Patios, Driveways, Walkways, Outdoor Kitchens, and Hardscape Blog

Studies show that children who start swimming early in life achieve a wide range of skills earlier than the normal population

1 year 1 month ago

We have some great news to share! A study by the Griffith Institute for Educational Research in Australia found that young children who participate in early swimming achieve a wide range of skills earlier than the normal population. These skills include physical development, fine motor skills, confidence, language development and even improved math skills. The Griffith study states that the skills developed by being involved in swimming helped children be prepared for the transition to pre-school or grade school.

Your fiberglass pool will still look GREAT in 30 years

1 year 3 months ago

Leisure Pools (the manufacturer of all of our fiberglass pool models) is the only fiberglass pool manufacturer that has undergone such an intensive test as the Carbon Arc test. This does not surprise us at all as Leisure Pools has always gone above and beyond to build the best fiberglass pool. Each pool includes a lifetime non-transferable warranty because they are so certain about the quality of their pools.

Our fiberglass pools by Leisure Pools are up to 111% stronger than the average fiberglass pool

1 year 5 months ago

We've long discussed the many benefits to owning a fiberglass in-ground pool in Rhode Island. Fiberglass pools can easily withstand rough weather conditions, and are not susceptible to the wear and tear that linered pools are. Not to mention, they come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes sure to fit any yard perfectly. Now, let's compare the patented Composite Armour structure of a fiberglass pool manufactured by Leisure Pools (our exclusive fiberglass manufacturer) to the average fiberglass pool offered by competitors.

Add curb appeal and take pride in your home with a new driveway

1 year 6 months ago

Driveways by Elvio and Sons

A driveway by Elvio and Sons will increase the curb appeal of your home. Not sure where to start? Look no further than Elvio and Sons.

Our first goal is to select a product that will bring out the architectual/design features of your home. Personalize your driveway by adding a border. This will augment the edges of the driveway and really make the shape stand out.

Spring Paver Maintenance: Readying your patio for the season

1 year 6 months ago

Spring has officially arrived! It's time for spring cleaning. Your patio deserves a few minutes of your time! Patios installed by Elvio and Sons are constructed using products by Unilock, which are built to be relatively maintenance free. However, there are a few preventative maintenance steps that you can do each spring to maintain the beautiful appearance of your patio.

Paver Rugs and Accents

1 year 6 months ago

What is a paver rug? Elvio and Sons can take a portion, or your entire, of your paver patio (like the one imaged below) and build in a design inset that uses unique textures, bold colors and/or stone like appearances. Often times the paver rug area will be laid in a different pattern to help define the area and add visual interest. Go ahead, personalize your patio! Turn your outdoor living space into an outdoor room.

Paver Rugs

We'll be at the Rhode Island Home Show

1 year 6 months ago

Visit our booth at the Rhode Island Builders Association Home Show: March 30 - April 2, 2017

at the Rhode Island Convention Center

Elvio and Sons has long constructed a booth at the Rhode Island Convention Center during each year's Home Show. At the booth, we feature Unilock block/stone products that are perfect for your backyard patios, driveways, and walkways. In addition, we feature information on all of our in-ground gunite and fiberglass pool models.

How to Interpret Pool Chlorine Reading

2 years 1 month ago

Pool chlorine levels are easily measured by dipping a test strip in the pool for a few seconds and then matching the resulting color of the strip to a chart linked to “parts per million” chlorine levels. Here’s the rub: Some pool test kits measure “free chlorine,” whereas others measure both “free chlorine” and “total chlorine.” There is a difference between “free” and “total” chlorine.

The real, not always easy, questions you should be asking your Swimming Pool Contractor

2 years 4 months ago

Many of us have a hard enough time selecting where we should go for lunch – the process of selecting a contractor for your pool installation couldn’t be much easier, right? We work with homeowners all of the time that discuss their nightmare experiences with swimming pool contractors. The players change but the stories are always the same. Typical nightmare experiences include:

Five useful things to know before calling for an estimate

2 years 7 months ago

What should I ask? What should I know? What should I investigate? How do I get started?

A swimming pool purchase is a major decision for the family and of course we all want to make sure that we are as prepared as possible. For this reason, we wanted to take a moment and give you 5 things that every swimming pool shopper should know even before they receive a swimming pool builder into their home to give an estimate.