Pool just finished - what "accessories" do you recommend?

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rlnjones

0
Mar 1, 2017
17
Central TX
Hi everyone!


We just got our new pool filled with water last week. Actually, its not even completely done yet (still waiting on sun deck), but it has water so we are swimming! Now we are starting to think about what all we need to complete our outdoor oasis. There are so many thoughts going around in our minds and we don't want to spend money on something that sounds like a good idea but then we end up not really using it. I'm talking about accessories (for lack of a better word) like furniture, pool toys, backyard lighting, etc. So, I thought I would ask all of you wonderful experienced pool owners what things do you have that you love in your backyard? If you know the specific brand/model number of the accessory you love, I'd be very grateful for that information too.


So far we are thinking these things, but we can't afford to buy all of this at once, so we need to prioritize:
- More beach towels (I can't believe how fast we are going through the towels)
- Deck box for all of the pool toys
- Poolside basketball hoop
- Inflatable Pool Slide
- More towel rods in the bathrooms
- Landscape lighting for the trees at night to enhance the pool lighting
- Big umbrella for the hole in the the tanning ledge
- Chaise lounge chair to go inside the tanning ledge
- Margarita machine :) (we would do virgin drinks, but I'm thinking the kids would love endless slushy's)
- Security cameras???
- What else?

Background: We have 2 kids, ages 7 & 9. We were already the house where all of the neighborhood kids ended up on a daily basis BEFORE the pool. We have already prepared ourselves to expect even MORE neighborhood kids. We are brand new pool owners and honestly never even thought we would have done this, so its all brand new to us. We haven't even had our pool school yet. Our backyard is very large (about an acre) so we have plenty of room. We have a nice outdoor kitchen out there also with a TV and fire pit, so we have that area to think about as well.
 
first thing my wife and i did when we got our pool was a lunch with our insurance agent to ensure we were protected liability/property wise, then its been floaties, towels (never can have enough, scored a ton of towels at target on clearance already for 5 bucks a piece) and now we are working of shade of some kind.
 
If you can find a basketball hoop that lasts more than a few weeks I'd like to hear about it. In fact with kids, we found just going to the dollar store for toys works best. Just toss them at the end of the season and buy new the next year. The stuff doesn't last anyway, some gets mildewy over time, and you don't feel bad when the cheap stuff is inevitably broken. Noodles especially - or they will eventually degrade and pieces get into your skimmer.

Definitely towels and a deck box - I use separate boxes for toys and equipment. For landscape lighting, we have a combo of solar lighting and tiki torches which works well. For security cameras, you could use something like a game camera. It's enough to show you what went on if something happens, but much cheaper and less equipment. Get plenty of hooks or some other option for people to put towels out and hang any bags off the ground, so ants don't get into their stuff. Waterproof bags for phone/keys. Waterproof bluetooth speaker of some sort is helpful. Get a clock or timer so you don't let time get away from you soaking up tons of UV.

Things patio-related like deck boxes, chairs, and umbrellas go on regular sale. And if you can wait for the end of the season, you can typically pick this stuff up on clearance prices, just have to wait half a year to actually use it! Same for stuff like floaties and child puddle jumpers - visitors can enjoy it much better when you have stuff ready for their younger ones to stay safe.

In the dead of summer, we use this: https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Back-Home-Instant-Screenhouse/dp/B01MA2XTG3 set up around a patio table. Older adults can hang out in there, and kids can come in to get out of the sun for a bit. Also useful for evening parties since it has a screen and places to hang lights.
 
rlnjones said:
Good to know that basketball hoops dont last! I think we will wait on that then.
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The inflatable ones seem to have a lot of places for air to leak, and there's only so many times you can patch them and it still be ok. The normal kind you place indoors can be placed outside of the pool, but seem to dry rot. There's probably a kind out there that fixes these issues, but I haven't found it yet. Hoping someone else had found one that holds up more than a season.

One cheap and fun game if you have several people is to get a cheap dollar store beach ball, and some water blasters. Play like soccer but have to use water blasters to move the ball to the opposite end/goal. Deep end people can ride pool noodles to make it fairer. Can even get inflatable soccer nets if you want it to be more realistic.
 

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The first thing I bought, even before the pool had been repaired and opened, was a Nest camera. It is pointed toward the pool and sends a notification to my phone if there is any movement around the pool. I was able to watch our pool repairs being made while at work and now can keep an eye on what is going on around the pool - which is mostly bird activity and some really interesting video of bees that fly near the camera.
 
domct203 said:
Necessities before toys......

How do you plan to test your pool?
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We're supposed to get a test kit from our PB during Pool School. Also, there is a store in town that gives out sample bottles and you bring in your pool sample and they help you figure out what you need. If those two things leave us with our heads scratching, then we will come to this website for help from y'all :)
 
The test kit the PB will give you will be too basic for you to have full control over your water.

Yes, pool stores will test water without charging you for the test itself, but their results and advice are very expensive and almost never "what you need"! Do a few searches here for pool store testing. Allow time to read plenty of horror stories. My own story lacks horror and even expense for that matter, but it was a complete waste of time, effort and gas.

To get back to the topic, my SpeedStir is my favorite pool toy.
 
rlnjones said:
We're supposed to get a test kit from our PB during Pool School. Also, there is a store in town that gives out sample bottles and you bring in your pool sample and they help you figure out what you need. If those two things leave us with our heads scratching, then we will come to this website for help from y'all :)
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I would not be surprised at all to hear that the PB supplied 'kit' is a jar of test strips. Remember, they just build them, they don't maintain them.......

There is a reason that TFP is the large community that it is...... as they say, "the proof is in the pudding"
 
rlnjones said:
We're supposed to get a test kit from our PB during Pool School. Also, there is a store in town that gives out sample bottles and you bring in your pool sample and they help you figure out what you need. If those two things leave us with our heads scratching, then we will come to this website for help from y'all :)
Click to expand...

Best piece of advice I can offer , and it can not be stressed too strongly, PLEASE get a GOOD test kit and learn to manage your own chemistry. It will save you time, money, grief, and headache if you just do it from the very beginning. There are SO MANY people who have found this site AFTER their chemistry is messed up, they have an algae bloom, or plaster issues from improperly managed water. You are in a great position since you are here at the very beginning of your pool adventure.
 
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