THE WATER POLICE ARE COMING!!!

Droughtwatch '08 !!!

You may not have noticed it, but the Eastern Sierra snowpack is at a record low. Other than shortening our season at Mammoth Mountain, what does this have to do with Southern California you ask?? Drought. Official Drought. Thats right, the Governator has made it official and the consequences may be extreme. If you were here in the eighties, then you may recall the conservation effort (remember being asked to keep a five gallon bucket in the shower??) - you may also recall the water cops issuing citations or even water rationing. Once again, we are in drought mode, only this time it may be permanent. The cause is simple - there is a finite amount of water and an ever increasing population. Wondering how this will affect you? Other than the obvious inconvenience of conservation inside the house, you will have to cut back outside as well. An average residence uses about 50% of it's overall water consumption to water the yard. Imagine if you could cut your exterior water consumption by half... by three quarters??? Imagine the cost of drought tolerant plants and irrigation systems after they are mandated... This is why you should look at drought proofing your yard NOW.
Here are some "droughtproofing" ideas:

1. Planter Irrigation - Have you noticed that your planter sprinklers probably spray much more than their intended target??? (the house, driveway, etc.). Ever wonder just how much of that water actually makes it to the plants?? Wouldn't it be great if they invented a product that put the water exactly where it needed to go without spraying all over the place???? This may be the easiest fix of all - drip and bubbler head irrigation. This will put the water on (or in some cases, in) the ground exactly where it needs to go at the rate that is required for specific plants/trees. Slightly more expensive than traditional irrigation, this is the preferred method of "drought tolerant" irrigation.



2. Grass Irrigation - If you look at your own sidewalk tomorrow morning you will probably find that it is covered in water. Excess water from overwatered lawns in some cases so bad that you will find moss growing . Not only is this bad for your yard (the water is taking valuable nutrients/chemicals with it) it is also bad for the environment (that water goes to the local wash/streams and ultimately ends up in the ocean - along with all those chemicals). Did you know that the local soil (clay) can only absorb around .5 inch of water per hour while most sprinkler heads on the market are designed to put down about 1.5 inces of water per hour ? This means that when you see water running over the sidewalk (unless it is from an errant sprinkler) it is because the soil is saturated and cannot absorb any more water. The cure? Install more efficient sprinkler heads and water for shorter durations twice a day (early morning and late evening to avoid evaporation). One other tip is to keep your lawn a little longer (around three inches) this will allow the grass to shade it's roots.



3. Plant Selection - We all want our yard to look like a post card of a Brazilian rain forest or the resort we just visited in Fiji, but the truth of the matter is we live in a desert. Not only do we live in a desert but we import our water from hundreds of miles away which is NOT conducive to a lush rain forest landscape. I am not recommending that everyone rip out their lawns and install gravel, but there is definitely a middle ground. I just finished a commercial project in North Hollywood that is both beautiful and only requires a few minutes of watering per week. Thats right folks, the sprinklers run once a week. So next time you look at your yard, decide if you really need all that grass. Could the platners be replanted with drought tolerant materials??? Could they be expanded to include some lawn area?? Remember that you may ultimately be FORCED to make these decisions and with increased demand comes increased price.



4. The Pool - Lets not forget the pool. Although pools are cited as the public water wasting enemy number one, they actually require less water than grass. There are a few ways that water is wasted from a pool, leakage, splashing and evaporation. If you don't suspect leakage than you probably don't need to spend money on leak detection. However, if you have wet spots in your yard adjacent to the pool that don't coincide with sprinkler times or you are constantly adding water to your pool beyond evaporation rates then it may be worth the cost (around $500 and up depending on circumstances). Splashing can be limited by enforcing "the rules" or simply lowering the water level in your pool a couple of inches. Evaporation can be limited by installing a pool cover. This doesn't have to be the fancy kind either - a cheap, floating bubble cover can cut evaporation by up to 90% (roughly 600 gallons per month for an average size pool estimating an average half inch per week evaporation rate). If you can eliminate these three water wasters, your pool will require almost NO water to maintain.

If you don't think this is necessary, just think about the water problems we have now and imagine that the population of SoCal is expected to DOUBLE in the next ten years. If you don't do something now to save water, I guarantee you will be forced to do it later.

If you have any questions about this article or how you can go about giving your yard a tune-up, feel free to email me (curtis@bouquetpools.com).

Proper planning...

It was called the "Seven P" rule - Lets go ahead and use the non-military version with a slightly less colorful vernacular:

Prior Proper Planning Prevents Poorly Planned Pools

Yes, I realize this may sound pretty basic. You would think that the average person would take the planning stage of their project pretty seriously, yet this is probably the most common mistake most consumers make when tackling a major home improvement project. This is a substantial project that will last for a few months and cost as much or more than that new car in the driveway.
So how do you properly plan your yard?

1. Research. Research different yards, materials, styles, etc. Clip photos from magazines, take pictures of yards or design elements that you want to incorporate into your yard and ask around. Ask your friends and family what they like the most and what they regret the most. I think you will find that most people would have done things very differently if they had spent a little more time in the planning stage. Remember, this project is not cheap and will be in your yard forever (or until you sell the house).
2. Find a builder. As a pool builder and general contractor, I am constantly put in the position of finding sub-contractors and I will share some of my thoughts on this process. There are (3) key factors that seem to be very telling... 1) How long have they been in business (continuously). This is important because it shows a track record of reliability through good times and bad. Why is it important that a contractor has stayed in business "continuously"? It is important because there are several shrewd/unethical/etc. contractors out there who will change their corporate name from time to time, change their license number and thereby rid themselves of the liability of previous projects. This holds true for people that operate a franchise of a company... how long have they been the local franchise owner? what happened to the last franchise owner?? Often times, it's not a pretty story. 2) What is their history with the License Board? Lets face it, in the business world you can't please everyone all the time, and I don't expect to find a contractor that has never had a complaint - BUT - it is very easy to reconcile problems with the license board, so when I see a complaint on the license board website, I know to stay away. 3) Referrals. I won't hire anyone without at least one referral. Not the one they hand me on a printed sheet either. In some cases, I've even asked to speak with a referral that had complaints - the mark of a true professional is how they deal with problems (real or perceived). If you find a professional that has a long history in the local community, clean record with the license board and has good referrals, you are ready to move on to the next step.
   
3. Develop the Plan. Now that you have done your research and found your contractor, it is time to put the two together and develop the plan. The key elements involved here are design style, material selections and arguably the most important - budget. I can't tell you how important it is to have a realistic budget in mind when you are in the planning stage of a project. It may seem counterintuitive to share your budget with your contractor, but I guarantee you that this will save you time and frustration later. With a proper budget in mind, a good designer may be able to introduce innovative new ideas that are not normally incorporated into a "do it for as little as possible" design. Lets be realistic here - if you don't think that the design is worth the budget you are not obligated to anything. However, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by how unique your design turns out. The plan is the backbone of the project, it should be complete and professional. Read all the notes and ask questions. All too often I hear stories from people in this position "the designer told me that this is just a concept plan..." or "we will make all the changes we want during construction". This is a recipe for disaster. ALL of the details should be noted, as well as any changes to the contract. No matter how good the story sounds, if it's not on the plan, you will not get it for free.

Follow the "Seven P" rule and I guarantee you that you will not only end up with the back yard of your dreams... you may actually enjoy the process!

SUMMER IS HERE...

Here in Southern California, summer is upon us... Is your yard ready?

Here are a few tips:

1. Adjust your pool filtration - pool water requires more chemicals and filtration due to the increased warmth and usage.
2. Adjust your sprinklers - your lawn will turn brown FAST if you don't start increasing the watering times now. It's definitely better to start adding water now than trying to bring a brown lawn back to life!
3. Those chairs and cushions need some cleaning! No one is going to sit on the dirty lounge chair that is covered in dust, spider webs and God knows what...
   
4. Clean out the BBQ - if you haven't been using your barbecue during the winter, I would recommend a good cleaning. Small creatures tend to make their homes in unused bbq's - not something you want to find when you have that first pool party!
   
5. Concrete decks need cleaning too!! Your concrete can definitely benefit from a good powerwashing a few times a year. Even if you have sealed your concrete, dust, dirt and all the spilled sodas from the kids take their toll on concrete. Don't have a pressure washer? A hose and large push broom will do the trick.
6. Break out the pool toys! You will find that your arsenal of pool toys will need some cleaning, inflating or even replacement. No one wants to deal with the wet, dirty deflated pool raft during your pool party...
   
7. This is a great time to clean your pool cover - unless you have a mechanical pool cover, your pool came with a floating cover. If you are like most people, you probably stuffed it into the equipment area after it got dirty. It's time to resurrect the pool cover... did you know that you can increase the average temperature in your pool/spa by up to 15 degrees just by using the pool/spa covers? Clean it up and remember not to throw it in the dirt/grass when you are using the pool - roll it up and store it somewhere relatively clean when you are using the pool.
8. Clean that tile - unless your tile is designed to have a white horizontal racing stripe, it probably needs some cleaning with a pumice stone. This is one area where maintenance cleaning is definitely easier than letting it get out of control.
9. Check your low voltage lights, area lights and replace candles, etc. Light bulbs are easy to replace and make a big difference when it comes to using your yard.
   
10. Make plans to spend time outside. Call your friends and schedule a party, cigar night or even an outdoor wine tasting... The yard is in tip top shape now, so show it off!!
    

Now it's time to get outside and get busy!

ENERGY REBATES!

Get 'em while they're hot! Last year, the State of California introduced an energy rebate program which offered up to a $400 rebate for multi and variable speed energy efficient pumps. The rebate dropped to $200 on January 1, 2008 - which coincided with the passing of a bill that makes it MANDATORY to use these pumps on all new projects. Here is some information cut and pasted from the SCE website:

Pool Pump & Motor Replacement Rebate Program

Did You Know...

You can get $200 back on a Two-speed pool pump purchased and installed from April 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008 or a Variable-speed pool pump purchased and installed from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008!

How It Works

Just purchase and install a qualified energy efficient Two-speed pool pump between April 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008 or purchase and install a qualified Variable-speed pool pump from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008 to get your rebate. Funds are limited so act now!

This program is offered on a first-come, first-served basis and is effective until funding is expended or the program is discontinued by the California Public Utilities Commission. The program is funded by California utility customers and administered by Southern California Edison under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

How to Apply

1. Read the List of Qualifying Two-Speed Pool Pumps or the List of Qualifying Variable-Speed Pool Pumps.
2. Purchase and install your new product while funding is available
3. Complete the rebate application and send the required documentation to SCE as soon as possible

While it IS nice to receive a $200 rebate, the real savings will be noticed in your electrical bill. You may ask, is more efficient to run a pump at 1/2 the speed ? Doesn't it take (2) times longer to filter the pool?? The answher is YES and YES. By running a pump at 1/2 the speed, you are dropping the energy used to power that pump by a factor of (8). So 1/2 the speed = 1/8 the power - you could filter your swimming pool (2) times with a variable speed pump using the same amount of energy it takes to filter your pool once with your existing pump.

The only question is, do you install your energy efficient pump now, while there is a rebate? Or do you install it after it is mandatory and there are no rebates?

Email me if you have any questions or would like a complimentary appointment to discuss "going green"!

Safety Fencing??

Safety fencing?
I think this photo is evidence that you can install a swimming pool with an effective, yet unobtrusive way of keeping your kids safe. Note how the fence allows the seating and barbecue areas to be accessed while keeping the pool area safe. When it's time for an "adult" pool party, the fence can be completely removed in less than 15 minutes.
Yet another great example of how to achieve a child friendly, yet safe and attactive backyard poolscape.

Tuscany in SoCal

Often times we build projects using the most popular materials on the market and end up with wonderful results - this is not that project. Almost every material from the imported, hand made brick to the custom pre-cast concrete pool coping, was hand selected for it's unique characteristics and "old world" style. This is a fantastic example of what can be accomplished by finding unique materials to achieve a timeless quality. Thanks to Eric and Jacque for building this truly "one of a kind" project.

First Post

This is the FIRST post for Bouquetpools.com - I will be discussing swimming pools and spas as well as posting pictures and keeping you up to date on the latest and greatest in the industry.
This panorama was taken at the Beverly Garland's Holiday Inn in North Hollywood where we have just completed a courtyard renovation including a new water feature runnel wall and drought tolerant landscaping.