Get Your Backyard Ready for a High-tech Summer
It’s almost time to kick back and relax on your deck or in your pool. Take advantage of this time to prep the deck and pool area, and upgrade your yard with a few high-tech tools and toys. Your yard will be safer and a lot more fun this year with some of the following upgrades.
Music in the Pool
You enjoy listening to tunes in the pool but don’t want to get your smartphone or MP3 player wet. Consider an Audio Unlimited Wireless Floating Pool Speaker, which floats in your pool and streams music from your phone or home stereo via a wireless transmitter. The signal is good for up to 150 feet away.
Concert Sounds Outdoors Wirelessly
One of the issues with installing a quality sound system outdoors is finding a way to hide the wires. The Sabrent Weather Resistant Wireless Speaker System comes with two high-definition speakers that can be mounted on the house or deck. The speakers generate CD quality sound so you can relax on the deck while listening to a concert. The wireless signal will reach about 150 feet and is not affected by obstructions such as walls, windows and doors. This setup also comes with a remote control.
Creating Backyard Art in Your Pool
During those times when you just want to lounge on the deck, turn your pool into a light show. The Game 3555 Underwater Light Show consists of multicolored LEDs that rotate to produce a pattern of light throughout your pool. It shines on the sides and bottom of the pool and works on a timer. The unit works on batteries and can be set to automatically turn on and off.
Safety First
Before you add any bells and whistles to your pool, make sure you’ve taken the proper steps to ensure a safe environment for your friends and family. Online pool supply stores such as In The Swim offer a variety of secure, lockable pool covers to make sure that kids and pets aren’t able to sneak in unsupervised and get hurt.
Another high-tech safety measure is a pool alarm. The Pool Patrol PA-30 Pool Alarm sets off a loud alert if something, or someone, fall into the pool. The sensitivity can be adjusted so that only objects of a certain size, such as a pet or child, will trigger the alarm. Combined with a secure pool cover, this alarm will help keep your backyard safe for the whole neighborhood.
Enhance Your Deck Lighting
There are many creative ways to light your deck, making it more attractive as well as safer at night. LED lights located on the stair risers illuminate the stairs softly so people can see the stairs with a plateful of snacks in hand. Add lights under raised post caps that shine down on the posts to highlight the edges of the deck.
The Landscaping Network suggests that all lighting should be soft and little more than the light of a full moon. They estimate a complete pool lighting system will run from $500 to $2,000. Additional features to consider are timers and photocells to automate when the lights come on and go off.
