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- When it comes to spending time in your pool this summer don't forget that safety is everything! Visit the link... fb.me/1Wm3eiGAg 1 day ago
- Tuesday Gardening Tip of the Day from Breakfast Televisions very own Frankie Flowers poolandhottubblog.com/2012/05/29/fra… #gibsanpools # gibsanlandscaping 2 days ago
- Another great review from a happy client! What is Homestars? Homestars is an online website where homeowners... fb.me/1q7KvlS4O 3 days ago
Drowning Prevention
Posted in Pool Safety
Tagged gib-san pools, pool safety, toronto pool installers, toronto pools
Frankie Flowers Tuesday Tip of the Day!
Wrong soil: That $1.99 bag may look like a good deal but if used in a container will kill your plants (from root rot). For pots choose soils formulated for containers or potting soil. However remember most container and potting soils are soilless mixes meaning you need to fertilize.
To read more tips on spring gardening from BT’s very own Frankie Flowers Visit here
Posted in construction, Landscape, Uncategorized
Tagged breakfast television, gardening, gibsan pools
Another Great Review From a Happy Customer!
Another review from a happy client! Homestars is an online website where homeowners share their experiences good and bad when hiring companies like Gib-San. Visit the site today, write us a review! We reward our clients for helping spread the word!
Posted in Uncategorized
Designing Spaces Master Pools Guild Interview with Ed Gibbs of Gib-San Pools
Looking to get started on your dream backyards this summer? This episode of designing spaces interviews Ed Gibbs, owner and operator of Gib-San Pools Ltd. Ed gives some excellent tips on what to consider when selecting a design for a new pool and how to select a pool builder you can trust.
Gib-San Pool of the Month, May 2012 – Festival Tower Project
If a condominium could be compared to a film, Festival Tower would sweep the Oscars!
Festival Tower is no ordinary building. It is an instant landmark on the Toronto skyline. When architect Bruce Kuwabara was designing Festival Tower, he incorporated a number of design elements to reinforce its iconic status, “Let’s face it. There are a lot of condominium towers going up around this city. This one has to be special.”
On the outside, the building soars from its limestone-clad base into a tower sheathed in clear and sandblasted glass and crowned by an illuminated glass top that serves as a welcoming beacon to Festival Tower residents. But it is inside Festival Tower where its “luxurious livability” really becomes apparent. There is no such thing as a basic amenity at festival Tower and Gib-San was the obvious choice when selecting a pool builder to take part on this project.
The stunning Pool House features an elaborate swimming pool, whirlpool and a cascading floor-to-ceiling waterfall housed in a glass pavilion overlooking an exquisitely landscaped terrace. The project took over 5 years from its initial planning to the final completion in summer 2011.
“This project is surely one of our most applauded pieces of work” says Ed Gibbs, “to see such a large project come to life surely goes to show you our commitment to ISO policies and procedures works!” “The Festival Tower Project was built using the same standards and procedures used on any one of our residential projects, and because of that our brand transcends the industry standard for quality.”
“Festival Tower is so unique, so special, and so incredible – it exists in a class of its own!”
Why Choose LED Pool Lighting?
High-Definition Lighting That Lasts The growing popularity of color-changing LED lighting for pools and spas is primarily due to the brilliant-lighting effects of newer systems. The difference between old technology (incandescent) pool lighting and LED pool lighting is like comparing a standard definition television to a high-definition television—the colors and visual quality are simply stronger, brighter and more appealing.
Many pool owners also choose LED pool lighting because it is a more eco-friendly option. Not only do LEDs use far less electricity, an LED light can last six times longer than an incandescent light of equal brightness.
The Most Energy-Efficient Lighting Available An LED (or light emitting diode) is a small semi conductor device that converts electrical energy directly into light. Since there is no filament, an LED does not heat up the way an incandescent bulb does, which wastes up to 80% of the electricity routed to it to produce heat rather than light. An LED light like the Pentair IntelliBrite® 5g White LED provides a noticeably brighter light while using 86% less energy than an incandescent bulb—resulting in significant energy savings.
Brilliant Colors for Unmatched Visual Appeal The main attraction of LED lighting is the stunning visual appeal and ability to change up the lighting to suit any mood or event. Today’s best color-changing LED pool lights feature numerous light options—from static colors like blue, green, magenta, red and white to dynamic pre-programmed light shows that enhance nighttime poolscapes with rich and vibrant colors. Plus, most allow you to also choose the speed at which the colors change, further allowing you to achieve a particular ambiance.
Choosing the particular color or light show for your pool is usually a simple process of stepping through the selections until you find your desired setting. Other systems allow you to include a dedicated controller to make choosing and programming your lights even easier and synchronize LED lights in your pool, spa and landscape.
LED Lighting Outlasts the Competition The typical life span of an incandescent light is 5,000 hours, whereas LED lights have been proven to last 30,000 to 50,000 hours. The reason for their extended life is the durable, solid state technology, which has no internal filament to wear out.
In the past, LED pool lighting has received negative feedback because if one LED burned out all of the LEDs would stop working, similar to old holiday lights. However, new LED pool lighting systems like the IntelliBrite 5g Color LED will continue to work even when one of its LEDs burn out.
Posted by Kris – Community Manager FYI Pools: To read more visit http://poolfyi.com/profiles/blogs/why-choose-led-pool-lighting
AquaDome, the largest Cylindrical Aquarium Elevator
This is the largest Cylindrical Aquarium Elevator in the world, the AquaDom. The AquaDom can be found in Berlin at the Radisson SAS Hotel lobby.
The glass tube in the hotel lobby is called AquaDom. It is the largest acrylic cylinder in the world, filled with about 900,000 liters of seawater. There even is an elevator inside the aquarium.
It’s considered the largest of its kind to be built and stands at 25 meters tall and is filled with roughly 900,000 liters of sea water which is home to 2600 fish of 56 different species, artificial colorful corals and rock formations. It has a a diameter of over 11 meters, built on a 9 meters tall concrete foundation.
There are various employees working daily inside the cylinder maintaining it and feeding the tropical sea fish.
It isn’t necessary to be a deep sea diver to enjoy the views at the bottom. A visitor can simply take the glass elevator ride through the middle of the aquarium from the bottom to the top to reach the sightseeing point and panoramic restaurant under the glass roof.
The elevator slides up and down in the middle of the cylinder allowing the visitors to take a quick look into the aquarium from a different angle.
There’s enough work for the divers who work daily in the AquaDome, inch by inch is being cleaned while visitors pass by in the elevator.
The AquaDom opened in 2003 and cost around 12.8m euros to build. The aquarium is built with synthetic glass and designed by the architect Sergei Tchoban. It is now the main attraction of the Berlin Sea Life Center. The feeding of the fish and the cleaning of the fish tank is performed daily by a pair of full-time divers.
The result is an amazing design and concept although one can argue about the huge amount of sea water that’s being used in this aquarium and the ecological effects, but spectacular it is.
A panoramic view at the hotel lobby and aquarium from the restaurant above the AquaDome.
Source: Icm-corp.com
Earth Day Canada 2012 is this Sunday April 22, learn what you can do to make your pool more eco friendly!!
Heating & Heat Loss, How your pool can be an eco friendly pool
- Reduce heat loss by using a pool cover. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, savings of 50% – 70% are possible.
- Fencing, hedges, landscaping, and cabanas that shelter your pool from prevailing winds will further reduce heat loss.
- If your pool heater is more than five years old, chances are a new high efficiency gas heater could quickly pay for itself in utility bill savings.
- A pool heat pump can save up to 80% in energy usage compared to a gas heater. Check with your pool professional to see if a heat pump is appropriate for your region.
- If you use your pool only on weekends, reduce your heater or heat pump thermostats settings by eight to ten degrees during the week.
- When leaving for vacation for more than a week, turn off the pool heater or heat pump, including the pilot light. Please use caution in freezing conditions.
- According to the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals and the Red Cross, the most healthful swimming temperature is 78 degrees. Reducing your heater or heat pump thermostat to maintain a 78 degree or lower temperature will also help conserve energy.
- Install a timer or a control system to automate the hours of operation.
- When reopening your pool, make sure your heater or heat pump is working properly.
Check out www.earthday.ca webiste for a full listing of event details in and around your local neaborhoods.
Source: http://www.pentairpool.com/pool-owner/save-energy/energy-conservation.htm
Posted in construction, Planning, Service
Tagged backyard design, enviromental, gib-san pools, toronto pools
Sun Protection Fact!
Did You know?
Even animals practice sun protection! Chimpanzees avoid the midday sun and hippos secrete a pink-colored oil that acts like a sunscreen to protect their skin from sunburn.
