Pool Patio- bluestone too hot? how make permeable?
Comments (13)
homeintheforest
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Too Hot in Greenhouse
Comments (13)I am looking into GH plastic to replace the single layer 55% white plastic that came with the polytex garden mart GH. It does cut out more than enough heat in summer but is too cool and doesn't let in enough light in winter. I plan to go with Klerk's koolite 380 or the K-50. This a garden center 24X30 foot greenhouse that was set up by the owners that only thought about the seasonal sales window, not year round applicability. So I am working with them to amend this situation. Black shade cloth over a greenhouse to cool it just doesn't make sense to me. There has to be better ways to diffuse the light and let the plants get all they want and still not have the greenhouse absorb heat from the black shade cloth. For the science types on this forum I would love your input on klerk's hi-tech plastics. Just go to Klerks.com. The price to me is not that much of an issue for a 4yr plastic it is cheap in my opinion. I did use the koolite 380 on my first greenhouse in Hawaii and it really made a difference on the quality of the plants I grew in it as opposed to the same plants grown outside. I never enclosed this greenhouse because it never was cold enough to be a real issue. Here in Texas I have the extremes of 100F + and 20F - so I have to look at this from heat and cooling properties and well as maximising the growable light sprectrum to get the most from the plants inside the greenhouse both summer and winter. Any one using the white pigmented shade cloth? I agree with Jimmy that heat sinks are something to look at for moderating temp extremes as part of any GH design....See MoreKim Rupert on making roses hardy and how to make fruits sweeter
Comments (11)Hey, Kippy, believe it or not, we have a burgeoning wine growing industry here in the UK. I think much depends on the variety of grape (we tend to grow sparkling whites here in the UK, often very similar to German wines). Not even the most optimistic weather-watcher could claim we have long hot summers but there are varietals which will do well in the cool and damp english climate. We can certainly manage outdoor dessert grapes too (Boskoop Glory is a good one for me) so why not have a go? There is a lot of fun to be had training the vines - the major fiddly bit is thinning out the bunches of grapes - and they look quite fabulous over a pergola too (although mine is on a couple of posts and wire). Mind, the growing of them is easy - the making a good wine is likely to be beyond me. I had a period, years ago, of making horrid brews such as nettle wine, parsnip wine and so on - I still drank them though - after the first few gulps, they slipped down OK and they were certainly poky (shudder)....but anyway, I prefer beer (ale, NOT lager). I too wondered if Kim was going to write a book. He should. Failing miserably with my Meyer lemon (and I had wanted one for ages) - looking sad, pallid and completely growthless - sulks in the greenhouse, weighing me down with guilt and bafflement. Swinish fruit....See MorePainted Pool Patio
Comments (5)We don't paint pools anymore and I'd say the last one was about 20 years ago. Paints don't last quite as long as they did in the past. With your pool, we would sandblast off all the paint, put down a coping stone, install a tile border around the perimeter under the tile and plaster the pool. Before a patio goes in, I would address updating the plumbing and possibly add additional lines in key locations. Considerations for LED lighting as well. The LED's we have been using for about 15 years, have a small lens and are meant to be set in multiples for an even distribution of light. Traditional lights generally have "hot spot" and there is some shadows or darker sections in a pool. The pool should also be addressed to conform to the current NEC (National Electric Code) requirements certainly prior to a patio installation. This is important. Consider equipment upgrades for efficiency. Same for upgraded electric service to the equipment. Doing this work does carry a price. Perhaps explore some quotes and maybe it can work within a budget. Your pool is a good candidate in a nice setting....See MoreWhat's the best material for pool deck and patio
Comments (17)Also what grade of cement should I be making sure they use and how thick should it be? Does 35psi and 4" thick with a brushed finished be the right thing to require? I too live in Florida and although all our kids combined do not live with us, we have grandchildren that will visit and have friends w/kids. We are also dancers and the patio will be used for dancing too, so we were looking for a non-slip material and one that stays cool in the heat. This is why we were looking at travertine. Can we find travertine that is under $10 a sq ft that can look modern? Preferably $7 a sq ft? If so, how would it be laid? I believe the total sq ft for around the pool and the patio is under 600 sq ft. The entire space is approx 40x 30. Do you know how much stamped concrete will cost per sq ft?...See More
PRORevolutionary Gardens
3 years agoWith permeable pavers it's the joints that allow infiltration, not the paver itself. So doing a standard paver that's set up for tight joints and filling the joints with poly sand creates a surface that's really not much more permeable than asphalt - no matter what base you use. There are contractors who are moving to using a permeable style base for all pavers, but that comes down to efficiency, not green issues. They're finding that the #57s compact way faster and the #8s still make a good bedding layer.
I would hesitate to do a permeable paver for a pool deck. Like I said, it's the joint that makes it permeable. The joint is filled with a #8 or #78 chip gravel, and I don't see how that's not going to end up in the pool. Additionally, depending on your soil and drainage conditions, I'd hesitate to introduce water right around the pool shell. If you have the space, I'd rather mitigate runoff via a rain garden, bioswale, etc.
As for environmental friendliness, it takes smarter folks than me to calculate the impact of every consumer choice out there. But I do know that the concrete industry isn't known for a low carbon footprint, so I'm not sure how much "cleaner" a choice concrete pavers are vs stone that's quarried and split a couple of states away (for us, anyhow).
Oh and as far as bluestone/flagstone and heat goes, we had a client who ignored warnings about the heat of the stone. They later had an irrigation company come in to install a zone to wet down the pool deck during the day just to make it walkable. There are other considerations too though. One planting client of ours just installed a pool with a pearlescent white travertine pool deck. It's super cool to the touch, but in full sun it's so blindingly reflective that I feel like I'm in that scene after Harry Potter dies (spoilers!):
I would suggest finding a knowledgeable landscape designer to work with. You're on an interesting path, I just think someone who's been on that path before could be helpful.homeintheforest
3 years agohomeintheforest
3 years agohomeintheforest
2 years agoamilelka
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