19 Aug

Posted at 13:49h in General Interest by
0 Likes

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.

Here is an excerpt from the post:

22 Jul

Posted at 18:06h in General Interest by
0 Likes

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.

Here is an excerpt from the post:

13 Jul

Posted at 14:01h in General Interest by
0 Likes

7 Luxury Swimming Pools That Have To Be Seen To Be Believed (PHOTOS)

From Huffington Post

As this article from the Huffington Post states, "a high-end home would just feel incomplete without a swimming pool."  We couldn't agree more.  While the swimmng pool has become the ultimate luxury item for the high-end custom home, some designers have advanced the artform to a new stratosphere.  This post presents seven of these over-the-top designs that are described using terms like "amazing" and "extreme".  Check it out for some design inspiration on your own backyard shangri-la.

Here is an excerpt from the post:

08 Jul

Posted at 14:12h in General Interest by
0 Likes

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.

Here is an excerpt from the post:

07 Jul

Posted at 12:00h in General Interest by
0 Likes

MY POOL WATER IS NOT ALL THE SAME COLOR?

From SwimmingPool.com

Of all the myriad questions that are presented to swimming pool designers and builders, the most common question is "What color is my pool going to be?"  This is a very complex and complicated question to answer, and frankly, the real answer is a moving target.  Pool color can be affected by a number of factors, and can change dynamically depending on the environment.  This post from Swimmingpool.com gives a very good explanation of these factors, as well as what a consumer can expect from the final product.  

Here is an excerpt from the post:

18 Jun

Posted at 16:43h in General Interest by
0 Likes

Luxury Outdoor Fountains with Dramatic Flair

From Luxury Pools

Landscape designers are always looking for proper space allocation, rhythm, repetition, and focus.  There are many ways to create a focal point in a landcape design, or funnel the eye towards a specific feature or set of features.  Even with an inground swimming pool in the design, the focal point can be something elsewhere in the space.  This post from Luxury Pools shows that a fountain feature can be that very crowning jewel on any landscape design, and shows some elegant examples of the state of the art.

Here is an excerpt from the post:

17 Jun

Posted at 14:55h in General Interest by
0 Likes

THE HISTORIC RISE OF SWIMMING POOLS

From Hayward

Hvae you ever wondered when the first swimming pool was constructed?  When did ancient man decide to create an alternative to natural bodies of water and create a swimming pool or hot tub specifically for recreation and therapy?  Why did man make this leap?  These and other questions are answered in this brief history of swimming pools by Hayward Pool Products.  

Here is an excerpt from the post:

15 Jun

Posted at 16:05h in General Interest by
0 Likes

Take A Virtual Dip In These 10 Breathtaking Swimming Pools

From Forbes

We've all heard that flushing a toilet in the Southern Hemisphere causes the water to swirl in an opposite direction than the Northern Hemisphere.  What also happens is when we in the North are experiencing Winter, those lucky souls Down Under are experiencing Summer.  That phenomenon was in place when this post was originally made, but it doesn't detract from the beauty and intelligent designs from this Australian swimming pool watershaper.  This post from Houzz via Forbes gives some cutting edge swimming pool designs that consider space, rhythm, and repetition to give some of the most breathtaking swimming pools that you'll ever see.

Here is an excerpt from the post: