IPD POOL & SPA
Pool Care Tips & Advice
The Cost of Cleaning Your Swimming Pool: Doing it Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro
I am no stranger to pool care. Indeed, pool and lawn maintenance were a large part of my life growing up. Failure to perform one or both of these assigned weekly tasks could result in a dramatic loss of income (aka, allowance); or worse, the withholding of dad’s car...
Interview Questions for a Pool Service Technician
Where I came from up north, there were far fewer backyard swimming pools dotting the residential landscape than the huge number I encountered upon resettling in Southwest Florida. Up there, fewer pools meant fewer choices of pool service technicians. But thanks to our...
Ask Me About My Dream Swimming Pool: Questions Your Pool Builder Should Ask Before Designing Your Pool
These days, you’d be hard-pressed to find an architect or custom home builder worth their salt who doesn’t begin the design process without first learning as much as possible about their client’s lifestyle habits and aspirations. Gathering such intelligence makes for...
The Pros and Cons of Saltwater Pools
The first time I ever heard of a saltwater pool, my mind immediately pictured my own swimming pool, but with rolling, sea-green water and foamy whitecaps, just like the ocean. Surely, I thought, this must be some newfangled way to purify your pool water without using...
Common Winter Pool Problems in Florida
If you are a newcomer to Florida and fortunate enough to have your own swimming pool, its upkeep during what passes for winter in the Sunshine State will likely bear little resemblance to the winterizing techniques you may have used up north. In fact, some of those...
Taking The Plunge: Important Questions to Ask When Buying a House with a Pool
If you’ve ever spent a typical August day in Southwest Florida, you have no trouble understanding why so many homes in the region come fortified with swimming pools. Owning a pool affords you the opportunity to live your best Florida life in defiance of the state’s...
How to throw a memorable pool party during the holidays
Across much of America, sunshine, blue skies and balmy temperatures are not the expected weather forecast for the winter holidays of Christmas and Hanukkah. In Sarasota, however, these conditions are the mainstay of our December weather. Thus, while the rest of the...
How to Care for Your Florida Pool in the Fall & Winter
Unless you relish plunging into cold water, the chillier weather also means several months of down time for your Florida swimming pool. Unless it is heated, of course. But don’t let its cooler water and low usage lull you into believing your pool can get by with less...
Things I Wish I Knew Before Installing My Pool
Here’s a riddle every Floridian is bound to appreciate: Q: What’s the difference between a boat and a swimming pool? A: No one ever regrets owning a swimming pool. Several strong emotions are tied to the acquisition of a swimming pool. Without exception, they should...
Stay Cool and Keep Fit by Taking the Plunge: Get into the Swim this Summer
Count me among the zillions of aging boomers who have damaged every joint in their bodies trying to stay forever young and fit, somehow believing our bodies would never rebel against us for all the abuse we heaped on them in the name of exercise and good health. But...
Taking the Plunge: Examining the Pros and Cons of Above Ground vs. In Ground Pools?
As you might expect, the areas of the U.S. with the warmest average temperatures are where you will find the highest percentage of homes with swimming pools. Phoenix, with its average daily mid-summer temperature of 106ᵒ, tops the list, with 32.7% of all homes...
What Tools and Materials Should be in a Starter Kit for Do-it-Yourself Pool Maintenance?
As the proud owner of a swimming pool, the last thing you want is to spend more time maintaining the pool than you actually spend using it. Maintaining your own pool is not rocket science. It isn’t difficult to do and takes no special talents or a PhD in chemistry....