In life, there are certain things that should be treated with care. The obvious things are family, pets, and friends. In addition to those things, some people might take extra special care of things like their classic cars, boats, or even their yards. My neighbor growing up was that way. His yard was his pride and joy. At one point, he re-seeded the yard and would get very upset when people would walk on the grass. Even years after re-seeding, nobody but him was allowed to step foot in the yard. I know this is a strange introduction to a blog post about swimming pools, but the point is that owning a swimming pool comes with responsibilities similar to those that come with owning anything of value. All too often I come across a pool that has been neglected by its owner. If the owner decides to restore an unkempt pool, they will be looking at a fairly costly undertaking to restore the pool to its former glory. In my opinion, anything is possible with the proper equipment and budget. The problem is that many pool owners are not wanting to spend the money required to get the job done right. The point of all this is that with the proper care, a pool can last a very long time and it doesn’t have to turn into a money pit.
There are certain expenses that come with owning a pool, and these must be understood before purchasing a pool. It’s like a child owning a dog. They see only the good things that come with pet ownership, and don’t have a firm grasp on the responsibility that accompanies it. Eventually, the parents end up taking care of the animal. I suppose that the parents usually understand this ahead of time. At any rate, owning a pool requires that it be taken care of (just like owning a dog), and there are costs involved as well. The difference is that if the owner decides not to take care of the pool, then nobody will. This leaves them with a potential hazard in the backyard and the worse it gets the more expensive it may be to restore it. Just like owning a dog and having to buy food for it, owning a pool requires that you buy chemicals for it. Also, from time to time, you have to give a dog a bath, just like you have to clean the pool periodically. You have to take the dog to the vet. You have to occasionally hire someone to do repairs to the pool. You get my point. Owning a pool is a responsibility. Another huge difference is that a dog can be a relatively inexpensive addition to the house where a pool represents a significant investment. It’s a shame that some people just let there pools become a place that people avoid rather than the welcoming focal point of the backyard that it once was. I have seen some very elegant pools turn into disgusting breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and frogs, while simultaneously becoming burial grounds for spiders, worms, mice, squirrels, and any other creatures that happens to fall in. This has always been something that I could not quite understand. Why would people spend the money for a pool to eventually let it get so unbearably gross that they stop taking care of it all together? I still don’t know. With a little effort they could have had a beautiful place for entertaining, and backyard bar-b-cue’s for many, many years.
If you are looking into getting a pool, understand that it will need to be properly cared for. If that is not something that you will be able to do, then I would suggest that you not get one. However, before you write it off completely, you should know that there are products available that can accompany the pool to make the maintenance much easier, and in some cases you can get your pool to take care of itself with very little effort on your part. The reason I created this post was in an effort to inform the people who are looking into getting a pool about the work and responsibilities that follow the initial installation of the pool.
At this point, you realize that I have not offered any specific information on how to maintain a pool. The reason for that is that I have several other posts on my blog related to pool maintenance. I also have a three part post that offers information regarding how to have a vinyl liner pool clean itself. I have worked in the in-ground swimming pool industry as a builder, service technician, swimming pool renovator, and technical sales associate for about ten years now. I have seen many things over the years, from the most disgusting pools to the most elaborate, elegant pools. I have been put in the position of solving many problems that pool owners encounter, and with the right equipment and proper application there has yet to be anything that I am unable to resolve. That being said, please take the time to take a look at my other blog posts and feel free to ask any questions or make any comments that you may have. As a pool professional, I will do my best to answer any questions or respond to any comments with respect to those who who offer them. As I am new to the blog scene, I look forward to any feedback from my readers. I am happy to help and having that feedback will allow me to learn as well.
