Get matched with top pool table assembly pros in Douglas, WY

You should wait at least six hours after adding baking soda before swimming in your pool. Even better, wait at least 24 hours to ensure it’s fully mixed in and dissolved. While it’s likely not harmful, if you get in the pool too early, the baking soda may irritate your skin or eyes if you’re sensitive to it.

You cannot DIY a gunite pool—unless, of course, you’re a homeowner who happens to also be a professional pool installer. And even pros need to have experience with gunite pools, in particular, before installing one. Only a skilled gunite pool technician can install this type of pool—it’s not a project you can do yourself.

No, shock and chlorine are not the same thing, though they are related and both are used for pool maintenance. Regular chlorine, often in the form of tablets, is a sanitizer used for routine, day-to-day maintenance to keep a steady chlorine level. Pool shock, however, is a highly concentrated dose of chlorine used periodically for a more intense cleaning. It rapidly raises chlorine levels to fix issues like cloudy water or algae growth and also eliminates chloramines, which are byproducts of regular chlorination. Because their purposes and concentrations differ, they are not interchangeable, and proper pool care typically requires using both.

Building a pool yourself will take at least eight to 12 weeks. After all, this is the building timeline after hiring a pool contractor who knows how to draw up plans, analyze your landscape, and apply for proper permits. If you choose to tackle any part of the process alone, assume building a pool will take two to three months at a minimum.