Pools are all about the sunshine. Think about the hours spent tanning on a lounge chair next to the pool or splashing around in the warm water. Pools are a hallmark of the sunny summer months. But too much sun can be a bad thing. Prolonged exposure can leave the water feeling more like a Jacuzzi than a pool, and the harsh rays of the sun could cause a sunburn, which increases the risk of developing skin cancer. Because of this, many pool owners are working with custom pool builders in Los Angeles, CA to identify shade solutions for both in and around the water.
Luckily, today’s shade structures can provide some much-needed relief without sacrificing the ambience and style of the pool. Some permanent structures can even help increase your property value. Consider these six shade options:
Smart placement: Strategically placing the pool in the shade is both smart and cost efficient. Pay attention to where the sun lands throughout the day in the planned pool spot. This will help you determine which areas get the most sun and the spots that might get too much shade. Remember that the angle of the sun will change throughout the year.
Umbrella: There’s a reason the classic umbrella has been a poolside staple for decades. Umbrellas are a great option for those who want an easily movable and flexible solution, as they can be moved throughout the day as needed. Unfortunately, many people shy away from this classic as they tend to be unattractive when closed.
Shade trees: Trees can add shade, privacy and ambience to a backyard pool. The only downside is that it can take years for a shade tree to grow to full size, and it will likely drop leaves into the pool. Consult your custom pool builder in Los Angeles, CA and a landscaping expert to make sure the roots will not spread and threaten the structural integrity of the pool.
Pergolas: Create shade and ambience with a pergola. The structure controls the amount of light over the part of the pool it covers. Adding a pergola can also enhance the overall appearance of a backyard, and may even boost your property value.
Shade sails: Shade sails have surged in popularity recently due to their modern appearance and effectiveness. The shades cane be placed in a variety of different angles to create a unique upscale aesthetic reminiscent of a swanky resort pool. Use one or two shades to cover a small area, or opt for several shades over the entire length of the pool.
Retractable canopies: A retractable canopy is the most effective and comprehensive shade option available. The canopy runs across the pool along beams placed between a series of supports. The canopy can retract or expand with the simple press of a button. This option can be a bit pricy, but it will have a high return when it’s time to sell the home.
A custom pool builder in Los Angeles, CA can help determine the best shade option when creating your new pool. Call Avanti Pools, Inc. today to learn more!
A swimming pool isn’t always just a swimming pool—slides, jets, fountains and other add-ons make each pool unique. One of the more popular add-ons these days is Baja shelves. A Baja shelf in Los Angeles, CA is basically a long and wide step that leads into your pool, and it’s typically submerged between eight to 16 inches. Baja shelves originated in huge resort pools, but have become increasingly popular in residential pools over the past few decades—continue reading to find out why!
What are the benefits of a Baja shelf?
People across the country wouldn’t install Baja shelves if they didn’t have their advantages. Here are a couple of reasons why our customers consistently opt to put a Baja shelf in their pool:
Good for the family: Chances are, your pool isn’t only used by the able-bodied adults in your family. Young children and elderly grandparents also want to enjoy the refreshing water on a hot day. That can be difficult in a standard pool, though, since ladders can be tricky to navigate up and down. That’s where a Baja shelf comes into play. The young and old alike can cool off without worrying about getting in and out of the water via a ladder.
Catch a tan and stay cool: Baja shelves are also sometimes called “sun shelves,” and for good reason—a Baja shelf makes it easy to lay partially submerged in the water and catch a tan without feeling the intense heat of the sun. Just remember to wear sunscreen while you’re soaking up the rays!
Create a hangout spot: Your pool deck is a focal point for entertainment, but where is everyone supposed to hang out once they get in the water? A Baja shelf makes it easy for everyone to gather around, share some laughs and sip on some margaritas. Just remember to make your Baja shelf big enough to accommodate your crowd!
Things to consider
There are some things you need to think about before you go ahead and add a Baja shelf to your pool. These are a few things you must consider prior to installation:
Budget: Installing a pool isn’t cheap, and adding a Baja shelf just makes your installation cost about $2,500 more expensive. If you don’t have that money in your pool budget now, that’s okay! Our professionals can install a Baja shelf down the road once you’ve saved up for one.
Width: How wide is your Baja shelf going to be? The wider it is, the more people can hang out on it. However, that also means less room for you to swim around in your pool. Consider how many people you think will be on your Baja shelf at once before you install it.
Depth: As mentioned above, Baja shelves are usually eight to 16 inches below the water. The depth you choose basically depends on how you plan on using it. If you think you’re just going to sit in a lounge chair and catch a tan, a shallow shelf is probably right for you.
Don’t call just anyone to install your Baja shelf in Los Angeles, CA—hire the pros from Avanti Pools, Inc. You can trust that your Baja shelf will be installed in a timely manner, and more importantly, installed correctly. Give us a call today to get an estimate, or to learn more about all of our pool services.
Do you like going for a swim in your pool after the sun sets? If you do, you’re well aware that your pool needs proper lighting. A well-lit pool ensures that you can see everything in the water while enjoying pool games well into the night. But what kind of lights should you choose? Should you install standard lighting that’s been around for ages, or should pick LED pool lighting in Los Angeles, CA? We think the answer is simple: go with LEDs. Continue reading to learn about some of the main advantages of LED lights:
Brighter lights: Visible light produced by a light bulb is measured in lumens. A standard 100-watt light bulb emits up to 1,750 lumens, and a 40-watt bulb produces about 450 lumens. An LED light, however, produces the same amount of lumens as a 100-watt bulb, but may only use 14 watts of energy. So, if you’d like to have a brighter and more beautiful pool each night, without quite so much energy being used, install LED lights!
Added safety: If your pool is brighter at night, it stands to reason that it’ll be safer as well. This is big for parents watching their kids from the pool deck, as well as swimmers who’d like to see if there are any other creatures in the pool with them. For an even safer pool environment, install LED lights around your pool deck. Your whole backyard oasis will be lit up nice and bright for you to enjoy.
Energy efficiency: As alluded to above, LED lights are much more energy efficient than standard bulbs. Running your incandescent lights can cost up to $1 per day. That might not seem like a lot, but that really adds up over the course of the year! Instead of paying that much, choose to install LED lights, which have an operating cost of just a few cents per day. On top of that, folks who replace their incandescent bulbs with LEDs may be eligible for tax rebates.
Longevity: Replacing a light bulb inside is a pain, especially if you need to get up on a ladder to swap it out. If you don’t like doing that, imagine how much you’d hate replacing your pool lights! Folks who choose to install LEDs won’t have to worry about that anytime soon, as these bulbs able to last up to 20 years without being changed.
Unique colors: As you can see, LED lights have their practical advantages, but that’s not the only reason our customers choose LEDs over incandescent bulbs! LED lights come in a variety of different colors to give your pool a unique look. If you pay a little extra, you can get LEDs that change colors with the touch of a button on your smart phone!
Be sure to call Avanti Pools, Inc. if you’re ready to install LED pool lighting in Los Angeles, CA. We’ll install your new lighting quickly and easily, so you can dive in and start enjoying your new lighting during a late-night swim.
A heated pool is a wonderful luxury to have. You can enjoy a swim at night or in the cooler months without getting too cold. However, when it comes to actually heating your pool, there are a number of options you will have to choose from. Installing a heater for an existing pool or adding one to your planned pool can be expensive, and you want to make sure that your money is well spent. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to consider whether a solar pool heater is the right choice for you. Here are some considerations your pool designer in Los Angeles, CA recommends you take into account:
Environmental friendliness: Solar energy is a sustainable resource that doesn’t use up finite natural resources like coal and gas. Another great thing about solar energy is the fact that it doesn’t produce any harmful byproducts or emissions. As an added bonus, this kind of eco-friendly feature may appeal to potential buyers should you choose to sell your home down the road.
Energy efficiency: Lots of people are hesitant to install or use pool heaters because of the amount of energy that’s required to run them, but solar pool heaters are an affordable option that saves you money. While you will probably pay between $3,000 and $4,000 to purchase and install a solar pool heater, it will only take 2 to 7 years for your heater to pay for itself in the form of energy savings.
Easy maintenance: Traditional pool heaters can be a challenge to maintain, and often require significant repairs and routine service to keep them running over several years. A standard pool heater lasts about 10 years, but a solar pool heater lasts between 15 and 20 years, and the solar panels themselves can last up to 30 years. Solar heaters also require less maintenance and don’t need to be repaired as frequently as standard pool heaters. You can ask your pool designer in Los Angeles, CA about the specific things you should do to keep your solar pool heater working as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Quiet operation: Solar heaters don’t generate the same level of noise as other pool heaters do. They run quietly, which means that you don’t have to deal with the annoying hum of traditional pool heaters. This allows you to focus on enjoying your pool without any of the irritating background noise.
No matter which special features or designs you have in mind for your pool, Avanti Pools, Inc. is here to help make your vision a reality. We are experienced in working with our clients to build pools that work for their space, needs, family size and budget. Regardless of whether you want a small hot tub or a large swimming pool with one-of-a-kind design features, we are confident that we can deliver exactly what you’re looking for. We’ve been in business since 1999 and continue to be committed to the quality of our work. Give us a call to get started with a consultation.
Building a pool can be an incredibly beneficial thing for you and your family. Not only is a swimming pool a fantastic place for you and your family to relax, spend time together, get exercise and entertain guests, but it can also boost the value of your home significantly. One of the most exciting things about custom pool construction in Los Angeles, CA is that you can design a pool that’s perfect for your needs. Among all of the other decisions you’ll have to make about your pool’s design and construction, you have to choose whether you want a saltwater pool or a chlorine pool.
Saltwater vs. chlorine pools
The most important thing to know about saltwater pools is that they aren’t actually chlorine-free. In fact, saltwater pools are a type of chlorine pool, but they tend to have much lower levels of chlorine. That’s because saltwater pools do not have chlorine added in the form of sticks or tablets, but rather it is produced by a saltwater generator as salt is added to the pool water. Another thing that’s worth noting about saltwater pools is that they aren’t as salty as some people anticipate. Saltwater pools have about the same concentration of salt as human tears, which is about one tenth the concentration of salt in ocean water. Here are some other things to consider:
Health factors: One of the primary reasons why some people choose to install a saltwater pool is because of a sensitivity to high levels of chlorine. Saltwater pools are usually much gentler for people who have sensitive skin, and swimming in saltwater leaves skin feeling softer than swimming in chlorine pools. Another health benefit of saltwater pools is the fact that you don’t have to add any chlorine to the pool yourself, which means you don’t have to worry about breathing in chlorine fumes while you add it to the pool.
Cost: It’s important to consider the cost of a saltwater pool system. Upfront, you will spend quite a bit more on a saltwater system than a chlorine system. However, you will also spend less over time on chemicals. You’ll spend about $100 in a year on salt once your system is set up, compared with the $300 to $800 that you would spend on chemicals for a chlorine pool.
System health: A common concern with saltwater systems is the fact that they can be harder on your pool features. Your lighting, pool liner and masonry may deteriorate faster and be damaged by saltwater over time. These issues are most common with systems that are converted from chlorine to saltwater, so they can be prevented with proper new pool construction in Los Angeles, CA.
Learn more about pool construction in Los Angeles, CA
Whether you know exactly what you want for your pool or you have a lot of questions about design and function, the team at Avanti Pools, Inc. is here to help you. For nearly 20 years, we have been providing our clients with pool design and pool construction in Los Angeles, CA. We are proud to be a locally owned and operated company with a sincere commitment to the satisfaction of our customers. To learn more, give us a call today.
(818) 501-3759