Creating a Waterfall For Your Pool

Adding a swimming pool to your yard is one of the best home improvements you can do. Not only does it make your home more beautiful, but it is also a great spot to enjoy the company of family and friends. As wonderful as a swimming pool is, you can make it even better by adding a waterfall feature. A waterfall is customizable and easy to install components that will further beautify your pool and home surroundings. Here are things to consider when creating a waterfall.

Types of Waterfall

One of the things you have to consider before adding a waterfall to your pool is the type you will choose. There are several types available such as:

Water Curtain Waterfall: You can give your outdoor space a sleek and modern look with this waterfall. It is best to position the waterfall at the end of your pool, where water enters directly into the pool through the exit point. The water flow is in the form of a sheet, hence the name curtain.

Rain Forest Waterfall: Also known as Tropical Waterfall. This waterfall is created with rocks and stones along its base so the water can cascade on them. Through this arrangement, the waterfall recreates the sound of tropical forests. It is best for tropical or lagoon shaped pools and relatively easy to design and customize.

Arch Pool Waterfalls: If you are looking for a streamlined yet stylish waterfall, this is your best choice. It is ideal where your pool is located on the hill so that the water can sweep right to it. 

Sound

Another thing to consider when creating a waterfall for your pool is the sound. What will determine the sound is the volume of water and how the water enters the pool. A water curtain waterfall is the quietest of all the pools. The water hitting will also affect the sound; thus, you can create your waterfall on rocks and stones to make the gushing noise louder.

Choose Your Material

The pool type you are creating will influence your choices in terms of material. For instance, if you are building a rainforest swimming pool, you will need tiles and stones. These two materials would be used for the pool coping and decking. While your waterfall type helps narrow down your choices in material, these materials still have varieties. So you will have to decide which variety to use. For example, there are several types of stones, such as natural-looking stones, faux rocks, etc. Faux rocks are lighter and easier to use.

Installation

There are two things to consider when installing a waterfall. These are the water pressure and the size of the waterfall.  The size of the waterfall would be determined by the depth and size of your pool. Most times, it is either the waterfall is low and wide or high and narrow. On the other hand, the pressure would be determined by the water pump you use and the elevation of your waterfall. For a rainforest waterfall, the design is usually done on the high side of the pool, which is further elevated with rocks and stones.

Conclusion

A waterfall feature is something you can install yourself or use an expert builder. Either way, ensure you obtain all necessary permits before starting. For more information on swimming pools and waterfalls visit https://www.swimmingpoolcontractorsoahu.com.

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MOST EXPENSIVE HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES

The idea of improving the home is one that many homeowners consider once in a while; it always feels good to live in a new, more beautiful, and more convenient apartment with extra facilities. Add to the fact that home improvements also mean increasing your home value, and you will understand why many like the idea. However, the actual execution of home improvement ideas is a costly thing, with most of those ideas being on the high end when it comes to budget. Here, we examine a few of the costliest home improvement ideas.

Swimming Pool:

Imagine adding a swimming pool to your home and the value it would add to your apartment. It would definitely make your home more comfortable and fun for you and your family. However, this project is not cheap in any way. The actual cost would depend on the size of your pool and the material used. For instance, a Concrete swimming pool would cost over $50000 while the cheapest material, which is vinyl, would still cost about $30000. Thus, no matter how you look at it, it is an expensive project that will eat deep into your savings and probably make it impossible to execute any other improvement project along with it. It is a capital project that stands on its own, and you will definitely enjoy having a pool in your home.

Kitchen Remodel:

You can improve your home considerably by remodeling your kitchen. Think of changing your kitchen style to something more contemporary and adding other features and appliances to make it more comfortable. While it is a good idea, it is a very expensive one. The cost of cabinets alone is enough to execute some home improvement project, once you add paint, lights, appliances, and countertops. You will get a full understanding of how much you have to spend to bring your kitchen up to the contemporary style you desire. However, you can cut costs on your kitchen remodeling by focusing on only what requires immediate fixing and not replacing anything unless it is totally useless and spoilt. If you can do this and then give your kitchen a proper painting, you can achieve an almost similar effect to what a complete remodel would do.

Building A Deck:

The idea of having your own deck where you can sit in the evening with friends and family or even set up a grill and barbecue is a dream most homeowners have. But it is not a cheap one either. While a deck might look like a simple project, it costs over $6000 on average, so look at it again.

Heating and Cooling:

Another way to significantly improve your home is by adding a central heating and cooling system. With that, you can say goodbye to fans and window units. It also makes your home super comfortable regardless of the weather outside. If you are making modifications to your home, such as adding new rooms, it is essential to consider improving the heating and cooling systems to make them more efficient. Central air conditioning costs over $5000 on average.

Renovating the Bathroom:

Whatever you do, don’t rip out the plumbing in your bathroom if they are not broken. Bathroom remodeling costs thousands, even without unnecessary demolition and replacing pipes. You can always add cabinets, vanity, replace your tub with a modern shower, among many other improvements.

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How to Remove Tree Stumps

Have you just cut a tree and thinking of how to get the stump out of the way? This can be a tricky process, sometimes even harder than cutting the tree itself. It is why most companies charge for it differently from tree cutting. But this doesn’t mean you can’t do it yourself, you can, and here is how.

Why Remove The Stump

  • Removing the stump frees up space.
  • Stumps can be hazardous, especially when you can’t see them.
  • Stumps spoil landscape beauty.

There are four methods for removing stumps. Once you have decided to remove it. Check to determine which method to use. The size and age of the tree, the number of stumps you’re removing, etc. will determine how you do it. That said, these are the methods.

  1. Manual Removal

This is removing the stump by hand. Depending on tree size, it takes between 3 to 12 hours. You’ll be needing tools such as digging bar, ax, mattock, shovel, bow saw. It is labor-intensive, so it best for a small to a medium-sized stump.

Step 1: Use the mattock’s broadside to dig the soil around and loosen it up

Step 2: Clear the loosened soil around the tree with a shovel till you can see the roots

Step 3: Cut the roots from the trunk using mattock or bow saw

Step 4: Keep digging and clearing till you reach the taproot

Step 5: Cut the taproot with saw or ax. Once you’ve cut through it, just wriggle the stump and pull it to remove. 

  1. Chemicals

This doesn’t require much labor, but it is slow—the bigger the tree, the slower. The tools you need are chainsaw and drill, ax, plastic tarp, potassium nitrate, and garden mulch.

Step 1: Use chainsaw to cut off the top of the truck as low to the ground as possible

Step 2: Drill wide deep holes right through the remaining stump

Step 3: Fill the holes with water and potassium nitrate, Epsom salt, stump removers granules, or any fertilizer high in nitrogen.

Step 4: Wet the soil around the stump till it’s soaked and cover with a tarp to keep it moisturized.

Step 5: Pour mulch on the tap and add water again.

Step 6: Check the progress and add more water and nitrogen.

Step 7: Within some weeks, the stump should turn spongy, and you can use an ax to speed the process.

  1. Burn

It is fast. you’ll need a drill, kerosene or petrol, and a tree stump removal product.

Step 1: Drill holes into the trunk and pour the removal product into it.

Step 2: Pour the fuel into the holes until it’s soaked.

Step 3: Set it on fire and watch it. Once the stump smolders, cover with soil to kill the fire.

  1. Use a grinder

Where there are multiple stumps or a large stump, rent a stump grinder. You’ll need tools such as shovel, rake, mattock, chainsaw.

Step 1: Clear the area around the stump.

Step 2: Use chainsaw to cut the stump low to the ground

Step 3: Place the grinder on the stump and turn it on. Keep grinding until the stump is about 4 inches below ground.

Step 4: Fill the hole with remnants and cover with soil.

Throughout any of the methods, wear protective gear. For more tree care and removal tips visit the link above.

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Trees That Produce The Most Oxygen

Trees are one of the largest producers of oxygen, a necessary ingredient for human survival.  It is released during photosynthesis when they use sunlight to produce glucose from water and carbon dioxide. Trees also use oxygen for metabolism, but there’s usually enough leftover to release into the atmosphere. Seeing their importance, many have recommended growing as many trees as we can. It is necessary to know the types of trees to plant to get the best out of this. Here, we look at the top oxygen-producing trees and factors responsible for the high production.

Why Some Trees Produce More Oxygen

Compatibility with climate: a tree will release more oxygen when growing in its natural environment than anywhere else. This is because it will grow better and reach its full potential. For instance, a tree from a tropical region might survive in a colder region, but its growth will not be the same.

Leaf mass: the amount of leaves on a tree also determines how much oxygen it produces. Thus, a tree that has more leaves will produce more oxygen than one with less.  Leaves are used for photosynthesis, and the more leaves a tree has, the faster its photosynthetic process and oxygen released.

Growing vs. Mature Trees: trees produce more oxygen when they are growing compared to when mature. This is because trees themselves need oxygen to grow, and what is released into the atmosphere is leftover oxygen. Once mature, this need disappears, hence less production.

Trees with High Oxygen Production

Bamboo: this tree can live as long as 120 years and grow up to 90 feet. Although grass, its size, and growth have made many references to it as a tree. An acre of bamboo trees annually produces about 65 tonnes of oxygen and absorb 85 tons of carbon dioxide. It stands far above other trees as an acre of it produces 35% more oxygen than any other tree within a similar space. It is the only plant that survived radiation exposure after Hiroshima.

Peepal: this tree can live for a very long time, sometimes even thousands. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina and grows averagely to 100m in height.  The tree produces oxygen 24/7.

Banyan– another tree native to the Indian subcontinent and tropical Asia. It can survive thousands of years and has the broadest tree cover of any tree. Thimmamma Marrimanu is a banyan tree in various India that has the wildest canopy of trees in the world. It covers an area that can take up to 20000 people.

Neem Tree: it fixes over 14 micromoles of CO2 per m² per second and is efficient at withstanding heat and pollution. The tree also has a medicinal purpose and is used for dermatological problems.

Redwood: it is a significant producer of oxygen. Studies have revealed that coast redwoods absorb more CO2 than any other tree.

Poplar: this is a fast-growing tree, so it produces a significant amount of oxygen when growing. It also absorbs lots of CO2 from the atmosphere. It has many other amazing qualities, such as phytoremediation, that make it an excellent tree to plant.

Other trees with high production capacity include Beech, Chinese elm, Fig, Eucalyptus, and Locust trees.

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