Recent content by ruthelisabetha

Thanks for your post. We installed our 21 x 41 Doughboy in 2011 and we are thrilled with it! So nice to know that Doughboys can last so long. We looked at other brands, but we decided that the Doughboy pools would offer us the most assurance of solid construction and a long life. Other...

We have a Doughboy Desert Spring 21x41, with a 7-foot deep end. The total cost for pool, installation and dig was about $13,000. We have a very large slope in our back yard and our dig was complicated. I think the pool and equipment was about $10K, the dig about $2K and the deep end about...

Thanks for your response. Yes, we do have short season and our CYA always starts out low and doesn't really get high throughout the season. The past 2 years, we have experienced a lot of Spring rain, so perhaps we do have "acid rain". We live in the suburbs of Washington, DC, so perhaps the...

I have been on this site for 4 years and have learned so much from all of the experts here! Thanks to this site, we converted to the BBB method from pool store chemicals, although we do use an in-line chlorinator with 3" pucks for routine chlorination. We open, close, and shock with household...

If you're in the Northeastern part of the country, I'd definitely get the solar cover. Regarding foam, I don't have it and my pool bottom and walls feel just fine. The bottom has very few footprints and almost no liner wrinkles with the sand alone. I don't know how much more the foam costs...

Lovely! Looks like you're quite a deck builder -- or did you contract with a builder for that? Congratulations on a beautiful back yard, either way! Ruth

Oh! Thanks for the clarification on the Leslie's product. Maybe I'll order online. Ruth

I was just checking out the test kits online. We have a Leslie's Pool Store nearby so I think I should be able to pick up that test kit thsi weekend. It will be interesting to see my real chemical numbers. Again, many thanks! Ruth

Thanks so much for the responses! Yes, I have read about the better test kits on this site. We got those test strips with our pool set-up and we thought we'd use those until we run out. But, now I see we need to order that better test kit now! One more question - so if the cloudiness after...

I tried to search for a string on this topic, but I was unsuccessufl. If it has already been addressed, I apologize, and please point me to the discussion. But, is there a link between low FC and low Ph? Over the past couple of days of extremely high heat here on the East Coast, our FC level...

We just installed our pool in April this year, and I believe the installation was about $2300. We didn't have a tree taken down, but the ground was more than 2 feet out of level, so there was a lot of digging. Also the deep end significantly raised our installation price. We live in the DC...

Thanks, Dave. That's a good suggestion. My husband was thinking of putting a weight on the mat behind the stairs, but I wasn't sure if that would be the best solution. Looks like it is. Also good to know that the stairs haven't caused any wear on your liner. I appreciate your help! By the...

We just purchased a 2' x 3' mat to put under our "Royal Entrance" stairs in our above ground pool. We heard that these mats are a good idea to protect the liner under the stairs. The problem is that the mat moves aorund when we're swimming. Has anyone else used these mats and if so, how do...