27′ Nova – Above Ground Pool Installation

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27′ Nova – Above Ground Pool Installation

We are hard at work this week completing the installation on 4 new above ground swimming pools! We have been truly blessed this year with some tremendous growth and we are very grateful for our loyal customers and new business! Let's take a look at this new 27' Round Nova Above Ground Pool Installation!

We are hard at work this week completing the installation on 4 new above ground swimming pools! We have been truly blessed this year with some tremendous growth and we are very grateful for our loyal customers and new business! Let’s take a look at this new 27′ Round Nova Above Ground Pool Installation!

We’ve Been Hard At Work!

Illiana Backyard Fun is a company founded upon bringing people outside and restoring the concept of outdoor living. We strive to provide our clients with helpful information, trusted products and valuable services to make outdoor living fun! The purpose of all of our efforts is simple. We want to make outdoor living fun, easy and develop outdoor living spaces for everyone to enjoy!

This past week, we were blessed with multiple installations on Above Ground Pools in and around Iroquois County. Believe it or not, just this weekend we installed 4 new Above Ground Pools! It was certainly a busy weekend and we are very grateful to our customers for the increase in business!

Now that the 4th of July is here, we are approaching the second half of summer. Temperatures are still high and students still have over a month left of their summer breaks. There is still plenty of time to get into your backyard to enjoy the great outdoors and soak up the last few weeks of summer.

If you’re interested in purchasing an Above Ground Swimming Pool, Spa, Fiberglass Pool or In-Ground Swimming Pool, then you’ve come to the right place! We have the teams in place to build your new swimming pool with a few weeks to enjoy it before the onset of the Fall months.

We are lucky to have such a supportive network of suppliers and vendors. This image shows our delivery from our local supplier. They often meet us in the field and at job sites to provide us with on-time deliveries. Here you can see their driver delivering a new Above Ground Pool package they day of our installation.

We are lucky to have such a supportive network of suppliers and vendors. This image shows a delivery from our local supplier. They often meet us in the field and at job sites to provide us with on-time deliveries. Here you can see their driver delivering a new Above Ground Pool package they day of our installation.

Multiple Installations: AKA Project Management

As with any business growth, it’s paramount to place a large emphasis on project management and quality control. This is where Illiana Backyard Fun is very unique. If you’re new here or have been following our blog for some time you’ll notice the hard-working blonde in all of our pictures. No, she’s not our cheerleader or crew member; she is the owner of the company.

Kristie Cheatum is very connected to all of her customers and spends a large amount of time in the field! You’ll often find her:

In order for us to keep up with new installations, manage our retail store and deliver multiple services to our customers, we have to be hands on. Kristie spends so much time in the field working with her products because it keeps her sharp, in-tune with what’s happening and ensures quality installation every time. When you purchase a product or new swimming pool from Illiana Backyard Fun, you’re also purchasing a quality installation from a professional who really cares and does the job right!

Building an Above Ground Swimming Pool requires us to build from the ground up. We work first with the soil that will sit beneath our swimming pool structure. Here you can see our plot of 27' round soil that has been prepped. We work to remove the top layer of grass, spray a weed killer, lay a top layer of silica sand and spread it until level. This is the perimeter that we will use to build our swimming pool.

Building an Above Ground Swimming Pool requires us to build from the ground up. We work first with the soil that will sit beneath our swimming pool structure. Here you can see our plot of 27′ round soil that has been prepped. We work to remove the top layer of grass, spray a weed killer, lay a top layer of silica sand and spread it until level. It’s all up hill from here (literally). 

One Day Installations on Above Ground Pools

So what is our installation time frame for a new Above Ground Pool Installation? We are glad you asked! Currently a new above ground pool takes only 1 business day to install, from start to finish. Typically this is a consistent time frame and it’s due to our hard working crews and quality of product that we install. There may be circumstances where a larger pool, such as an Oval (15’x30′ or 18’x33′) requires two days but that is still lightning fast.

As you can see from our images, our Above Ground Pools follow a specific set of installation procedures. We follow these unique steps to ensure our pool is set level, walls are stable and ready for swimmers:

  • Clear the top layer of grass and spread our silica sand (pool base)
  • Set our bottom rail & concrete blocks – always double checking our elevations
  • Install our pool wall & uprights
  • Lay our hard bottom (prevents weeds from breaking through)
  • Hang our beaded liner within the liner track
  • Install our filtration equipment, plumbing lines, skimmer & returns
  • Fill with water & startup chemicals
  • Voila, you’re ready to swim!

Trust us, this process is very involved and requires close attention to detail. We have installed hundreds of Above Ground Pools in our company’s history. If you’re looking for a company that you can trust, then we invite you to give us a call!

Once our base coat is set, we run our bottom rail which connects in a 27' circle. Next we install the concrete blocks beneath each "foot" where our uprights will sit. We do not cut corners here; the entire structure of our pool rests on these concrete pads. It's paramount that we ensure each pad is level before moving on to construct our walls.

Once our base coat is set, we run our bottom rail which connects in a 27′ circle. Next we install the concrete blocks beneath each “foot” where our uprights will sit. We do not cut corners here; the entire structure of our pool rests on these concrete pads. It’s paramount that we ensure each pad is level before moving on to construct our walls.

The Benefits of The Nova Pool

The Nova Above Ground Pool is part of our Steel Pool Collection. These swimming pools offer a lot of really great benefits including:

  • Wide 9″ top ledge
  • Resin ledge cover
  • Corrugated wall & frame with Zinc Guard (for corrosive resistance)
  • Narrow risers to minimize taking up yard space

These swimming pools are a proven leader in the Above Ground Industry and is another reason to trust Illiana Backyard Fun! We bring you the very best in new products and services to ensure you are able to live your best life outside!

We Are Your Pool Partners!

Now that we’ve covered some information for these Above Ground Pools, we’d better get back to work and leave you to it. If you’d like to check out some other articles of things we’ve been up to, we’ve got some great content listed below. We work hard to put this information together and provide our customers with insights into our business. It’s part of our goal of becoming your Pool Partners.

We want you to have the best access to information and products and to turn to Illiana Backyard Fun anytime that you have a question. As always, feel free to reach out to us at anytime. After all, we are here to service your outdoor living lifestyle!

The Southport 21′ Round Above Ground Pool – New Installation

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The Southport 21′ Round Above Ground Pool

We are hard at it again and finishing up on the installation of a new Southport 21' Round Above Ground Pool! These above ground pool kits are amazing and provide us the ability to build a new swimming pool at an affordable price. The Southport uses a steel wall construction to provide strength and durability at an affordable price.

We are hard at it again and finishing up on the installation of a new Southport 21′ Round Above Ground Pool! These above ground pool kits are amazing and provide us the ability to build a new swimming pool at an affordable price. The Southport uses a steel wall construction to provide strength and durability for a pool that lasts.

New Above Ground Pool Installation

At Illiana Backyard Fun, we love building new swimming pools for our amazing customers. It’s a time where people are excited at the prospect of moving their family time outdoors, enjoying the season of summer and bringing back the nostalgic memories from childhood. We truly love the swimming pool industry and building new swimming pools is our favorite part of the job!

Here we are seen installing a new Southport 21′ Round Above Ground Pool Kit. The Southport is among a family of above ground pool kits; all of which offer both Steel & Resin construction. Our above ground pools ship with a manufacturers warranty and the hope of fun summer days ahead!

These above ground pool installations are a bit technical but fairly easy to learn and explain. If you’re familiar with Legos or an Erector Set then you’re familiar with how these swimming pools are built. Out of the box, we have a:

  • Steel Wall
  • Metal Upright Kit
  • Top Rail Kit
  • Steel or Resin Kit

All of these “kits” include various parts: bolts, screws, framework and much more. This all connects to build a very sturdy and sound above ground pool kit.

We use sand as the base for our above ground pools. Sand offers a great support base due to its soft texture and ability to allow water to pass through. It's also an excellent protective layer for our vinyl liner - which holds our water.

As you can see from this image, we use sand as the base for our above ground pools. Sand offers a great supportive base due to its soft texture and ability to allow water to pass through. It’s also an excellent protective layer for our vinyl liner – which holds our water.

Setting on Sand & Leveling

As with any Above Ground Pool installation, we need to level our ground and pour our sand. Depending on the size of the pool kit, we have a different amount of risers and bases to set. Other than that, the installation is fairly standardized and involves the following steps:

  • Leveling our foundation
  • Setting our Bottom Rail (shown above as the circular channel)
  • Leveling the Bases for our Uprights (shown above as the black square pads)
  • Installing the Uprights
  • Running the Wall along our Bottom Rail
  • Setting our Top Caps (to hold the wall in place)
  • Hanging our Vinyl Liner
  • Plumbing our Equipment
  • Filling up with your water!

This list is fairly extensive and it certainly has it’s details for each step. However, with an experienced team of installers, such as Illiana Backyard Fun, an Above Ground Pool can be installed in as little as day!

Our Vinyl Liners are designed with a J-Hook attachment. This attachment has a "Bead" or fattened edge that we place into our liner track to hang our vinyl liner. These liners are very sturdy and offer a decent out of expansion once the water is added. This creates a smooth texture around the entire surface of your swimming pool.

Our Vinyl Liners are designed with a J-Hook attachment. This attachment has a “Bead” or fattened edge that we place into our liner track to hang our vinyl liner. These liners are very sturdy and offer a decent out of expansion once the water is added. This creates a smooth texture around the entire surface of your swimming pool.

What is a Steel Pool?

At this point, you may be asking yourself, “What exactly is a steel pool?” It’s a simple as it sounds. Steel is the primary component in these Steel Above Ground Pool Kits, but is not the only element that is present. These pool kits are also comprised of Resin Plastic (for essentially everything except our Wall). Resin is a strong material that is anti-corrosive and allows for light weight during shipment and adds nice coloring.

We currently offer 3 Above Ground Pools as our line up of Illiana Backyard Fun approved pools. If you’d like some more information on the types of pool that we offer, we invite you to view our the Above Ground Pool page of our website.

The primary swimming pools that we offer include the:

We offer these different types of pools based on the structural benefits that each one offers. For more information, we invite you to contact Kristie Cheatum (our owner) so she can provide you with some more in depth information. She can also help you to identify which swimming pool is right for you and your backyard!

You can see one of our crew members here leveling our base for one of our pool uprights. We "shoot our elevation" for each of these riser points to ensure that our pool is completely level once completely built. It's always better to double check your measurements at this point to ensure the pool is level - the water doesn't lie!

You can see one of our crew members here leveling our base for one of our pool uprights. We “shoot our elevation” for each of these riser points to ensure that our pool is completely level once completely built. It’s always better to double check your measurements at this point to ensure the pool is level – the water line doesn’t lie!

The Benefit of an Above Ground Pool

The benefits of purchasing an Above Ground Pool are wide ranging! They are an excellent choice for many home owners due to:

  • Small Backyards
  • Affordable Pricing (these types of pools are often the lowest price compared to Fiberglass, Rockport In-Ground Sport Pools & Gunite Swimming Pools)
  • Lower Maintenance Costs
  • Ability to Transport (if you decide to sell your house and move)

One strong point that we’d like to emphasize here is the lower “Maintenance Cost.” If you’re familiar with pool care, you understand the inherent cost of maintaining your pool chemistry levels. Every swimming pool has different chemical requirements due to the volume of water in your pool.

Swimming Pools with higher water volume require higher chemical dosages (makes sense). Above Ground Pools are excellent because they often range from as little as 7,000 gallons to 15,000 gallons depending on the size you choose.

These smaller bodies of water mean that you will be spending less money each year maintaining the chemistry level of your water. This is more money back in your pocket and a happier backyard experience. Everybody loves swimming pools that are easy to maintain!

We use a Dreamline Filter System for all of our Above Ground Pool installations. This equipment package utilizes a sand filter, 1.5 HP pump and a 110V outlet. This is perfect for any backyard that doesn't want to hire a licensed electrician to install a 220V electrical line (another cost saving measure that these pools offer).

We use a Dreamline Filter System for all of our Above Ground Pool installations. This equipment package utilizes a sand filter, 1.5 HP pump and a 110V outlet. This is perfect for any backyard that doesn’t want to hire a licensed electrician to install a 220V electrical line (another cost saving measure that these pools offer).

We are Your Pool Partners!

Speaking of swimming pool maintenance, if you every come across a problem in your time as a pool owner, please don’t hesitate to call us! We love answering customer questions and it’s one of our goals to become your Pool Partner for all of your backyard needs!

Kristie Cheatum first started this company with the purpose of helping home owners understand how to care for their pool and backyard better. We are a Do It Yourself (DIY) company at heart and we love when home owners are eager to learn about how to care for their backyard oasis!

That being said, we invite you to stop by our store front anytime you would like to ask a question, try a new product or even just spend time talking to Kristie! We are always eager to hear from our customers and online readers; we’d love to hear what you have to think and find ways that we can better service you!

Check Out Our Other Industry Articles!

It’s Liner Replacement Season!

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It’s Liner Replacement Season

Now that Spring is coming to a close, the weather is heating up and kids are returning home from school - it's officially Liner Replacement Season! Season is now in full swing and we are hard at working installing new above ground vinyl liners to get these pools open for summer.

Now that Spring is coming to a close, the weather is heating up and kids are returning home from school – it’s officially Liner Replacement Season! Season is now in full swing and we are hard at working installing new above ground vinyl liners to get these pools open for summer.

We’re Hard At Work

Just like hunting season, Vinyl Liners are now in open season and it’s replacing time! This is a common practice in the swimming pool industry. Every Summer we receive calls from home owners who have vinyl liners that are worn out and in need of replacement or repair. The causes for the damage can be wide ranging, but we’ve listed a few common causes below:

  • Rips, tears or holes due to objects, animals, toe nails or grass
  • Seam separation
  • Old liner track fails or no longer hold the liner
  • Chemical Issues that lead to etched, brittle or cracked liners

Regardless of the cause or need for the liner replacement, we are here to support all of our customers! At Illiana Backyard Fun, we work diligently to get your swimming pool open as quickly as possible because we understand that you have family returning home and we want to help!

If you’re worried about the extensiveness of your liner damage and would like some replacement information, just give us a call! We have been replacing these liner systems for years and have teams and products in place to swap out your liner easily and painlessly.

You can see our beloved owner, Christie, hard at work installing a brand new 18' Round Above Ground Liner. Because these pools come in standard sizes, we use liner replacement kits (typically on-hand or from our local distributor) to replace your liner. Just select your pattern from our list of material selections and you're on your way to brand new pool for Summer!

You can see our beloved owner, Kristie, hard at work installing a brand new 18′ Round Above Ground Liner. Because these pools come in standard sizes, we use liner replacement kits (typically on-hand or from our local distributor) to replace your liner. Just select your pattern from our list of material selections and you’re on your way to brand new pool for Summer!

The Importance of Liner Care

As you may be able to tell from the list of issues we highlighted above, Vinyl Liners are a very important aspect of your swimming pool that requires the proper care. These liner systems operate as a membrane that separates water (what we swim in) from the outside elements around your pool.

Depending on if you have an above ground pool or in-ground vinyl pool, your style of liner will vary slightly in style and construction but the main purpose is the same. It retains water and must stay strong and soft for comfort and flexibility.

Vinyl is a unique substance that allows for slight amounts of stretching and abuse over time. It’s the reason why Above Ground and In-Ground Vinyl Swimming Pools are so popular. They are fairly easy to maintain and generally forgiving. So what are the best ways to keep up with your liner to ensure good health and a long lifespan?

  • Proper Chemical Balancing
  • Regular Brushing (with a soft nylon brush)
  • Removing foreign objects from swimming pool when not in use, i.e.:
    • Branches
    • Leaves
    • Toys
    • Ladders
    • *Essentially any object that can puncture or tear the liner due to sharp edges or rough texture
  • Removing weeds from around and below the swimming pool
  • Checking for signs of rusting or corrosion along pool walls, risers or liner tracks

Some Examples of Liner Damage

Steps For Proper Vinyl Liner Management

As a precautionary measure when you come across questions about liner care, we invite you to contact us! We love educating our home owners; it’s truly one of our passions and reason why we love this job! Kristie Cheatum originally started this company out of her desire to help the customers in her local Iroquois County.

That being said, we’ve got lots of tips and tricks to make liner care easier and simpler for our customers. From regular chemical maintenance to brushing and object removal, liner care can be an easy and fun part of pool ownership.

Proper Chemical Balancing – Liner Care 101

EZ Pool is our favorite chemical of choice because of it’s application method and how simple it makes pool chemistry for home owners. It uses a proprietary blend of chemicals to create a easy to understand one-a-week treatment method. Based on the size of your pool (we can help you identify dosage levels) you can add your designated number of scoops to maintain the following chemical levels:

  • Algae Prevention
  • Oxidizer (for shocking)
  • PH Balance
  • Water Softener
  • Scale Inhibitor
  • CH Balance (Calcium Hardness)
  • TA Balance (Total Alkalinity)
  • Water Clarity

When we say this chemical is EZ to use, we mean it! By adding your defined number of scoops to your pool each week, you can maintain the chemistry levels that we listed above. Of course, if you have some specific issues that need a little bit more horse power, we’ve got some additional specialty chemicals in our retail store. Just stop by and let us know what you’d like answers on and we’ll provide you with all the information you’d like to know!

Selecting The Right Style Bead

Lastly, we’ll give you one last tidbit of information about our vinyl liners. For those who have little to no knowledge of these materials, we use what is know as a J-Hook or Beaded Liner. It’s essentially the same thing and it uses a liner track to hand the liner along the edge of your pool wall.

The liner track does a great job of securing your liner and holding it in place while you swim and enjoy time outdoors. This is a much more efficient method of securing your vinyl liner versus the old method of the overlap liner.

The overlap liners are going out of style and it’s not just because of looks. You can always identify this style of liner due to the ugly blue sections of liner handing over the side of the pool. The main reason that we don’t like to install overlapping liners is because they can get pinched or are difficult to remove if you have a raised deck. In the event of a liner swap, if you’ve got an overlapping liner with a raised deck, it’s likely that you will have to remove sections of deck to get to the liner.

Old liners in need of repair typically have the same appearance. They are easy to diagnose and it's typically a matter of time until the liner tears that you'll need a replacement. If you have a similar looking above ground liner, we invite you to give us a call! It's better to replace the liner and enjoy your summer than to deal with an old liner all summer long.

Old liners in need of repair typically have the same appearance. They are easy to diagnose and it’s typically a matter of time until the liner tears that you’ll need a replacement. If you have a similar looking above ground liner, we invite you to give us a call! It’s better to replace the liner and enjoy your summer than to deal with an old liner all summer long.

Trust Illiana Backyard Fun

We don’t like complicated installs and your wallet doesn’t either. It’s reasons like this that we invite you to contact for advice or schedule us for an install. We know what works and what doesn’t and we’re here to provide you with the very best in customer service and products for your home! It’s what makes us unique and passionate about what we do for our customers!

New – The Optimum Pool –

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State-of-the-Art Residential Pool

The Optimum pool is a pool that can be above the ground, semi in-ground, fully in-ground or built into a hillside!  It has 2″ thick composite pool wall with a R10 insulation value. It is 52″ tall and comes in round or oval sizes.

Optimum pools feature a highly durable composite pool wall that acts as a thermal barrier. The inner and outer walls are made from high-grade 5052 aluminum alloy.  This alloy is recommended for applications that require strength and resistance to corrosion.  The middle of the composite panel is constructed from 2″ thick EPS foam with an insulating value of R10.  This material does not absorb moisture and insulates the pool, helping to keep the water warmer longer, extending your pool season.  The panels are made with insect resistant Bug-Out EPS foam to prevent nesting of annoying pest.  A 5 year 100% guarantee and a fully transferable warranty is offered with this beautifully and simplistically designed pool.

The Optimum pools are designed to provide many years of backyard enjoyment and family fun.  Create the backyard oasis of your dreams with this versatile pool.  Be inspired by the endless possibilities this incredible pool offers.

Experience and Trusted.  The Optimum pool has long term benefits that you’re sure to appreciate.  Both its technical and aesthetic qualities are sure to keep you in the swim year after year. Stop in at Illiana Backyard Fun to see how easily you can have this in your backyard.