing your dream oasis is to determine the best location for your spa. Consider the view, ease of access and privacy. Locating your hot tub close to your house makes using it much easier in cold weather. Also include a pathway with lighting for night use and a surround of some sort for privacy.
You probably want privacy in your hot tub landscape design. A stand of bamboo or hedges, a wall or fence, or even a gazebo can do the job nicely. If protection from rain or hot sun will be an issue, consider an enclosure with a roof. To avoid extra cleaning, do not place large plants or trees too near the spa. And consider how the seasons will affect your view and privacy when choosing plants.
Landscaping ideas for privacy are some of my personal favorites. One attractive possibility is a screened gazebo, which not only protects your privacy, but turns the hot tub into an attractive center of your backyard. A gazebo roof also means that you can use the hot tub in peace during rainy or buggy weather. On the outside of the gazebo, consider attaching a few simple window planter boxes and growing colorful flowers and other plants there. If you lack the green thumb, silk flowers are easy to maintain and will always look fresh.
It would be virtually impossible to enumerate all the possible ideas for landscaping around hot tubs. Let us concentrate here on an Asian themed hot tub that would be a wonderful addition to a yard. A walkway with plants lightly draped over it offers a combination of shade and sunshine and provides an Asian atmosphere as well. You can also rim the tub with cedar planters filled with trees and other plantings appropriate for the weather in your area. That will give your hot tub the sense of permanence one gets with in-ground tubs.
The perfect hot tub would be one that is built into the ground next to an in-ground swimming pool. To enhance the beauty of the hot tub, it would be ideal to have tropical plants surrounding the area to create a little jungle. You don’t even need to plant them in the ground. Just use nice flowerpots and place them around the area in two clusters of three to create a well-balanced look. By using different sizes of pots and plants in each cluster, you can create a terraced look. Popular plants for this type of setting are hibiscus, palm bushes, and ivy that can flow around the pots to create a lush landscaping.
There are so many ideas for landscaping around hot tubs that this only touches on the many possibilities. However whenever landscaping around a hot tub you must remember to still allow for the drain of the hot tub to be open. You wouldn’t want to flood all your lovely landscaping while refilling the hot tub. Remember that you can be as creative as you want. Make it your own backyard oasis.