That doesn’t suprise me at all. Their products hold up great and I look to them first when buying something they might sell. I have a 6ft tall garbage can shed that’s made by Rubbermaid. It was warped by the sun within 2 years. I still have it but the doors haven’t opened right since. I also bought a full shed from Rubbermaid figuring it would be better some years later. Same problems. Warped and discolored quickly. I have 7 year old Suncast boxes that are a little faded, but still 100% perfect otherwise, exposed to the same sunshine.
Abandoned Pool - Suggestions Please
- Thread starter TWAcres
- Start date
Okay, just ordered my first two small Suncast end table storage containers (Walmart had them on sale) and will continue to add to my collection as more items go on sale (I'm a huge after season buyer).
Husband ordered the robot and is researching the solar cover with reel.
Already have various shade sails and will just need to install anchor posts. Received outdoor string lights for Christmas (will use same anchor posts as shade sail).
Will figure a way to mount the poles and brushes to the fence.
I ordered the complete TFP test kit and promptly handed it to my scientist husband.
Who's going to start the DIY build-it thread with plans and/or links to all the cool umbrella, toy, and towel holders? Need to get projects completed before start of pool season!
~TWAcres
Husband ordered the robot and is researching the solar cover with reel.
Already have various shade sails and will just need to install anchor posts. Received outdoor string lights for Christmas (will use same anchor posts as shade sail).
Will figure a way to mount the poles and brushes to the fence.
I ordered the complete TFP test kit and promptly handed it to my scientist husband.
Who's going to start the DIY build-it thread with plans and/or links to all the cool umbrella, toy, and towel holders? Need to get projects completed before start of pool season!
~TWAcres
Oh, that's why the numbers didn't match! Here's my order. You can see the hardware is also quite expensive. In a lot of areas you could probably get by with much cheaper galvanized hardware and cable, but I like to do things just once... In addition to this total, there was the cable and posts and pier blocks and carabiners, etc. It got up there. And I had to buy a swaging tool, too, to do the cables correctly. In retrospect, I didn't need the turnbuckles. The nuts on the eyebolts through the 4x4 posts would have served that purpose.
For $20 ShadeSails sent me a set of swatches so I could pick the right color. I went with Desert Sand, to match the house. But brighter colors can be fun, too...
For $20 ShadeSails sent me a set of swatches so I could pick the right color. I went with Desert Sand, to match the house. But brighter colors can be fun, too...
This is going to be tricky with your 25 ft wide pool. The weight of the 50ft solar cover is going want to sag the real alot. I got a heavy duty Rockys reel for my 20x40. They come in 5 ft pieces that are flower shaped looking down the tube. They insert or nest into each other and you twist them opposite directions to lock all the 6 flower pedals into each other. Then they get bolted for good measure. At the end of year one, all the bolts that hels the span peices together had created 1 inch slots from the original 1/4 inch bolt holes. I took it apart and stored it for the winter. Year 2, I made sure to tighten and twist it all firm. By midseason it was completely loose which caused the middle of the span to sag a good amount. Besides causing further damage, rolling a humped cover was even harder. So i took it apart and used 1/2 inch bolts (drilling new holes) figuring i could muscle it tight and that it would be harder to rip the steel at the holes with wider bolts. They took another season and a half to rip new slots and it was completely sagged again. The cover finnally popped all its bubbles at year 5 and i was just as happy to pitch both the reel and cover.
Part of this was my fault for buying the thicker 16mil cover. It added alot of weight, but i heavily researched the reels and specifically paid more for a 'Heavy Duty' name brand non sagging cover. If memory serves, it was around $450 for the reel. Not cheap at all for something non-handy people wouldn't have been able to reinforce and modify in a year and a half. I looked into getting a full blown commercial reel, (which i would image is your only chance of success at your size) but i saw just as many bad reviews that i couldnt justify the hefty price jump.
In the end it cost me around $750 for 5 seasons. I cant complain for $125 a year, but i havent replaced it all either. The cover worked awesome as intended. If i ever do it again i will skip the reel and cut the cover into pieces that are managable by hand, and roll/store them on much shorter PVC pipes
carnivalday
Gold Supporter
@TWAcres Ooo ooo ooo I love a sale! I went to walmart online and found them! How big of one do I need? I dont have that much stuff, but I do have that little Dolphin cleaner thingy and a vacuum.
Edited to add: I also ordered a small one, in white. I went out and measured my Dolphin cleaner thingy, and I think it will fit. If I like it, Ill get another one. Nice!
Edited to add: I also ordered a small one, in white. I went out and measured my Dolphin cleaner thingy, and I think it will fit. If I like it, Ill get another one. Nice!
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l1ltaral1l
Bronze Supporter
What do you currently use for a solar cover? (if any?) We bought one last year and intend to use it this year. It's stored in our shed currently (new) and we are trying to figure out the best system/reel. We don't have a heater, so will be taking this puppy out as early as we can to help hold heat.
I didnt replace the cover when it died and also threw out the reel that was hanging on by a thread. It was somewhere buried in chapter 27 of my story. I dont fault you for missing it.
You will want a 'HD' reel for sure, the regular ones fail even sooner. Plus the slightly smaller cover you have will weigh less and hopefully gives you a better experience. TWacres has a 25x50. Its ginormous.Also look for a reel that specifically mentions having HD or beefed up bushings in the handle. The cheap ones fail and even my HD ones became hard to spin the handle after a couple of years.
yeah 25 x 50 is pretty big, maybe 3 on the side would be easier, so each piece would be ~ 15 or 16 x 25. go for the cheapest cover, none of them last and the heavy ones are...well, heavy. I don't have a reel but have wished I did forever. somebody must make a decent one.
borjis
LifeTime Supporter
whoah ya that will be big and heavy for sure.
my solar cover is 16x32 and wound up it sags the aluminum tube a couple of inches down in the center area.
my solar cover is 16x32 and wound up it sags the aluminum tube a couple of inches down in the center area.
Long winded?!? Pfft. Amateur!It’s better then Dirks 25’000 word posts!
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carnivalday
Gold Supporter
So I got my little Suncast storage box. Put it together in about 2 minutes. Easy. Took it out to the pool, not quite big enough for my Dolphin to fit flat, but it does fit if I put it sideways, so thats how it will be. Really nice to have a hideaway for the Dolphin and that long electric cord. Thanks for that great idea.
Suncast has been great for us. 6 years old, air shocks and hinges got rusted out (that's what happens when you store liquid chlorine in there) but parts were reasonable and available. Now good for another 6 years.
1. 'nother list item. Might be too late now for after season sales on this, maybe next fall. You want to start collecting your set of outdoor dinnerware: plates, cups, glasses, coffee mugs, beer mugs, bowls (multiple sizes, for place settings and serving), napkin holder (anti-wind), salt and pepper shakers, wine glasses, etc, all plastic or wood (no glass at the pool). Cleaning up broken glass is pretty tough on outdoor decks. You can sweep and blow and vac all you want, but it'll be the youngest, tenderfooted-est little one that finds the tiny shard you miss. Best to stick to the no glass (NO exceptions) rule, but you have to be able to offer all the alternatives. No wine bottles or beer bottles either (those are the toughest to enforce). I dedicated an entire kitchen cupboard to my "pool collection" and steer guests to it.
2. I also get great use out of a large, rectangular bamboo serving tray, which I use to bring out large collections of dinnerware, or food for serving. Saves a lot of trips back and forth. Bamboo is a good material for outdoor wear: really tough, washable, and not so, well, plastic-y.
3. Did someone already suggest? A garbage pail near your sitting area. I just drag over my garbage can, but a nice-looking smaller pail or bin would be nicer. Suncast probably makes those, too.
4. Do you have bugs? Cintronella candles, or torches, or oil lamps. Or a bug zapper. (I have 'em all.) Bug cream for your sensitive guests.
5. I keep a roll of paper towels and cleaning liquids nearby my outdoor area (in the BBQ cabinet), along with an old set of hot mitts.
6. You mentioned string lights. Nice. I took the trouble to install a nice looking hanging light over my outdoor dining table. I like to see what I'm eating (especially outdoors!), and we use it for when we set up the board games out there. Dimmable, of course, to set the right amount of light for the activity. Others mount fans as well, which might help with bugs, too.
7. I wired a second door bell to my existing one and mounted it near the pool. I can't hear my inside one when outside, and your late-arriving guests will appreciate not getting ignored at the front door (even if they weren't polite enough to show up on time!!). I think they have wireless solutions for this, if you can't run a wire.
8. Ugh, I had another but it leaked out of the ol' noggin before I could write it down. Oh well, more later...
2. I also get great use out of a large, rectangular bamboo serving tray, which I use to bring out large collections of dinnerware, or food for serving. Saves a lot of trips back and forth. Bamboo is a good material for outdoor wear: really tough, washable, and not so, well, plastic-y.
3. Did someone already suggest? A garbage pail near your sitting area. I just drag over my garbage can, but a nice-looking smaller pail or bin would be nicer. Suncast probably makes those, too.
4. Do you have bugs? Cintronella candles, or torches, or oil lamps. Or a bug zapper. (I have 'em all.) Bug cream for your sensitive guests.
5. I keep a roll of paper towels and cleaning liquids nearby my outdoor area (in the BBQ cabinet), along with an old set of hot mitts.
6. You mentioned string lights. Nice. I took the trouble to install a nice looking hanging light over my outdoor dining table. I like to see what I'm eating (especially outdoors!), and we use it for when we set up the board games out there. Dimmable, of course, to set the right amount of light for the activity. Others mount fans as well, which might help with bugs, too.
7. I wired a second door bell to my existing one and mounted it near the pool. I can't hear my inside one when outside, and your late-arriving guests will appreciate not getting ignored at the front door (even if they weren't polite enough to show up on time!!). I think they have wireless solutions for this, if you can't run a wire.
8. Ugh, I had another but it leaked out of the ol' noggin before I could write it down. Oh well, more later...
they do and I have one. It’s a taller rectangle and the sides have a woven pattern on it. Links aren’t working for me right now But amazon has it for $50. The top locks which is nice when we don’t want to have half a bag strewn by the nighttime animals.
I like that woven pattern and that they offer it on so many models (all my pool-side stuff has it). Which reminds me, I have the matching hose reel, which makes dragging out the hose half the chore. Add that to the list...
8. (This isn't the one I forgot, but here's another.) I got a cheap-o free pressure washer for buying something or another. They're small-ish and quite handy for the pool area: deep-cleaning the deck once or twice a year, washing the patio furniture, etc. I even tried it out (with mixed results, admittedly) on cleaning the pool's cartridge filter. I don't know if they're too strong for that purpose, but it helped getting the filters a bit whiter than hose alone could.
carnivalday
Gold Supporter
Just went to Amazon and ordered some really nice acrylic glasses. Great great idea. No glass will be allowed in my pool. Probably should have ordered acrylic years ago; my floor is tile, and Ive been horrified that if I drop a glass, Ill be picking up tiny shards for the next 5 years. Great idea!!
lol. I did too but it broke. I largely consider it my fault. I used a 100ft really stiff hose and force of fighting it every time sheared the whole handle assembly off about 1.5 years in. So if anybody gets one make sure to use a easily bendable/flexible hose.
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