Author Archives: vlm

If you’re looking to make the best of this new normal, try turning staying home into a better daily experience.

In “Graceful Reflections,” a new article at WaterShapes.com, Anthony Archer Wills writes about the “potency of water’s reflective nature.” As a pool designer and builder, I think his article reveals a secret especially relevant now.

Consider how this unprecedented virus has turned our homes—for now and perhaps forever—into our most important safe place for work and leisure. Beyond its new workplace and schoolroom duties, homes now serve as our main—sometimes only—venue for entertainment, relaxation, exercise, retreat, or dining with family and perhaps a few friends.

I recently wrote about homeowners looking to create a water environment in back yards that transform homes into a “staycation” destination. If you are looking for ways to reimagine your home. If you want to fill the void left by canceled travel plans and social distancing, “Graceful Reflections” shows why water’s reflective nature should be part of your plan.

Time to think more about the view

There was a time, not long ago, when we built a pool to socialize, for parties and big family events. We built pools “for the kids” to play and learn to swim. Perhaps we wanted to swim laps for our health, or the pool became a place for practice as the kids progressed as competitive swimmers at school.

Even if some or all those uses are still a priority, the current situation has caused more people to take a broader view of what a pool can do. Before the virus, there was a growing trend to create pools as part of the landscape. Some home owners take the idea further and bring the outdoors inside. The waterspace becomes an important visual feature of the living space. When a pool enters into an indoor-outdoor setting, water views and reflections can become a year-around enhancement of the home environment.

Water as art that delights

Archer Wills describes himself as a “watergardener.” He’s a landscape artist and master creator of ponds and streams that have been delighting customers and influencing the rest of us for many years. Every landscape architect and builder knows his work and the impact he’s had on the industry.

His article on reflection brings attention to one of those often unnoticed but profoundly influential details that can delight—or disappoint. As Archer Wells demonstrates, you have to anticipate reflections that could present an unwelcome surprise, something you’d rather not see intruding on the scene. Artists understand reflections when painting a water scene. The pool designer or landscape architecture team has to account for water reflections even before your waterspace is created.

You know what you want to feel and experience—how you envision enjoying and sharing your water space. Your designer is there to help you realize your vision and see the reflections and all the possibilities and pitfalls that lie ahead. As Archer Wills writes, “What’s so amazing about reflections is that, as watershapers, we have the opportunity to wield them in ways that create constant delighted enjoyment for our clients”

For good reflections look to location

In the first article of this series we looked at the space you have to work with when planning a new pool. In many ways the most critical choice you’ll make is where to put your pool in that space. Even something so subtle as what your pool water reflects starts with your choice of location.

Water reflections change with how you orient the pool to the sun, where the shade falls, how shade moves with the sun, and the progression of sun and shade across the landscape as seasons change. How the pool is positioned to catch a breeze can transform a calm reflection into a dance of sunlight. I designed an infinity edge pool for a customer that created a waterfall feature for a lower level on the property. Up top, the sun did its dance on the flowing surface. The press of a button turned off the falls and turned the pool surface into a peaceful reflection of the sky.

Although Archer Wills largely provides examples and pictures of the ponds and streams you’d find on a large estate, many of his insights on water reflections can be applied to pools and yards of any size. As he points out, “Whether you think about what you’re doing or not, working with water inevitably means working with its reflective qualities.”

Reflections to inspire you

If you’re thinking about doing something with water to make your home more uplifting, go here and read “Graceful Reflections.” Whether you live on an estate or in a development with a small backyard, I think you’ll find inspiration. Thanks to teachers like Archer Wells, when I walk into a home owner’s yard, I don’t just see the bare site. I see a rock’s reflection in the pool, the way the pool will become part of its natural environment. The way it enhances the home’s living environment. It’s a visual skill, and “Graceful Reflections” can help you learn to see reflections more clearly, too.

I hope you’re fortunate enough to work with a pool and landscape team that helps you find continued delight, even surprise, in your home. Look for someone with the artistic ability to discover those hidden reflections.

SHAPE COMES NEXT: There are so many ways water and space can work together to bring home magical moments of delight. In the third article of this series, we’ll explore pool shape and organization.

As Dr. George Rutherford told The Wall Street Journal (May 4, 2020), chlorine in pool water kills the coronavirus. The professor of epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco, said that oceans, lakes and pools are all generally safe from viruses. Swimming is one of the safer outdoor activities the Journal listed in its article, “Safety Advice for Reopening: How to Reduce Your Risks as Coronavirus Lockdowns Ease.” You can find the full story here.

Just remember that in or out of the water, when the risk of exposure to a dangerous virus is high, you need to keep a safe physical distance from other people. Distance is even more critical when exercising and breathing hard.

And don’t forget, during this period of store closures, Budd’s Pools offers free at-home water testing. To request a free test, call 856-845-9000. We ask that you limit requests to one per week.

For more about heathy pool water, Chris Volk explains how chlorine can’t kill viruses when water is out of balance. And the answer at that point, Chris warns, isn’t more chlorine.

Learn How Water Balance Makes Home Pools Safer

I started this series on pool water and health before any of us knew a coronavirus was about to upset the whole world. I’ve long held that a diligent owner can be more certain about a pool’s health at home than at many public facilities. Now we can add social distancing to the advantages a home pool offers.

If you own a pool, you already know that chlorine kills viruses in the water. But you need to know more about your water’s chemistry to be sure the chlorine is doing its job. That’s where water balance comes into the picture. When water isn’t balanced, there isn’t enough free chlorine to kill the virus. At that point adding more chlorine doesn’t help and could further compound your problems.

Pool chemistry is more complicated than many people realize. Let’s look at the five factors you need to measure and test before taking action:

•  pH level of pool or spa water
•  Total Alkalinity
•  Calcium level
•  Dissolved Solids level
•  Temperature

Let’s look at how these five factors impact one another and the health of your pool water.

pH level

Your pool’s pH (potential Hydrogen) level has to be kept balanced between 7.4 (the level maintained by the human body) and 7.6. Water pH is balanced at 7.0. Under that it’s acidic; over, it’s alkaline.

When pH is out of range, bad things happen faster, doing damage to people and pools. It can even affect how well the chlorine protects you against microbes. Out of balance pH leads to other chemical reactions. For example when the pH is too high (alkaline) chlorine combines with hydrogen to make hydrochloric acid. Adding more chlorine in this situation just makes more acid.

Total alkalinity

Total alkalinity is a measure of pH stability. Use this measure to help you keep pH levels from fluctuating too much. Test and adjust alkalinity first, then test and adjust pH.

Total Calcium Hardness

Total Calcium Hardness indicates if water is hard or soft. You want pool water just a little soft, about 150 ppm. When water is too soft, it doesn’t have enough calcium and will leach out calcium from other sources in contact with the water. A favorite target is the calcium in plaster pool walls. Too much calcium makes pool water too hard, freeing excess calcium to migrate to other pool surfaces. You don’t want to discover nasty white scales on your pool walls or clogging pipes. That’s a sure sign of hard water shedding excess calcium.

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) is a measure of organic matter, minerals, metals, and salts dissolved in your pool water. A high TDS level leads to pool stains, algae blooms, and scaling. It also depletes the chlorine available to do its job of keeping water healthy.

Temperature

Temperature affects how chemicals act and react with one another in your pool water. High temperatures speed up chemical reactions. Rising temperatures lead to rising pH levels (more alkaline) and dropping chlorine levels. Temperature also affects water test results, which is why it’s important to get your water sample to the testing facility without delay.

Getting Calcium Right with LSI

In the next installment, we’ll look at how these same five factors figure in the Langelier Saturation Index (LSI). Dr. Langelier’s Index helps keep calcium balanced in pool water.

Staycations aren’t a new idea, but when staying home became mandatory I started getting more calls from people looking for an alternative to travel. Even if a new pool or spa currently falls into your “do later” category, we all need something to look forward to. Planning how to make your home better for the future is a good way to keep spirits up.

Designs in water can bring a favorite place home

I got a call recently from a woman who wanted to talk about planning a new pool. Like many folks who love to travel, she and her husband are postponing travel plans until we get through this terrible pandemic. After canceling their big family trip, she said they decided to put the unspent travel dollars into funding a pool for stay-home vacations.

I’ll share in this article a few design ideas that can help you think about what makes a home feel like a destination. If you haven’t already seen it, you’ll also want to follow my series of articles on designing with water and space. You can find the first in the series here.

Design themes for your staycation WaterSpace

You can apply these water oriented staycation themes to any project, big or small. If you have the space and budget for it, consider the ultimate in home WaterSpaces with pool, spa, and all the creative special features now available. With sufficient planning you can also make creative use of space and water to fit smaller areas and budgets. When you create the right setting, your small pool or hot tub becomes even more pleasurable.

The traveler’s staycation

What’s your favorite place to visit in the United States or abroad? You can incorporate the feel of a region or country that especially appeals to you. In creating your own outdoor space, think about the local colors, the architecture, the furnishings and materials in the places you love to visit. Even the arrangement of objects and space at that special destination can provide inspiration.

You might consider a mashup of compatible or contrasting elements from different regions or countries. Take for example, Mid-Century art and furnishings. Things like “Danish Modern” designs harken back to the 1960s and 70s love of things Scandinavian, from teak and rosewood tables to Saabs and Volvos. You can mix Mid-Century designs with other periods in what designers call a Transitional style.

The resort staycation

When a resort is at the center of your most memorable vacation, you may start thinking about bringing the resort experience home. When I get a resort staycation call, I ask what was special about the pool or spa area that they want to duplicate at home. The answers are as different as the people going to resorts. Here are some of the features most frequently mentioned.

The setting

Favored settings range from formal gardens to natural or rustic environments. Some like natural materials and curved edges while others want urban modern with sleek surfaces and straight edges. The most ambitions projects include special water features such as falls, fountains, a flowing “river” or a water grotto.

The purpose

For some the focus is on family experience, others focus on exercise, social gatherings, a peaceful retreat, or romance. In-pool and poolside features add fun and games for kids of all ages. A swim up bar is a top poolside feature for adults. A waterslide is most popular with kids. Lap swimming appeals more to adults. In many cases the family pool needs to accommodate a combination of uses.

Those who want more in-water action may opt to equip the pool with a powerful water jet that creates a current. These can range from an easy-flowing lazy river effect to a strong current that you can swim against. These water jets have long been the first choice for home swimmers who only have room for a small pool. It’s an especially popular feature for athletes who need to train at home. Those with large pools are using water jets to paddle kayaks against the current.

A spa by the pool is popular with everyone. I’m seeing more owners adding a second in-suite private patio pool, hot tub or plunge pool like what they experienced at a resort. Outdoor art such as mosaics, sculpture, and dramatic night lighting are among the resort features people want to bring home. I also see more homeowners creating a space for formal waterside dining, part of a growing trend toward the merging of indoor and outdoor living.

The Waterside Experience

You can make your poolside space a place for sharing all sorts of experiences: fun, pleasure, action, relaxation, and don’t forget the view. Often being near the water is as great an attraction as being in it. Sometimes just looking at the water from inside brings more pleasure home.

More planning help

Those who designed your favorite resort have years of experience and lots of training in both the art and the engineering that created the magic. The sooner you find someone compatible who can help guide you and execute your plans, the better the results.

You can find more information here on our resources page, I especially recommend the WaterShape University’s professional network. Also consider the Association of Professional Landscape Designers and the American Institute of architects. Or just go here to ask me a question.

This is the first in a series of articles on how water and space work together in creating an indoor-outdoor environment that adds beauty, harmony, functionality and enjoyment to your home.

By Chris Volk
Without a doubt, long-term enjoyment of your pool and hot tub depends on the quality of the system, from concept and design to installation. Reliability has to be engineered in from the beginning. But there’s something beyond great engineering that takes an installation from reliable into the realm of enchanting. That’s where the art of the design comes in.

I’ve long been an avid student of design. One of the best classes I’ve attended on the art of designing custom pools was presented by instructor Kate Wiseman, the principal designer and founder of Sage Outdoor Designs in San Diego, CA.

Kate’s presentation and practical exercises centered on understanding how good design encompasses five elements:

• Line
• Shape
• Color
• Texture
• Space

I like to start a project with the space. How you allocate your space shapes all the steps that follow. You can’t unpour the concrete when you find later that the pool should been located in a different spot.

Look beyond the default location

Your pool site is the point where a designer’s eye for space becomes critical to the success of your plan. More than likely the optimum place won’t be the middle of the yard, though there are reputable pool contractors that make it their default location. Too often, a pool in the middle dominates the entire yard and makes for awkward placement of every other element.

When your design team conducts its site inspection, they’ll look for ground conditions that impact location, such as ground water or soil composition. Onsite inspection also helps identify visual features beyond your property that are to be emphasized or minimized.

Even before inspection, I like to develop a deeper understanding of how you plan to use your pool and what you want to experience. The uses and experiences you wish to enjoy influence how we’ll orient your pool to the sun, deal with environmental conditions, such as shade, prevailing wind, topography, scenic views, and privacy.

Empty space and design

The space you don’t fill is an essential element of good design. In thinking of pool location (and placement of other major elements), leave room for negative space.

Empty space provides room for things to breathe. It eases the movement of people and air. And it leaves a place for your eyes to rest. Whether you’re looking to create a relaxing or exciting environment, space plays a major—though often hidden—role in realizing your vision.

Up next: Shape and Organization

In the next installment I’ll look at the shape of typical pool spaces and how shape influences the organization of your space.

Only consistent testing keeps pool water clear, clean, balanced and safe.

By Chris Volk
My wife lets out a little groan when I open my water testing kit before I’ll get in a hotel pool or hot tub. She understands, though, what happens to people when the water looks clean, but the chemistry isn’t so pretty.

From minor eye and skin problems to more serious complications including lung irritation and infections, you really don’t want to get in water that hasn’t been properly tested and treated. And if you’re an owner, what’s bad for people is bad for your pool and hot tub surfaces, and your equipment, too.

You’re probably not going to pack a water testing kit to check the pool water on your next vacation, but there are a few warning signals you could look for.

Before you get in the water: use your nose

If you smell “chlorine” don’t get in the water. It’s not chlorine but ammonia you’re smelling. That’s a sure sign the water isn’t clean and balanced, and that means chlorine can’t do its job to protect your health.

After you’ve been in the water: watch for these signs before going back in

• Red eyes: In most cases it’s not a case of too much chlorine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the main culprit is urine, which combines with chlorine leaving it ineffective to keep water clean and healthy. Body oils, lotions, cosmetics and sweat can also have the same effect.
• Itchy Skin: It’s the same story as red eyes—too little free chlorine, too many (mostly human) pollutants.
• Cough: That high ammonia level that smells like chlorine can cause serious respiratory problems, especially in indoor pools. Indoor pool owners and managers need to be especially diligent about their water chemistry. They also need a well-designed ventilation system able to move the air at pool level.

One additional warning sign to look for, especially at public or commercial pools and hot tubs: how often do you see people doing water testing? Things can change in hours in a crowded pool, public or private. When the day is hot and the pool is crowded, a trained person needs to be testing the water every two hours.

News of the pool and hot tub industry probably isn’t at the top of your reading list, so I’ll share occasional pool news stories here that could be important to you.

by Chris Volk

The following pool news items from 2019 deserve attention in 2020. One is national, the other local to New Jersey.

New Pool and Hot Tub Alliance Launched

The biggest story of the last decade for the pool and hot tub industry came in 2019 with the arrival of the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance. It’s a merger of the National Swimming Pool Foundation and the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals. The Alliance provides education and professional development to industry members and performs an important public education service with its respected safety programs.

This merger is potentially an important step for the industry, and a win for consumers. Randy Budd and I have long invested our time and resources in professional education and advancing the industry. The educational role the Alliance could play for providers and consumers is essential, and now it could all be available from a trusted source for both pools and hot tubs. Professional and consumer education are the foundation for the continued safety and enjoyment of buyers and users. You can see the news release at https://www.nspf.org/news/2019/apr/pool-hot-tub-alliance-officially-begins-operations.

Pool and Spa Licensing Required in New Jersey

This next item is from “Pool and Spa News” and is of particular interest to those living in New Jersey. It may also set a standard that impacts the entire region.

As of 2019 New Jersey joined a small but growing number of states requiring licensing of those constructing or servicing pools and spas. For the full story, see Pool and Spa News: https://www.poolspanews.com/business/new-jersey-passes-pool-and-spa-licensing-law.

This is a huge step for our industry and the state. It requires licensees to adhere to the standards set forth by appropriate organizations and local jurisdictions, enforcing a level of quality that had been missing. No longer will people be able simply to apply for a HIC number and declare themselves pool professionals. There’s more to do, such as requiring licensing of those providing electrical and plumbing services of pools. But it’s a start.

Why These Stories are Important

Any steps, nationally or locally, that make the industry better and more reliable are steps in the right direction. I want to see my industry get better because that’s what makes our company better. And that helps us do a better job for you.

As a consumer, you want to know the people you engage to install and service your pool or hot tub (a) know what they’re doing and (b) can be trusted. These two news items help point the way to assuring that both (a) and (b) will be met.