Private Scenes

Blog

Pool Screen Enclosure 101: Pros & Cons—Wait—Cons?

by

When comparing the pros and cons of enclosing your pool, we’ll have to admit that a couple did immediately spring to mind. Glass pool enclosures cause some people to experience feelings of claustrophobia. They encourage mold growth too because the glass prevents free air flow. We believe those two reasons alone are enough to cause homeowners to choose to install a mesh pool screen enclosure instead.

So, we’re putting the word out—both reasons are detrimental to your health after all.

It’s the blockage of natural air flow that causes those problems. Realizing you suffer from feelings of anxiousness or being closed in after you just dropped a sizeable amount to enclose the pool will be disheartening to say the least! And, suppose you discover areas that never seem to dry out… Fighting a never ending battle against mold growth isn’t something anyone looks forward too. However, failure to stay on top of things only allows the problem to grow worse. Eventually, it can affect your family’s health. Mold affects the health of your pets too.

Installing a mesh pool screen enclosure greatly reduces the likelihood of mold growth because the natural air flow dries out damp spaces. And, regarding inducing feelings of claustrophobia… we searched and didn’t find anything linking screened-in enclosures, just glass.

Specifically speaking of screens though

It’s tough to come up with reasons not to install a mesh pool screen enclosure, but wanting to be good reporters, we did our best.

Water temp dips a bit

When you screen in your pool, you’re going to be blocking a percentage of the ultraviolet (UV) rays that penetrate the water. That’s going to lower the water temperature somewhat. Of course, living in Florida, that probably isn’t going to amount to any discomfort on your part. However, you may notice the water to be cooler in the early morning and evening hours.

Installing a heater would solve the problem, if that causes one. Of course, it incurs an added expense that you may not have considered initially.

Obstructs the view

While privacy is actually the number one reason that people choose to install a pool screen enclosure, some homeowners would rather have a clear view of their surroundings.

Still, if you’d rather enjoy your surroundings without feeling like the neighborhood is watching your every move, perhaps you should customize your screens. Some companies, like ours, for instance, offer a customization feature. Digital imagery and technological advances in the ink industry allows companies to reproduce any image onto the screens themselves and they stay vibrant for years under the harsh Florida sun.

Those cons make the pros list too though

While some may rather the water temperature didn’t drop a few degrees, most Floridians would welcome the change. A dip in cold water on a hot, hot day is refreshing and revitalizing. If you’ve ever dived into the pool after fighting heat and humdity all day, you know what we mean!

Moreover, blocking UV rays means you and your family won’t be applying sunscreen as often. That’s going to keep your pool water cleaner. Sunscreen and oils are big contributors to ring around the pool.

We mentioned already that privacy is the #1 reason homeowers decide to enclose their pools. That said, the odds are that if someone wasn’t fond of the idea of obstructing their view, they wouldn’t plan to enclose the pool in the first place.

Other advantages

Your new enclosure is an extention of your home. In fact, your new outdoor area may become the favorite spot in the house—even if you aren’t swimming! That’s especially true if your enclosure stretches to include your lanai area as well. If you’ve got enough space to include an outdoor kitchen, dining area, and perhaps an outdoor tv, your entertainment potential will certainly jump a notch or two. Moreover, because you’re improving the space, your property value goes up a degree as well.

Pest patrol

When you enclose your outdoor living space, you won’t have to put up with bugs and mosquitoes invading the party. It’s no fun accentuating your poolside conversations with constant swats and swipes at your face and arms. Once your pool area is screened-in, you can pack away the fly swatters and citronella candles—for good!

A pool screen enclosure keeps other unwanted guests from accessing the pool too. Small animals, a neighbor’s unsupervised pet, frogs, snakes… or a wandering gator… aren’t going to find their way into the water to surprise—or horrify—you when you head out back.

Storms won’t wreak havoc

Florida’s building codes got much stricter after Hurricane Andrew caused such massive destruction. Pool enclosures have to stand up to those stringent building codes as well. They are built to withstand hurricane force winds so they won’t be blowing away.

They will keeps dirt, leaves. branches and other debris blown along by a storm out of the pool though.

You’ll be spending a lot less time cleaning and a lot more time sunning or swimming.

What cons?

After taking a hard look at the reasons to install—or not to install—a pool enclosure, it’s easy to see that the pros outweigh the cons. Mainly, because the cons are also considered pros if you look at them from a different vantage point.

Installing a pool screen enclosure reduces UV rays so, yes, the water is a little cooler, but we live in Florida so it’s more of a good thing than bad. Moreover, added shade is always a plus around here! The privacy factor couldn’t really be counted as a true con because if someone didn’t want the view around their home obstructed, they wouldn’t put up an enclosure in the first place.

You’ll get rid of all manner of bugs, your pool stays cleaner, and you’ll never be surprised by an alligator in the water.

A mesh pool screen enclosure wins out over glass in our book, too, because you won’t have to worry about people feeling anxious or “trapped” spending time there. And, because the natural air currents allow damp spaces to dry out, there’s less chance of mold and mildew getting started which can lead to health issues.

We’ll let you take what you’ve learned here and make the final decision as to whether or not a screened-in pool area is right for your family. For now, class dismissed.

Screened In Pools May Flood But There’s a Bright Side

by

We’re sure getting our share of rain this monsoon season, aren’t we? We’ve got a way to go yet before it’s over too. If you live in an area prone to flooding—or even if you don’t—have you ever had to deal with a flooded swimming pool? If so, you may already know that screened in pools can flood too. However, if you’re someone who always looks for the positive note, at least there’s a bright side.

One of the reasons that homeowners install mesh screen pool enclosures is to keep storm debris from making it into the water. That’s because cleaning the pool after a big storm can be a huge undertaking. And, if the flood was caused by rising water rather than just an overabundance of rain—actually, the word “Aaaack!” comes to mind.

Was your reaction like-minded?

If so, you’ve probably seen pools that look like the one pictured—or worse! Providing we aren’t in the midst of a catastrophic hurricane, screened in pools can act as a huge filter and hold the debris washed along in rising flood waters at bay. Just make sure that the enclosure is anchored down tight so it doesn’t float away!

After the fact, there are specific steps to get things back to normal. Do you want to make sure you tick everything off the list?

Read on.

Assess the damage

After the storms pass and it’s safe to go outside, you need to see how badly the pool flooded and if there’s any damage to pool equipment. Take inventory of your pool pump, pipes, and filter for obvious damage. If there was any danger of your pool shifting within the ground due to the deluge of water being absorbed into the ground over a short period of time, you’ll want to look for cracks in the pool floor and walls as soon as possible too.

If this is the first time you’ve experienced pool flooding, you should take time to determine if the problem stemmed from your own backyard. When it rains, does the accumulating runoff drain from your yard or back up into your swimming pool? What about your home’s gutters? Where is that water heading? Should you see that the flooding was caused by either of these scenarios, you need to address the problem as soon as possible to prevent it from happening again.

Clean the deck

When it comes time to start physically cleaning, start with your flooded pool deck. If you don’t you’re just going to wind up cleaning the same debris over and over because it’s definitely going to find its way back into the water.

That could mean waiting for water to recede from your backyard and the ground to begin to dry out. Do that if necessary. You don’t want to find yourself exerting energy needlessly trying to clean out the pool only to have the debris and contaminants wash back in. You’ve got enough to do!

Brush the pool

The next step is to give your pool a thorough brushing. Yes, it’s hard work, but just imagine those bulging arm muscles after you complete the job! You want to stir every bit of sand, dirt, or silt from its hiding place. We recommend brushing the pool at least twice, more if necessary though. It all depends on how dirty your pool is.

Set your pool filter to run 24/7 during the brushing stage. It’s going to speed up the cleaning process.

Vacuum it up

You’re about to reap the benefits of all the vigorous brushing of the past few days! It’s going to be nice to slow down a bit—and slow and steady wins the race at this stage of the game. Here are some pointers for you:

  • Turn on your garden hose and keep the water flowing in as you vacuum the dirt out. You don’t want your water levels to get too low.
  • If you use a sand or diatomaceous earth (DE) filter, set the multiport valve to the “waste” function.
  • Keep an eye on the pool skimmer as you vacuum. If the water level drops below the skimmer, take a break. You want to keep the water flowing continuously through the filter during the process.

Test and balance pool water

Once you’ve gotten most of the sediment, dirt, and debris cleaned out of the pool, it’s time to break out the test kit or strips. After such severe trauma, the water chemistry is likely totally out of whack. Even if there wasn’t any ground flooding and was strictly a rain event, rain water carries all types of pollution and contaminants.

Balance the pH and Total Alkalinity first, then check the Calcium Hardness and Cyanuric Acid levels. Retest and adjust at least once more over the next few days.

 Remove phosphates

After you’ve got the pH, alkalinity, calcium, and cyanuric acid back to normal, it’s time to do a little chemistry. An overabundance of phosphates in the pool water causes problems because its a primary food source for algae. After heavy rain, especially one that caused your pool to flood, the phosphate levels are sure to be extremely high.

Check the phosphate levels and add an organic phosphate remover to normalize the levels and keep algae growth at bay.

Shock it

After you’ve vacuumed, got the water chemistry balanced and checked, and removed phosphates, it’s time to grab the shock and get the chlorine into the system. You want to raise the chlorine level in the pool to 30 parts per million (ppm). Continue brushing your pool surfaces in the morning and evening to loosen any remaining debris—it tends to be tenacious, doesn’t it?

Set your filter to run continuously over the next 72 hours. The chlorine is going to work to remove any staining that occurred on the pool walls as well. However, you can speed up the process by adding a stain treatment as well.

Enzyme and clarifier

If your water continues to look a little murky, use a water clarifier to get rid of any remaning organic material. That’s what’s causing your problem. If the condition remains, consider using a pool flocculant to do more heavy lifting. However, you’ll need to vacuum your pool again after using the product.

Clean your filter

The water is looking good by now, for sure! After all the filtering, it’s certainly time to give your pool filter some attention! You may want to just start fresh with an entirely new filter, but if not, give it a thorough cleaning and replace it.

That’s it! Mission complete. All that’s left to do now, is to pull out the floats, grab the family, and dive in!

Are DIY Pool Enclosure Kits a Good Idea?

by

Homeowners are always looking for economical ways to make improvements to their property. If you’re planning to enclose your pool area, you may be considering checking out pool enclosure kits at your local home improvement store. You could even shop online and have it delivered. The cost is certain to be lower than any estimates you’ve received and there are many styles from which to choose.

Before you break out the debit card, though, we’ve got a few things for you to consider. If cost was your main decision maker—you may want to think things over again.

Are you truly saving money?

Sure, the initial price tag is going to be lower than having a contractor purchase—or supply if using a pool enclosure company—materials. And, there isn’t going to be an added cost for labor. One that comes out of your pocket anyway.

Have you thought about how much time it’s going to take you to assemble your kit though? It sounds like a great idea to do it yourself, but if you have an active family, you’ve got obligations to meet. What if you spend a chunk of money and the kit suffers the fate of other pool enclosure kits and sits in its packaging while you stay busy keeping up with life?

Even if you get right on the assembly, how valuable is your time? It wouldn’t hurt to calculate time versus money to see where you stand.

Something else to consider is whether or not you need to invest in any new tools. If you don’t have everything on hand to complete the job, you’ll need to go shopping.

Lastly, where a professionally installed pool enclosure will increase your home’s value to some degree, poorly constructed pool enclosure kits could have the opposite effect.

What’s your skill level?

There’s nothing like the satisfaction you feel when it’s time to mark a notch on the old tool belt. Still, you need to honestly decide whether or not putting up a pool enclosure is in your skill set. If you doubt your ability to mesh your enclosure seamlessly with your home, you may want to have someone else do the job.

Are pool enclosure kits durable?

We’re smack in the midst of hurricane season right now. That’s a pretty good reminder of how ferocious the storms can become around here. Couple the storms with the sweltering sun and humid conditions and you quickly understand the need to use durable materials to construct your pool enclosure. Ready-made building kits are known to contain lower-quality materials which means your enclosure probably won’t have longevity.

Pre-fab kits leave a little to be desired aesthetics-wise too. This might be a good time to mention that some pool enclosure companies, like ours, for instance, can customize the enclosure screens for their customers using digital imagery. The images are produced using dyes that are treated to help them stand up to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays.

The results are nothing short of amazing. It will completely transform your pool area and you’ll feel as if you’re stepping into your own private get-away—and it’s right in your backyard!

What happens if you get in over your head?

Well, hopefully, nothing so catastrophic will have happened as to cost you the entire price of your kit. Still, if you need to call in an expert to straighten things out and finish the job, it’s going to add to your final expense. And, if some of the materials proved to be less than top performance, there may be—yep—more shopping in your future.

And, if are unable to complete the job because you’ve injured yourself, calling in a professional may well be the least of your worries. In fact, the final cost of things when all is said and done could be very sobering indeed.

Is the pre-fab kit the best idea?

After considering all of the above, what’s your take now? Do you still think grabbing one of those pool enclosure kits is the best option? You’ll be spending a lot of time in your new enclosure. If it’s done right, you’ll gain many advantages.

They are:

  • A greater sense of privacy—We’ll let that speak for itself.
  • Some degree of UV protection—We’ll take all the shade we can get!
  • Bugs disappear—Seriously!
  • A cleaner pool—Storm debris in the water is a thing of the past.
  • An element of safety—Kids and pets can’t get to the pool unless you allow it.

May we weigh in with an opinion?

Overall, having a professionally installed pool enclosure might be the way to go. Before you buy a kit, take the time to get a few estimates. Most companies will be glad to come out and give you a free estimate. Moreover, the work is guaranteed.

And, you’re free to enjoy your downtime with your family.

Enclosing Your Pool and Patio Proves Beneficial

by

These girls aren’t going anywhere for a while. There’s little doubt that some parents have that idea in mind when they install a backyard pool—even if they aren’t actually parents yet! They knew a pool would be beneficial as their family grows, of course. However, they considered it planning for the future as well. Keeping an eye on Florida teens gets a whole lot easier when you’ve got a pool. They might be around even more if you could create a pool and patio setup like this one though.

Believe it or not, you can achieve this effect when you enclose your pool and patio area with a mesh pool screen enclosure.

We’re serious.

How can that be?

Some companies, like ours, for instance, offer to digitally customize your privacy screens. You decide on an image—one of your own digital images or you can choose a company-owned image.  Most companies have an extensive collection from which to choose.

Maybe you’d decide on a tropical setting like the one we pictured, for instance. Or, perhaps, the beach is your favorite place to be. You could feel as if “surf’s up” every time you enter your backyard getaway spot! You don’t have to stick with an outdoor environment, by any means, though. The possibilities here are endless!

If you’re wondering if the image will fade away in a year or two due to the intensity of the sun here, don’t! The dyes used to print the image are state-of-the-art. Not only are they vibrant in color, but they are also reinforced to stay that way with added ultraviolet (UV) protection.

The screen is usually reinforced with added UV protection too. For instance, we put our enclosures together with Phifer screen products. They add extra UV protection to make their products long-lasting.

Beauty isn’t your #1 benefit

The main reason that homeowners decide to enclose their pool, patio, or lanai is due to the added sense of privacy they provide. And, even those who hadn’t considered the privacy factor, have raved about how marvelous it is. Imagine having a place to come together with family and friends without feeling as if you’re drawing the entire neighborhood’s attention.

And, if you happen to have a neighbor who likes to keep tabs on your family even when there’s nothing special going on, an enclosed living space will give you some control over that.

If you build my enclosure with Phifer screens…

We can finish that thought for you.

If we build your enclosure with Pfifer screens, you aren’t going to be bothered by bugs again.

Ever.

Pfifer Incorporated is the world’s largest producer of aluminum and fiberglass insect screening. Because of the company’s expertise in wire drawing and textile weaving, Phifer Incorporated is a forerunner in the industry.

So, short of a screen in need of repair, nothing’s getting through your enclosure. And if you do have a screen that needs fixing, chances are after living a bug-free life here, your screen won’t have a hole in it very long!

The intricately woven material of our screens creates a barrier for bugs and mosquitoes—even the no-see-ums.

Can you even envision a night swim that’s not spent swatting your legs, arms, and face? And, you’ll be breathing air that’s free of the overpowering aroma of insect repellant to boot! You can pack that stuff away in a box and place it right next to the unused citronella tiki torches stashed in the corner of the shed.

Even more to enjoy

We’ve all been caught off guard when a storm blows up out of nowhere. The pool and patio areas can get trashed, can’t they? That said, it’s highly likely that we’ve all spent our fair share of time cleaning up storm debris too. If you’re working on a pool, it can take days to get your pool completely debris free after a storm.

If the space was enclosed, you could jump in the pool as soon as the sun pops out. Or, at least send the kids to burn off some of that pent-up energy while you relax poolside.

It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the kids when they’re in the pool. After you enclose your pool area, you won’t fret about them getting out of your sight when you aren’t in the pool either. The added peace of mind is something else not everyone thinks about until after the fact. When we mention it though…

Your pets will benefit from being able to lock them out of the area too—especially if they are apt to charge the pool first thing. If they escape into the yard, they won’t have access to the water. The same goes for area wildlife. Never again will something find its way into the pool only to not make it out again.

Ready to enclose your pool and patio?

Your teens won’t be the only ones ready to spend hours at the pool once it’s enclosed. Especially, if you choose to go with the customization feature. By the time you get finished adding your decor, it’s going to be the most popular place in the house!

That’s another benefit that we haven’t mentioned yet, by the way. Installing a quality pool and patio enclosure is going to increase your property value to an extent as well. Not as much as adding an actual room, but it could be the selling point for some.

Of course, you probably aren’t planning on putting your home on the market any time soon. So, until the day comes you and your family will reap the benefits that your enclosed living space affords.

Making lasting memories is going to rank high on that list for sure.

Enclose Your Pool and Patio Area and Reap the Benefits

by

Imagine enjoying a meal outdoors with no bugs in sight! It can easily become a reality. Enclosing your pool and patio area affords other benefits as well. For instance, your pool area stays cleaner. That’s a biggie. You gain some ultraviolet (UV) protection too.

But—as they say—wait! There’s more.

The number one reason that people choose to enclose their pools and outside living spaces is the added sense of privacy that they provide. That may seem odd when you consider the fact that many homeowners install glass enclosures around their swimming pools. It’s true though. Walking into the enclosure triggers something in the brain that produces a sense of well-being. Unfortunately, that’s not true for everyone. Some people report beginning to feel claustrophobic after being inside a glass enclosure for varying lengths of time.

That’s because glass enclosures block natural airflow. The air doesn’t circulate and the “dead air” triggers feelings of being trapped or stuck. There’s another problem, too, though. When air doesn’t circulate, damp spots remain 24/7 and that promotes mold and mildew growth. Once it starts, it continues to spread. Moreover, it can cause health issues in both humans and pets.

Mesh screen enclosures alleviate both of the issues triggered by glass enclosures because the air circulates continuously. And, as far as being more private, using dark-colored screens heightens the sense of privacy even more because they provide an actual visual barrier. The latest trend—and it’s growing—in mesh screen enclosures is customizing them. Companies, like ours, for instance, use digital imagery to reproduce whatever the customer chooses onto the screens themselves.

Love the beach? Want to step outdoors and feel as if you’re in the midst of a tropical paradise? There is no end to the possibilities. Imagine the backyard get-away you can create!

Back to the bugs

While it’s true that both glass and screen enclosures will keep bugs away, we feel the additional (and truer) sense of privacy coupled with free airflow cinches who the winner of this competition should be. Have you decided that it’s the mesh screen enclosure, too?

The screen used for the enclosures is closely interwoven. It’s designed to block mosquitoes and all manner of bugs—even the noseeums that plague us around here! You can pack away the box of swatters and box up the bug spray. Replace your citronella candles with any type of lighting you want. Bugs won’t be swarming the bulbs and it will be cathartic to watch them trying so hard to get to them to no avail.

You might want to resist the urge to thumb your nose at them… depending on the company.

Dumping debris

We also mentioned the fact that your pool and outdoor living area stay cleaner after enclosing them. That includes more than just casual to and fro dirt getting tracked across the patio and into the pool. You’ll feel you’ve gained a huge benefit when you aren’t cleaning up yard debris every time a storm blows through.

It cuts down on the amount of time you spend skimming and lengthens the time that you’ll be swimming… or sunning… or dozing. It’s your time that you freed up, use it however you wish!

Cuts down the UV rays

It stands to reason that a screen enclosure isn’t going to provide 100% blockage of the sun’s damaging UV rays. They filter them though and that means you aren’t going to be as directly affected. In fact, you’ll be applying sunscreen less often.

The kids are going to think this perk benefits them the most. It’s no secret that waiting for the reapplications to dry can be excruciating when you’re under the age of 12 or so. Right?

A safety measure

Enclosing your pool and patio area benefits area wildlife too because sometimes small creatures find their way into your pool and never make it out again. Not to mention, it will give you the freedom to allow the kids to play out of sight without having to worry someone will be enticed by the sparkling water in the pool.

Simply lock the door and access is blocked from everything on the other side.

However, it’s still a good idea to have pool alarms installed for the “better safe than sorry” approach. As a parent, we’re sure you’ll agree that every precaution you can take advantage of to keep your children safe is worthy of implementation.

Five benefits and they look great too

When you choose to enclose your pool and patio, your family will begin enjoying the benefits they provide immediately. Mesh screen enclosures provide a greater element of privacy than glass enclosures. They reduce the chances of mold and mildew getting a foothold too because air flows freely throughout your new enclosure.

Bugs won’t be annoying family and friends ever again when you’re entertaining outdoors. And, the burden of cleaning becomes much lighter because dirt and debris stay outside where they belong. Screen enclosures provide a degree of protection against the sun too.

Moreover, mesh screen enclosures are markedly less costly than glass enclosures. And, choosing to take advantage of a customization feature allows you to create a backyard get-away that others will envy. But, don’t make them do that—invite them over instead! Odds are they won’t turn you down.