Keep It Clean
It's a plain fact:  Nothing cools the affection of a new owner faster than confronting an under-equipped swimming pool's need for lots of routine maintenance.  He or she doubtless wanted the watershape for the good times it would provide; vacuuming the walls and floors and skimming leaves off the surface were definitely not part of the conceptual bargain. That's why, as this video relates, it's so important to include some form of automatic cleaning system along with the pool right from the start.  Yes, there are
2013/12.1, December 4 — Using Reflections, Liner Repair ABCs, Soil Basics and more
December 4, 2013 www.watershapes.com ESSENTIAL Graceful Reflections The potency of water’s reflective nature is a…
A Stitch in Time
In any given project, it's almost certain that we'll figure out a new way to nick or tear some spot on the 45-mil EPDM liners we use in our ponds.  Sometimes it's a sharp edge on a heavy boulder we're jockeying into place; other times it's the random sort of harm to be done by shovel blades, knives, screwdrivers, awls and other tools you can't get away from on a job site. The great thing about EPDM liners is that repairing nicks and cuts is
Test Your Knowledge #70
Golden Goggles Awards: Which Swimmer Was Named "Female Athlete of the Year"?
Just Amazing
If you've spent any time at all looking through the ARTICLES section of WaterShapes.com, I'm certain you'll have noticed that we've been busy:  At this point, nearly 1,500 articles have been uploaded to the site, all of them configured in easily searchable .html format. This treasure trove of information has been broken down into topical groups to make the process of navigating everything
2013/11.2, November 20 — Behind Disney’s Magic, Rocking a Pond, Olympic Vistas and more
November 20, 2013 www.watershapes.com ESSENTIAL Riding a Golden Wave Completing the fountain for Disney’s California…
Ripples #80
Compiled and Written by Lenny Giteck Swimming Is All the Rage for Some in Kabul, Afghanistan
Paying It Forward
While I was in Las Vegas at the International Pool|Spa|Patio Expo, a young gentleman I'd never met before approached the booth and asked, "So what's the difference between Essential and Platinum Reflections?" "That's simple," I replied, pointing out that Essentials in the twice-monthly WaterShapes EXTRA newsletter are articles I see as being must reading for anyone who
#9: Leaf Cover
In large parts of the country, pool owners are happy that there's no need to winterize their watershapes the way it's typically done across the northern states:  No need to shut down systems, draw down the water level and cover things up tight from October until March or April.  In lots of warmer places, however, there's a benefit to adapting a component of those seasonal northern practices for the worthy purpose of keeping leaves in Texas or Florida or California from
#9: Leaf Cover
In large parts of the country, pool owners are happy that there's no need to winterize their watershapes the way it's typically done across the northern states:  No need to shut down systems, draw down the water level and cover things up tight from October until March or April.  In lots of warmer places, however, there's a benefit to adapting a component of those seasonal northern practices for the worthy purpose of keeping leaves in Texas or Florida or California from