By Mike Kern | MGK Pools Inc | 30+ Years Experience | CPO Certified | MA Contractor License #191300 I am your DIY inground above ground pool specialist. I’ve been installing pools for over 30 years, and over the last 10 years I’ve carved out a niche doing exactly this. Here’s what most pool companies […]
After 30 years and over 1,000 installations, here are the best above ground pools you can buy in 2026 — rated by wall construction, longevity, and real-world performance, not Amazon reviews. I’m Mike Kern, a Certified Pool Operator and licensed MA contractor (#191300, zero complaints). I’ve installed, repaired, and torn down more above ground pools […]
You wanted an inground pool. You got some quotes. The numbers started at $65,000 and climbed from there. Maybe they hit $80K. Maybe $100K. Your jaw hit the floor, and you started Googling alternatives. How do I know? That’s what I hear from about 80% of my semi-inground customers that find me. They wanted inground, […]
Clean your pool filter when the pressure gauge reads 7-10 PSI above your normal clean pressure — not on a calendar schedule. Understanding how and when to clean your pool filter, along with proper filter maintenance literally separates those who are frequently frustrated with their pool, and those who say pool maintenance is easy. I’ll […]
My Grandmother Threatened to Blow Up Her Pool Every Year True story. Every spring, it took her three to four weeks to get that pool clear. She’d dump in clarifier, shock it to death, run the filter around the clock – nothing worked. She was ready to dynamite the thing. What I know now, after […]
I need to tell you something that most pool dealers won’t. The above ground pool industry has a dirty secret: most pools are designed to fail. Not in a dramatic, wall-bursts-and-floods-your-yard way (although I’ve seen that too). They fail slowly. A little rust here. A cracked top rail there. A liner that gives up after […]
Fiberglass inground swimming pools cost about 30k less than gunite (cement) pools, and about 5-15k more than a vinyl inground pool. The best is definitely gunite if you have the budget, then fiberglass, then vinyl. Why do I say this? I say it because I don’t have an agenda. I sell them all, and I […]
If you’ve been told your sloped yard “isn’t ideal for a pool,” I need you to hear something from a guy who’s been installing pools for 30+ years: A sloped yard isn’t a problem. It’s an opportunity. I’ve installed pools on flat suburban lots, gentle grades, and hills steep enough to make a mountain goat […]
Every article on the internet is going to tell you to shock your pool and run the filter for days. Some of them will have you backwashing your filter four times a day for a week straight. And sure, that works eventually. But after 30 years of cleaning green pools for a living, I can […]
I’m going to do something that drives other pool dealers crazy. Because I don’t price by zip code! I’m going to tell you exactly what a semi-inground pool costs. Not a range. Not “call for pricing.” Not “$7,000 to $25,000 depending on factors.” Actual numbers, from actual pools I’ve sold and installed. Every cost article […]