From the very mouth of the managers behind pool and spa warehouses, they say that if you are going to take you pool maintenance by your own hands, you need to get ready to become a part-time janitor and part-time chemist, too. 

How so? 

It is a relatively easy job if you will just keep your pool clear of the twigs and bugs, but making sure that it is chemically balanced is a different kind of story. The chemical balance of the swimming pool signifies that you will need to test its waters frequently and if something there is amiss, you just know exactly what to do so you can make the necessary adjustments. 

Among the most recurring and complained about issues in a swimming pool is when its pH level becomes sky high. pH is how we measure the balance of water’s alkalinity and acidity levels. An imbalance in this aspect can be detrimental to the quality of the pool water. If this happens, it will eventually pave the way for various problems to come to the surface. 

Ideal pH Level for Pool Water

Established pool and spa warehouse – people say that water’s pH ranges from 1 to 14 but the ideal pH for swimming would be 7.3 to 7.6. Anywhere between these two-level margins guarantees that your pool water is at its cleanest and clearest. The proper pH range for the water pool is right in the middle. 

If the pH of your pool water gets beyond 7.8, your pool water is running the risk of becoming too alkaline. If this happens it will render your chlorine less effective. Chlorine is a chemical that is used to exterminate the random pathogens that may be present or lurking in pool water.

Additionally, swimming pool water that comes with an extremely high pH may induce unnecessary rashes on the skin, scaling on your swimming pool filter equipment and cloudy water. Over time, the interior of your pipes will run the risk of having a scale build-up which will obstruct the flow of water. Such a scenario will cause a strain on the circulation system of your swimming pool which will eventually lead to expensive repairs.  

To achieve chemical balance to your swimming pool, you need to know how to adjust its level of alkalinity. Always remember that pool water with relatively higher alkalinity will be much more difficult to manage. If your pool water is showing signs of having high pH, having a quick course of action in place will help save you from an awful lot of hassles.  

Reducers to the Rescue

The good thing is we now have pH reducer products available in the market. Sometimes referred to as pH minus, these chemical additive products are made and formulated specifically for swimming pool use only. They usually come with either sodium bisulfate or muriatic acid as their active main ingredient. 

These products are readily available at home improvement stores, pool supply shops and even online. 

Now we know for a fact that muriatic acid is a very noxious chemical, it is used to etch on concrete surfaces. Therefore you need to observe the utmost care when handling this acid or chemical and when you are adding some to your pool water. For your safety, always read out the manufacturer’s instruction on safe handling, storing and applying muriatic acid.

As for the sodium bisulfate, this usually comes in the form of dry granules. And because it comes not in liquid form, they are far easier to handle as opposed to muriatic acid. Nevertheless, we can’t escape from the fact that they need careful handling. 

When handling sodium bisulfate or muriatic acid, we strongly recommend that you wear some protective gear for your eyes and even for your skin. We encourage you to use a dust mask to keep you safe from inhaling dust that may be coming from the granules.

Did you know that even if you are not a pro, styling a house for sale can spike your property’s final market prices to at least $50,000? Here are a few good points you need to follow if you want to style up a storm.  

Why should you style your property before putting it up in the property market?

Also known as home staging, property styling became a major industry in the country and this can be attributed to its undeniable power to generate huge returns. Like for instance, the NSW’s Real Estate Institute Board Director Braden Walters was able to sell a whopping $1 billion worth of real estate after working for more than a decade in Sydney’s Inner West market.  

His best recommendation? To come up with a vendor style home. Or you can enlist the services of a reputable home staging Melbourne professional before you put up your house in the property market. In most cases, styling the indoor spaces and adding the right furnishings can spike up a property’s market value up to $50,000.  

Home Staging Melbourne Cost

Normally, rates for home staging services would start from around $2,000. With this particular price range, you could be covered for a 6-week package if you have a small property. But the prices would usually spike to more than $10,000 if what you have instead is a fully furnished, large indoor space. 

Do you also have a knack for interior design? Then, I would suggest that you make time to do it and style your indoor space yourself. But if there is one particular drawback about taking on a DIY styling is that you won’t be able to enjoy a home stager discount, although you get to keep the various home styling props that you will purchase.  

Who Should You Be Targeting? 

Do not get yourself too excited right away. Before you head out to hit your favorite home decor shops, make sure that you already identified the potential buyers you are going to target. At the back of your mind, come up with relevant probing questions to get yourself to this. Is your home, with respect to its location, is likely going to become appealing to professionals, investors, downsizers or young families? Bear in mind that different demographics are going to have different needs, and thus will make sense that you see those differences reflecting on your styling results.  

For instance, if you are going to aim for professionals as your target market, it would make sense if you will exert some effort to spruce up that spare nook in your house and use your imagination and creativity to transform it into a neat, small home office. But if you are aiming for young families as your target market, you can dress up that space as a nursery corner instead.  

Think About Your Target Buyers in Choosing a Home Staging Style

About a decade ago, it was a common practice among home stylists to just make use of the same type of furniture for every single property or home they worked for their hands in. However, today things have changed and everything is now tailored to help suit the discriminating tastes of every target buyer.  

 Your choice of style will be determined by your home. If you happen to have a country Federation home, rest assured that it will call for a different decor style and accent pieces as opposed to a new apartment set in a contemporary city complex. 

Add the Finishing Touches to Your Design

After you dressed up each of the individual rooms in your house in their best possible look, you may choose to add 1 or 2 vignettes. This measure will help in setting the scene right and be of help to your potential buyers in terms of imagining themselves living there.  

See to it that you cleared your kitchen cupboard tray from dust, and you arranged some coffee cups and a couple of magazines on it. This should help paint an image of what a relaxing weekend in your home is like. The extra details we gave above are suggestive to the subconscious mind of styling a house for sale, of how a particular space inside your home could be taken advantage of for a particular purpose and in doing so, evoke an emotional connection to interested buyers.