Excitingspas

All wooden cabinets require maintenance. Some are destine to failure from the start. The manufacturers of some spas cut costs of production by using pine cabinets. These cabinets are prone to quickly deteriorating when exposed to the elements. Fortunately this practice is nearly dead in the industry now, but there are still a few "cheap" cabinets out there so be careful.

Another place where costs are often cut is the framing underneath the cabinet. Look for glued and fastened (screws / staples) cabinetry, and look for pressure treated lumber of another water proof substance wherever the cabinet may be exposed to water or wick water up from the earth/foundation.

Cedar cabinets are very popular, and with routine maintenance can be kept looking quite nice.

Redwood cabinets are also very popular, and require less maintenance generally than cedar, but still need attention on a regular basis.

Mahogany cabinets are used by a rare few manufacturers that I know of, and with lots of attention are in my opinion some of the prettiest. But like the others, without attention can deteriorate to a point of "unsalvageability" rather quickly. As a rule they are more labor intensive when treating, when compared to redwood or cedar, due to their propensity toward fading and need of extensive sanding prior to stain application. Also I have found mahogany to be more prone to warping than redwood or cedar.

When treating cedar or redwood cabinets it is best to use an oil based semi-transparent stain, and if the wood has darkened to first use a "deck wash" to remove the tannins that have caused the darkness. A little light sanding is also a good idea prior to the application of the stain.

SPAR varnish is another alternative, I have used it on outdoor mahogany furniture now for a couple of years with very good results, but even with SPAR varnish annual maintenance has been necessary and sanding and staining happens every 2 to 3 years.

A little light sanding and re-coating annually is a good idea with the SPAR product. The one I am using is a Minwax brand.

Oak cabinets are out there, but be warned that they require a lot of maintenance to the top edge and any other surface that can have spa water slashed on it (which is most of it). Also note, this type of cabinet is very expensive $1000-$2000 extra average, and should only be used in an indoor application.

Acrylic both Marbled and "stone like" surfaces; Acrylic spas are for the most part backed by a fiberglass compound, and while bonding resins (the stuff that keeps the acrylic and fiberglass stuck together) have improved in recent years, acrylic spas backed by fiberglass, are prone to "delaminating" where the surface material and the fiberglass separate and cause unsightly bubbles. It is important when purchasing a tub like this to look at the "Surface Warranty" and not the structural shell warranty. These two are usually separated in the warranty coverage. It is also important to purchase a spa from a manufacturer that has been around a while. After a company goes out of business, in most places their warranty cannot be enforced. So a 100-year warranty that was issued by a company that is only around 6 months is not much use.

Solid faeces, blood and vomit :

1)All pool users in the immediate area should be asked to exit the pool.

2)As much solid material as possible should be immediately removed from the pool, with a fine mesh scoop. If necessary, the immediate area should be vacuumed and the waste directed to the sewer or other approved waste disposal system. Vacuum equipment and scoop should be cleaned and disinfected before reuse.

3)If the pool is a low volume pool, such as a paddling pool, consider closing and draining the pool.

4)Spa pools must be closed, drained and cleaned, as the faecal matter will have dispersed.

5)Once the solid matter has been removed, check that chlorine levels and water clarity are within regulatory limits. The affected area may be reopened, after allowing ten minutes contact time with the disinfectant.

6)Log the incident and the action taken.

The world of beauty, always a hotbed of intense competition and marketing innovation, is poised for another year of fresh global trends in spa beauty oriented products and treatments, according to SpaFinder Lifestyle Online Magazine's new report: "Top Ten Spa Beauty Trends to Watch in 2009."

The much-anticipated spa beauty trends forecast from SpaFinder Lifestyle's Editor-in-Chief, Melisse Gelula, showcases an eclectic mix of beauty concepts and products emerging from the spa world that will shape everything from the red carpet to the drug store aisle in the year ahead. Gelula's annual trends have become a go-to resource for beauty journalists and bloggers, having proven a remarkably prescient crystal ball for what's around the corner in spa beauty.

For 2009, Gelula forecasts a boom in facialist-branded skin care, multi-tasking beauty products, and niche nail polish formulators. New antioxidants and gem stone extracts will infuse products, while a heightened focus on diet's role in beauty will be the talk at the spa and beyond. On the spa-ritual front, hammams are red-hot, while blistering debates about the safety and effectiveness of sunscreens will to continue to be a source of controversy. Also look for suds-free shampoos, better definitions of "organic," and a big interest in science-based products, driving the beauty consumer's ongoing, two-faced fascination with both organics and injectables, reports Gelula.

Read a condensed list of the "2009 Top Ten Spa Beauty Trends" below, or the complete report online, at:

1. Multi-Tasking, Money-Saving, Products

The explosion of targeted skin-care products in recent years will give way to products that have two, three, or four beautifying uses, such as Joey New York's Quick CTSM2, an all-in-one cleanser, toner, scrub, and mask. Multi-taskers are good for both a drooping face and dropping dollar. Another result of the heightened rallying around value and affordability: more do-it-yourself and at-home spa-treatment-inspired products like facial kits, etc.

2. Brand-Name Facialists

Dermatologists Murad, Perricone, and Wexler are being joined by a new generation of facialist-branded skin-care treatments and products. Fifth Avenue's Tracie Martyn and Los Angeles's Kate Somerville are becoming franchise-facialists with treatments at spas besides their own, and the skin-care lines of facialists Eve Lom and Tammy Fender are some of the new group of 'faces' that will reach the retail big-time.

3. Gem Stoned

Move over gold, silver and platinum…spas worldwide, such as New York's Cornelia Day Resort and The Park Hyatt Dubai, are now boasting the benefits of beauty products infused with precious and semi-precious gems. Whether gem extracts are as beautifying as the real thing has yet to be scientifically determined, but more spas will swear by the subtle healing energies imparted by them.

4. The Skin-Care Diet

Food is the new skin care, reflecting a return to the inner-beauty mantra that a good diet begets good skin. Organic-derived ingredients, topical probiotics (the beneficial bacteria) in brands such as Bioelements and Nude, and a growing number of beauty supplement-like beverages are on the rise.

5. Antioxidant Free-for-All

All manner of teas, hearty alpine herbs like edelweiss, and rare fruit extracts will be joined by more and possibly increasingly obscure sources of skin benefiting antioxidants. For instance, next up, suggests a recent article in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology…burdock fruit.

6. Sunscreen Controversy

Are mineral sunscreen particles too small to be safe? Are chemical sunscreens bad for you? Do some antioxidants boost protection from UV rays? More questions are simmering about beauty's most serious and important skin-care product than the industry can answer, at least in 2009. Expect a summer of mixed messages and hot debate.

7. Suds-Free Shampoos

By popular demand, shampoos without the controversial ingredient sodium laurel sulfate (SLS) or traditional foaming agents are hitting the shelves. Brands from California's Sumbody to Paris's Leonor Greyl produce a soft lather or emulsification, making suds-free washing a far more sophisticated experience than previous incarnations.

8. Organic Panic

While beauty brands continue to scramble for a USDA Organics logo, strip parabens from their formulations, or swap their packaging for something more earth-friendly to meet consumer demand, others will use 2009 to better define exactly what shade of green they subscribe to, while touting transparency as their angle. Call it green beauty marketing 2.0.

9. Hammams Are Hot

This year's hottest beautifying bathing ritual is the hammam, a traditional Moorish-Mediterranean steam room, now found in brand-new spas from the Montage Beverly Hills to the InterContinental Montelucia in Arizona. Moroccan-sourced product ingredients such as argan oil, myrrh, and black soap are also building steam. After all, lounging at the hammam for hours, (which often involves less therapist-based costs), is a great way to stretch the spa dollar.

10. Hard Science Sells

There's nothing like proof that a product works to justify a cosmetic purchase or a higher-price point. That's why science-backed products will be flourishing even in tough economic times. Look for the drug company debuts of Botox-competitor Reloxin in 2009, an injectable; and the much anticipated eyelash lengthener Latisse, by Allergan; along with more growth hormones, skin-penetrating peptides, and nanotechnology in over-the-counter beauty products. The marriage between science and beauty will also continue to strengthen because of the use of biology textbook terms (like cellular, epidermal, dermal) invading skin care and its labels, reaching a whole new level of skin-care marketing.

For more news: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/01/prweb1855714.htm

Hot Tub: A barrel or other wooden vessel used to contain warm/hot water for the purpose of soaking. (Like the old Redwood style tubs)

Spa: A vessel containing warm water with jets and/or air injectors for the purpose of generating turbulence in the water and offering massage.

In the modern market there are only a very small few manufactures of "Hot Tubs", although several persons in the spa industry will refer to their "Spas" as "Hot Tubs". Trying to differentiate between the two terms is really just an exercise in semantics.

"Jacuzzi" is a brand name hot tub/spa, like "Kleenex" is a brand of facial tissue. Jacuzzi also makes a number of other things including jetted bath tubs showers and other Home Improvement features.

Jet: A nozzle that water comes out of.

Accessible routes are continuous, unobstructed paths connecting all accessible elements and spaces of a building or facility. Accessible route requirements in ADAAG address width (minimum of 36 inches), passing space, head room, surface, slope (maximum of 1:12 or 8.33%), changes in level, doors, egress, and areas of rescue assistance, unless modified by specific provisions outlined in this guide. An accessible route is required to provide access to the swimming areas and all the supporting amenities. An accessible route is not required to serve raised diving boards, platforms, or water slides.

Cryptosporidium parvum is a parasite excreted in the faeces of infected humans, cattle, and other mammals. The infectious form of the parasite (the "oocyst") is too small to be seen without a microscope. It is usually between 4-6 microns, and is highly resistant to the levels of chlorine normally found in swimming pools. Infection with Cryptosporidium, known as cryptosporidiosis, often causes a profuse and watery diarrhoea that is frequently accompanied by abdominal cramping. Fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting are other signs and symptoms of cryptosporidiosis, which begin an average of about 7 days after oocysts are swallowed (range 1 to 14 days). A person with a normal, healthy immune system can expect symptoms to last for 2 weeks or less. People with weakened immune systems (those with HIV/AIDS, on cancer chemotherapy, or those receiving organ transplants) will have cryptosporidiosis for a longer period of time, and it could become life-threatening.

The infection occurs after accidental swallowing of Cryptosporidium oocysts in contaminated pool water, by drinking contaminated tap water, eating or drinking contaminated food products or through direct contact with faeces (e.g., changing nappies of an infected child or contact with faeces of an infected animal). In the summer of 1998, Australian Health Departments detected several outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis at swimming pools where hundreds of people became ill after swallowing contaminated pool water. It is believed that these reported infections were only a small proportion of those that occurred and many were not reported. These types of outbreaks will be more frequently recognised in the future.