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2014/9.2, September 24 — Cool Plaster, A Pond Reborn, Roman Splendor and more
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2014/9.2, September 24 — Cool Plaster, A Pond Reborn, Roman Splendor and more


THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS
September 24, 2014 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

Plastering When It’s Hot?

When applied under ideal conditions, plaster is a wonderfully reliable finish for pools and spas. But when temperatures rise to sufficiently high levels, says Kim Skinner, care must be taken to avoid compromising what should be a hard, smooth, durable finish. [more]


VIDEO GALLERY


Making Amends

If a pond has gone as seriously wrong as the one depicted in the last video he shared, says Eric Triplett, the only recourse is demolishing it and, as this video shows, replacing it with a watershape that does a better job of meeting its owners’ needs and desires. [more]


TRAVELOGUE

A Nice, Hot Bath

Among his many fond memories of traveling through England, Jim McCloskey holds those of the city of Bath in special regard. Partly, it’s about local literary history, but even more so, it’s about an ancient Roman spa now draped in neoclassical splendor. [more]


ESSENTIAL

A Sense of Place

The renowned landscape architecture firm of Oehme, van Sweden & Associates has long advocated the concept of The New American Garden, an approach based on respect for native plants, local materials and a project’s particular context. Water is frequently a key feature in these spaces, explains Eric D. Groft, not only for its aesthetic potential but also because it puts the people who enter these spaces in desirable frames of mind.

This article, originally published in November 2009, has been digitized for all readers. Click here to see the full text and enlarge the images to study the craftsmanship in detail.

TECHNICAL BRIEFING

Stream-Lined Effects

For all of the aesthetic considerations that come with crafting streams, the fact is that man-made waterways must function properly. Here, Rick Anderson addresses this utilitarian part of the picture, guiding us through liner placement, plumbing and equipment installation. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Dry-Side Adventures

A few days back, Jim McCloskey was digging through some old photo files when he came across an old friend: LandShapes, a short-lived (but brilliant!) publication that he immediately wanted to share with other friends through the auspices of the WaterShapes.com site. [more]

Thou Art Where, O Romeo?!
Shakespeare Classic Performed
In U.K. Edwardian Pool Complex


WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Setting Egos Aside

Ego helps keep us going, concedes Brian Van Bower in his Aqua Culture column from September 2009. But as he observed, it it can get very much in the way when it comes to projects of a certain kind. [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Waterplay Solutions Unveils Grasslands Aquatic Play System

Waterplay Solutions (Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada) has introduced Grasslands, a collection of aquatic play features for spray parks and waterparks. Capturing the spirit of flowers, blades of grass, stone and various grassland creatures in ways that encourage exploration, they also delight children with decks jets, spray elements and mist. For details, click here.

Polaris Introduces the 9550 Sport Robotic Pool Cleaner

Polaris, a division of Zodiac Pool Systems (Vista, CA) has added the 9550 Sport model to its line of robotic pool cleaners. Designed to climb steps and walls and clean the tile line with a solid-blade scrubbing brush, the unit features a seven-day programmable timer for custom cleaning cycles and a remote that can direct the cleaner through a pool. For details, click here.

THE AQUATIC QUIZ

Sloshed Brit Swims in River
Directly in Path of Cargo Ship

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. British Web site mirror.co.uk reports that a man risked death by swimming in the River Blyth directly in the path of a 4,000-ton cargo ship, triggering a rescue attempt by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The swimmer, who appeared to be inebriated, refused to get into the RNLI craft; instead, he swam to the side of the river and climbed out on a ladder. What reason did the swimmer give for his idiotic action?

a. He wanted to commit suicide in a unique way.
b. Swimming in the river was cheaper than using his local pool.
c. He didn’t know there were ships in the river.
d. He thought he could outswim anything that came along.

2. According to swimmingworldmagazine.com, South African heart surgeon Dr. Otto Thaning recently captured the world record for being the oldest person to swim the English Channel. (He completed the feat in 12 hours, 52 minutes.) How old is Thaning?

a. 70 b. 73 c. 76 d. 79.

3. At a state-level swimming competition in one South Asian country, a bull somehow gained entry to the pool area and plunged into the water just before a race was to begin. (Human swimmers were in the pool at the time and fled in terror, notes ndtv.com.) It took more than an hour to coax the bull — which seemed to be enjoying the dip — out of the pool. In what country did this take place?

a. Bangladesh b. Sri Lanka c. Pakistan d. India.

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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