Deep Blue: Top 9 Outdoor Swimming Pools

From Iceblog

If you are an outdoor living enthusiast, swimmer, or just love looking at amazing examples of architecture, then this post is definitely for you.  Swimming Pools, and the art of watershaping, has made quantum leaps over the last couple of decades.  Some of the examples of the swimming pool artform are bordering on sublime.  This post from Iceblog presents 9 Outdoor Swimming Pools from around the world that clearly emphasize this point.

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Pool Shade Ideas: 7 Ways to Cover Your Swimming Pool

From Shade FX

The thought that creating shade around a swimming pool is one that usually escapes most people.  Shade isn't the first thing that comes to one's mind when they envision their own inground swimming pool space.  Luckily, skilled designers are attuned to the crucial fact that creating shaded areas in the proper spots are every bit as important as the areas that receive sun.  This post from Shade FX presents 7 unique ways to provide a respite from UV rays and hot midday sun exposure.

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Mystery Stains in Salt Generator Pools

From Aqua

One of the most popular trends in the swimming pool industry over the last two decades has been the proliferation of the saltwater swimming pool.  Never before in the history of the industry has a consumer-driven groundswell caused a demand for a product or service commensurate with salt water swimming pools, or chlorine generators.  Like many things in life that seem too good to be true, Salt water swimming pools can have some inherent issues that somewhat negate their promise of a maintenance free swimming experience.  This post from Aqua Magazine presents some frequently seen issues that happen with salt water chlorine generation, and explains what causes them.

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Benefits of a Steam Room vs. a Sauna

From ehow

Many people don't realize that a Sauna is very different from a Steam Room.  This post from eHow discusses the differences between a Sauna and A Steam Room, and what makes the benefits associated with both entities different.  The main difference, as this article points out, are the types of heat that they provide, and whether the heat is dry or wet heat.  Either amenitiy would be a great addition to any type of indoor or outdoor swimming pool to warm up after a vigorous swim.

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World's Tallest Waterslide Officially Open

From Aqua

We've all experienced water slides as kids.  Most modern waterparks have multiple slides with various twists, turns, drops, and gimmicks.  What most waterparks don't have, however, is the world's tallest waterslide.  This honor belongs to the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, according to this post from Aqua magazine, and the ride measures 17 stores high!  This post gives a first-person point-of-view video that illustrates just how thrilling this ride actually is.

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Keep Cool with These Five Patio Shade

From Shade FX

One of the key design elements for any backyard landscape design or outdoor living space is the creation of shade.  There are many elements that can be utlitized to create shade naturally, but an open air patio is much harder to shelter from the blazing sun.  This post from Shade FX gives 5 great ways to accomplish this goal, but utilizing umbrellas, pergolas, trees and canopies.

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POOL LANDSCAPING: MORE THAN JUST PLANTS

From Swimmingpool.com

Skilled outdoor living and swimming pool designers know what many people don't immediately realize:  There is way more to designing an outdoor living space that includes an inground swimming pool than just planting a few bushes and plants around the pool.  Thoughtfully planned space allocation, colors, features, traffic patterns, entertaining spaces, etc. all are considerations that make one's outdoor living space with a pool ideal.  This post from Swimmingpool.com gives some great advice on how to plan the ideal environment around a swimming pool, considering all of the aforementioned considerations.

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