October is here and that can only mean one thing for Choice Pool & Spa… we’re going to the NC State Fair!!! We are excited to announce that Choice is at the NC State Fair this year from October 11th – October 21st!

Come check out Choice Pool & Spa’s largest display of hot tubs, swim spas, outdoor kitchens, grills, fire pits and outdoor furniture. Sample great food grilled to perfection on grills like The Big Green Egg, Bull, Green Mountain Grills, Blaze Grills and Heston. View a huge selection of custom outdoor kitchens from Bull with different shapes, colors, sizes and features. Pick the one that is right for you! Take a look at Four Winds and Coast Spas hot tubs and swim spa models and ask questions about all their amazing options. Feel how comfortable our outdoor furniture from Ashley is and visualize how it can fit in your backyard. Meet our design consultants and have all of your questions answered.Best of all, everything is on sale for this huge event! Up to 40% off retail prices!

Visit us under the BIG tent south of the Dorton Arena close to Hillsborough St. This is our last huge event of the year and your last chance to save BIG! Nothing Could Be Finer than the NC State Fair and nothing could be better than making your backyard a Choice backyard!

Maintaining your hot tub can seem like an overwhelming task. However, when dividing all of the things that need attention into daily, weekly and periodic tasks, the regular maintenance does not seem as daunting. To ensure optimum performance and longevity of your spa, regular maintenance is essential and must not be overlooked. This list will help keep you on track when maintaining your hot tub.

The most important step when maintaining your hot tub is to make sure the water quality stays at the correct levels. If you are monitoring the water quality on a daily basis, then there isn’t much work involved other than checking these levels with a color-coded test strip. The two things that you will be checking are the PH and sanitizer levels. If you dip the testing strip into the water and notice that the levels are not where they should be, you will then need to pour in the correct chemicals to get the water quality back to the proper level. Keeping the water quality at the correct levels will help prevent mineral buildup and corrosion of your hot tub, as well as help to avoid skin irritation.

“Shocking” your hot tub with sanitizer on a weekly basis is good practice for proper hot tub maintenance. This task is especially important when there have been a lot of bathers using the spa. Doing this will ensure the water in your hot tub stays clean and clear. Another weekly maintenance task is to clean your hot tub. Wiping down the spa cover and taking it off for a few hours per week to allow it to air out will help to extend the life of the cover. When removing the spa cover it is also a good idea to check for any debris in the hot tub and the water level. If the water level gets below the skimmer it could damage the pump.

These final steps are ones in which you should plan on doing at least a couple times per year. It is a good idea to treat your spa with a descaling agent a few times throughout the year to prevent mineral buildup. If you know that you live in an area high calcium or mineral content, this periodic task is especially important. Another area of the hot tub to check throughout the year is the main filter. Plan on removing and cleaning your hot tub’s filter at least a couple of times per year. Lastly, it is good to get in the habit of draining your hot tub once or twice per year. This will ensure good water quality, as well as give you the opportunity to inspect all of the components of your hot tub.

Maintaining your hot tub is easy when looking at the maintenance steps as daily, weekly or periodic. It really is not very time consuming. The important thing is to give your hot tub the proper attention so that your family and friends can enjoy it for years to come.

Interested in owning a hot tub? Call us and schedule your complimentary consultation TODAY at (919) 562- 6611 OR visit us at 10016 Capital Blvd. Wake Forest, NC 27587.

What is a Swim Spa?

As swim spas continue to grow in popularity, this question is asked more and more - what is a swim spa? The technical answer is a rectangular spa that allows you to swim against a continuous current of water. However, a better way to answer this question is by looking more in depth at the benefits of a swim spa.

Fitness

Building muscular strength, endurance and keeping your heart rate up while avoiding high impact stress on your body, makes swimming one of the healthiest ways to exercise. According to the American Heart Association, just 30-60 minutes of physical activity 3-4 days per week can help reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. As a regular physical activity, swimming can also help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. Swim spas are regularly used by top level athletes to stay in shape, so you know it is going to be a great workout.

Convenience

Imagine being able to swim laps without having to leave your home to go to a local neighborhood pool or fitness club. Swim spas allow you to never worry about sharing a lane or avoid kids crossing in front of you while swimming. The continuous flow of water also gives the swimmer the ability to concentrate on the workout instead of having to turn around at the walls. Swim Spas provide a great work out while using the least amount of space, all within the comfort of your home or backyard. Using your swim spa all year long instead of a few short months provides the benefits of a pool and spa in one.

Relaxation

Swim Spas facilitate the perfect environment for relaxation. Of course, you can hop into the swim spa as you would a traditional hot tub with family and friends. However, having the ability to exercise and then sit into a seat of superior current massage jets after a workout is what makes owning a swim spa so unique.

Call us and schedule your complimentary consultation TODAY at (919) 562- 6611 OR visit us at 10016 Capital Blvd. Wake Forest, NC 27587.

The days are getting hotter and the nights are getting longer! That means it is time to start planning some pool parties! We love it when we see pictures or hear about parties happening around pools we have built. As summer approaches, we want to share some fun pool party ideas to add a little more fun by the pool!

Hawaiian Luau

A Hawaiian Luau is a very popular pool party theme, since it is fairly easy and affordable. Invite your friends to an evening getaway to the Island State! Ask guests to wear their most colorful Hawaiian print shirts. As guests arrive, welcome them with the traditional ‘Aloha’ greeting while placing leis around their necks. You can either make the leis yourself, a little more expensive, or purchase ready-made leis. Decorate the pool area with bright, tropical colors, bamboo accents and Hawaiian-themed accessories from your local party supply or craft store. Tiki torches and tropical flowers scattered across tables and the surface of the pool provide the finishing touches for a magical evening. Treat your friends and family to grilled pineapple chicken or ham for a delicious meal. To complement the feast, serve rice and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables reminiscent of a garden paradise.

Formal Evening

There are two ways you could go with this one. One is to ask guests to come in a dress or suit to sip wine or champagne beside the pool while the setting sun sparkles across the water. The other is to dress up in these fancy outfits only to jump into the pool fully clothed! It may sound crazy, but friends and family are sure to capture the fun with photos and videos to share for many years. Another idea is to ask all of your guests to come completely dressed in white and deck out the entire pool area with white accessories. Set up candles all over your patio, and if you really want to go all out, place white beach balls in the pool to bring the white theme together. The wedding aisle of your local craft store for white accessories like serving pieces and tableware.

Neon Party

If you don’t want to go formal but like the white idea, a neon party may be the party for you! Put up freestanding black lights around the pool, then ask your guests to wear white clothing to get the full effect. You’ll have a blast playing with white beach balls once the sun goes down! To add even more fun to the party, cover your decorations with glow-in-the-dark paint and be sure to stock up on glow sticks!

Vegas Game Night

Want to throw a party where guests can relax by the pool instead of getting in? Try a Vegas Game Night themed pool party. Instead of grilling out, try mixing up your menu with items like sushi or a nacho bar. Put out tables beside the pool for blackjack or poker games. If you want your guests to really get competitive, invest in a handful of prizes they could win!

Girls Night

Maybe Vegas Game Night is for the guys but what about the ladies? For Girls Night, hire a masseuse or beautician for the evening to give your friends manicures, pedicures, massages or facials. If that’s a bit outside your budget, set up your own spa! Provide nail files, toe separators, nail polish and other pampering essentials for your friends. As for food, chips and dip or mini sandwiches make for great snacks, right before you indulge in cupcakes or fondue for dessert.

Beach Party

If you want a fun and simple pool party, try creating a beach barbecue around the backyard pool. Attire is easy! Relax in flip-flops and swimsuits. Let the kids build sand castles in small plastic pools. If you want to really get creative, have the adults get in on it too with a sand castle competition! Decorate tables with seashells and fishnets. Cover chairs with beach towels and use plastic pails and shovels to serve hors-d'oeuvres and drinks. Float toy sailboats in the pool. Grill hamburgers, hot dogs and corn on the cob and serve classic boardwalk food, like popcorn, snow cones and French fries for you family and friends.

We hope you enjoy trying out some of these fun pool party ideas! Tag us with your pictures on Facebook so we can share the fun! If you are interested in building a new pool for your backyard, call us to schedule an appointment OR visit us at 10016 Capital Blvd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 to begin designing your new pool today!

It can be difficult to imagine what your finished pool will look like in your backyard. At Choice Pool and Spa, we are committed to ensuring that our customers in Wake Forest, Raleigh and Durham are 100% satisfied with their backyard pool design. Our design services allow you to see a 3D representation of your finished design before it is even built. We wanted to share the benefits to designing your pool with our design services.

Most customers have an idea of what they want their pool to look like. However, when it comes to 2D visual interpretations, such as plans and blueprints, most people are left confused. 3D pool design software allows you to experiment with options, while helping you to truly understand exactly what your pool will look like. You’ll be able to express your creativity, find inspiration and make smarter pool design choices by the click of a button. Innovative 3D design software provides the ability to see and understand a design, fast and easy.

All aspects of the design, such as colors, shapes and materials can all be viewed in a realistic 3D rendering. This helps to ensure the design is accurate and provides peace of mind for the customer when making final selections and decisions. Knowing that you have made all of the right choices for such a life changing project is priceless.

We start the process by recreating your existing backyard so that the plan reflects the actual dimensions of your yard. Incorporating these dimensions gives a clear indication of the size of the pool in relation to the rest of the backyard, as well as helping visualize what other elements you want to include such as hardscapes, landscaping, an outdoor kitchen or fire pit. You can even see how your design will appear from the inside your home or what it will look like at night!

During the design process, you have the ability to share your 3D design with friends and family to help in the decision-making process and to build excitement about your new dream pool!

Our backyard 3D pool and spa design services are at no additional cost to our customers. Call us today to schedule an appointment OR visit us at 10016 Capital Blvd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 to begin designing your new pool today!

You’ve decided to install a brand new in-ground swimming pool!The days of relaxation with family and friends poolside are near.However, there is a pretty big decision that you need to make before letting your mind float away into the deep end.Fiberglass or vinyl. The type of pool you decided to install will determine quite a few aspects of your pool, such as size, shape and materials.You can start by asking yourself how much you’re going to use your pool, how much time you want to spend on preventative maintenance and how much money you want to invest.To make the best decision for your pool, let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of both fiberglass and vinyl pools.

Fiberglass Pools

Advantages

One of the first things to consider when installing a pool is maintenance.Pool owners typically want a pool that requires little maintenance, with few long-term repairs.Fiberglass pools meet this need better than any other pool type.The gel layer of a fiberglass pool does not alter the chemical balance of the water and resists the growth of algae, reducing the amount of time required to clean your pool.You will never scrape your skin or pick your bathing suit if you rub up to the fiberglass pool walls.Unlike a vinyl pool, the lifetime maintenance expenses of a fiberglass pool are usually much less.You will never worry about having to replace the lining of your pool, which is a significant expense when owning a vinyl pool.

Fiberglass pools are available in a variety of sizes, depths and beautiful shapes. But with new mold innovations, colored finishes, and cantilevered concrete; fiberglass pools have come to rival the aesthetics of concrete pools.Most fiberglass pools come with seats and steps molded into the shell avoiding any additional costs for design elements of your pool.Fiberglass pool shells are built in a factory from an existing mold which allows for greater quality control.Once ordered, they are delivered to your home and can be installed much quicker than vinyl pools.

Because of their low lifetime maintenance costs and incredible longevity, fiberglass pools will often appeal to home buyers when or if the time comes to sell your home.If you have the money to spend upfront, they make a great option.

Disadvantages

For some customers, the initial price of a fiberglass pool can be a drawback.When comparing a fiberglass pool to a vinyl pool, there is going to be more of an initial investment.As mentioned earlier, fiberglass pools provide many design options but there are limitations to the size and depth.Fiberglass pools typically cannot be deeper than 8′ and no wider than 18′ due to the pool having to be built at a factory then shipped to your home on a truck.Overall, these disadvantages could be dismissed when looking at all of the advantages of a fiberglass pool.

Vinyl Pools

Advantages

Vinyl pools typically have the lowest initial price compared to other types of in-ground swimming pools.This is an advantage that cannot be ignored.Unlike a fiberglass pool, vinyl liners can be customized into any shape or depth.Vinyl liners are placed over a steel or polymer frame offering a more customizable design.Just like fiberglass, vinyl is a non-porous surface, which inhibits algae growth and is smooth to the touch.The weekly maintenance is usually a little bit more than a fiberglass pool but still fairly low.

Disadvantages

Having to eventually replace the liner is by far the biggest disadvantage of owning a vinyl pool.Although the structure of a vinyl pool will typically last over 35 years, the liner itself will have to be replaced on average every 8-12 years due to normal wear.Because of this shortened life-expectancy, you may not see a return on your investment if you decide to sell your home.You also have to exercise some caution when using your vinyl pool, especially for dog owners.While vinyl liners are 20 to 30 millimeters thick, vinyl is not as durable as fiberglass.If you don't treat your liner with care and respect, you could be looking at a big repair for avoidable tears.

Even though vinyl pools are more customizable than fiberglass pools, steps and benches are not included and may not match the liner as seamlessly.These may be additional costs to the project that you may have not considered when first initially looking at the price of a vinyl pool.Overall, the lifetime cost of maintaining a vinyl pool may end up being the same or more than owning a fiberglass pool.

While both have their advantages and disadvantages, the addition of a pool will provide a wonderful place for relaxation and entertainment.If you are having trouble deciding what type of pool to install, call us for your consultation TODAY at (919) 562- 6611 OR visit us at 10016 Capital Blvd. Wake Forest, NC 27587.