How To Get Your Pool Area Prepped and Ready For Summer

All you could think of all winter and spring was that beautiful swimming pool you have in your backyard. You can’t wait to jump in as soon as it’s warm enough outside. But before you do that, you need to make sure the pool is all clean and prepped. So start working and don’t skip any steps.

Lap swimming pool wood deck

First of all, whatever you do, don’t empty the pool unless it’s really necessary and you have no other choice. That’s because an empty pool can lift out of the ground and ruin your whole summer before it even starts. Without the weight of the water holding it down, the pool can just pop out.

Lap swimming pool wood deck

Not that we’ve established how risky emptying a pool is, let’s see how you can clean it. First clean the deck area to prevent debris from getting into the pool once you remove the cover. Remove any leaves and debris from the pool cover with a pool rake. Then use a cover pump to remove water. After that, you can lay out the cover on the deck and clean it, dry it and roll it up for storage.

Lap swimming pool wood deck

Once the cover is removed, inspect the pool. Check for cracks and chips and if you find any make sure to repair them. You can do these minor repairs yourself but if it’s something serious, leave it to the professionals.

Lap swimming pool wood deck

Remove the plugs and drain the antifreeze into a bucket. Remove the winter plate from the skimmer box and reinstall the skimmer. Make sure all the fittings and clear and tight.

Lap swimming pool wood deck

If you’ve removed the filter, pump and heater, reconnect them once they’re clean. Make sure all the valves are open and then fill the pump with water.

Lap swimming pool wood deck

Next, fill the pool with water and while you’re waiting for that to happen also remove any leaves, debris and twigs and clean any scale from the tiles. Then reattach the ladders, rails and diving boards. Hook up the vacuum and sweep the entire pool. Also clean the walls with a brush.

Lap swimming pool wood deck

Test the water but make sure you first allow the pool water to circulate 24 to 48 hours. Follow the instructions on the pool water test kit to test the water chemistry. Run the filter until the water starts to clear and keep in mind it can take up to a few days. Clean the filter every day. Also, balance the chemicals to make sure it’s all safe and ok before you dive in.