By Maddie Evan
There are few things more depressing to see than a long-neglected swimming pool. What should be a sparkling blue expanse of inviting water just waiting for you to dive in on a hot day looks more like a misplaced piece of the Gurruwiling (Arafura Swamp)! Green, stagnant water, duckweed, frogs, and what is that thing moving beneath the surface? You had better not stick a toe in and risk finding out! It’s a crying shame, but it doesn’t have to be this way. The application of some elbow grease and a good bit of hard and dirty work can restore this mire to its former aquatic glory!
Let’s begin with the topside portion of the project. The poolside is now an expanse of jungle grass growing between the many cracks of what might have been tiled. Once you have scraped all of that mess away you will probably find bare concrete stained an unpleasant shade of brown. Things have changed since this pool was constructed long ago, now there is a new, greatly improved material you can use for the poolside called Trex composite decking. This modern alternative to traditional wood and stone is made from eco-friendly composite materials that are much more durable than their predecessors, and are guaranteed for 25 years! It’s perfect for any outdoor area and comes in a variety of attractive colours.
Now it’s time to drain that swamp! It’s better not to try to salvage the water that’s in the neglected pool, it might be full of parasites and bacteria and is liable to wreck the filtration system. Just go ahead and drain it all out. If this feels wasteful, then use it to water the lawn! Once the yucky old water is gone you can inspect the bottom for any damage. If there is debris, you are just going to have to fish it all out. You might have thought we were joking about that unidentified thing lurking under the surface, actually, it’s best to be cautious, some poisonous snakes love murky water and may have taken up residence in the old swimming hole!
Once the muck has been excavated the entire pool will need a good scrubbing to remove grime and algae, top to bottom. Refill the pool and check to see if the filter and heater are still working, if not, replace them. Once everything is shipshape, dive on in!
