Ways to Create Your Own Backyard Oasis

For almost two years now since the pandemic started, most of us have been spending most of our time indoors, doing different activities. Night outs became ordinary nights on the couch at home. However, we do not need to let this be the routine. There are still many ways to enjoy your time on your property but outside the house. If you like doing backyard barbeques on your deck, make sure that you call a good fence builder and a good landscaper, then you can have a backyard oasis that will suit your liking! Just consider the following essentials. 

  1. Gardens – without your greens, your oasis will look dull and dry. Healthy plants will make your yard ten times better, so we advise that you mix a variety of plants in your backyard and landscaping. Besides the shrubs and trees, you can have a frame of flower beds. Just make sure that you research the best kinds of flowers that are ideal for the kind of soil, weather, and environment that you have in your locality as this can help your flowers and plants thrive. For small and tight spaces, you can have hanging pots to save space.   
  2. Good lighting – lighting is oftentimes overlooked when it comes to having a great landscape. The thing is, it can affect your landscape, deck, and oasis a great deal. Especially at night, good lighting will transform your space into a vibrant place that can also add more security to your property. You can install lights on the pathway to lighten and illuminate your walkways. The lights can be extended along with the water features, garden, and even the surrounding the pool (just make sure that the lights are waterproof). You can also try some fairy lights that you can put above the tables and chairs in your deck.   
  3. Pool or any water features – an oasis would not be perfect without a pool or any water features that would be surrounded by your garden and/or extensions like the deck. If you cannot have something like a pool, you can try to have some man-made rivers, koi ponds, water gardens, and/or birdbaths. If you are not sure about which to choose, it is advised that you call and consult with a professional landscaper. Although it is still can be done through DIY, experts are more efficient in making the best oasis for you.   
  4. Patios and Decks – of course, if you do not have an extended structure, you would not have any space where you can sit and relax with friends and family. There are many options you can choose from when it comes to the materials and kinds of extensions you would want to have on your property.   
  5. Fun features – besides the essentials like pool, deck, and the garden, you can also add some fun features on your property such as a firepit or some swings, gyms, climbing walls, and other structures that your children can enjoy.   

Now that you have the essentials and the fun structures in your property, you can now enjoy the best oasis to cure your boredom!   

 

Crypto, Other Dangers Abound Around the Pool

The crystal-clear water is probably very tempting especially when you like having a swimming pool in your backyard. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned the public about the dangers you can have in most of the American pools.   

According to the CDC, there have been thousands of cases of the crypto infection since 2009 as well as outbreaks of diarrhea. Besides the crypto and the diarrhea outbreaks, they are also worried about other contaminant kike parasites, bacteria, and chemicals that can be hazardous and dangerous to the swimmers. This highlights the importance of getting a professional and expert pool contractor to ensure that your pool is durable and safe from other hazardous chemical reactions that can be rooted in the low-quality materials and paints beside the water and the regularity of maintenance on the side of the homeowners.   

Cryptosporidium is reported to be the main contributor to diarrhea outbreaks that can last up to three weeks. Other diseases were hot tub rash caused by pseudomonas and Legionnaire’s disease that is caused by legionella. Out of the aforementioned bacteria and viruses, it is the crypto that is very resistant to chlorine, which makes it difficult to kill in the pool. When a child or an adult swallows a mouthful of water with crypto, they become sick with symptoms like nausea, cramps, vomiting, and watery diarrhea that can last a few weeks.   

There are ways on how to make sure that you will not contaminate your pool, and these include the following:  

  1. Do not go into the pool that smells – a clean and healthy pool does not smell. According to the experts, a properly treated pool should not have any smell even that “chemical” smell in them. This is because when the chlorine reacts to fecal matter, sweat, urine, body oils, and dirt, chloramine or chemical irritants are produced. Besides the crypto, your pool can also host giardia and E. coli that can be dangerous to your children and even to you.   
  2. Do not pee in the pool – we get it. Your children may have that urge to pee in the pool and that is the very thing you should avoid at all costs.   

You can also try these procedures to ensure that your children are safe before jumping in the pool. You can do the following:  

  • Do not swallow the water  
  • Do not let sick kids swim in the pool especially when the child is experiencing diarrhea.   
  • Make sure that the kids have bathroom breaks when they are swimming in the pool  
  • Check the water’s pH and chlorine level of the pool using some test strips.   

In addition, you should take note that chlorine alone is not the answer to all problems in your pool. In fact, your chlorine mixes with body oils and sweat and they produce toxic compounds. You should note that chlorine should be in complete moderation to protect you from bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants. Too much chlorine can cause skin infections, dermatitis, and rashes.