Below is a detailed comparison of these three pool types, including the pros and cons of each. You can check out our guide to general pricing for the three pool types. Below, you'll also find the most comprehensive library of fiberglass pools vs.
Okay, let's dive in. First, let's look at the following comparison chart that outlines specific pros and cons for each type of pool on a scale from one to five green is good :.
Let's discuss this chart for a moment. As you can see, fiberglass swimming pools have some substantial advantages over vinyl and concrete, but there are some disadvantages as well. The surface of a fiberglass pool, called the gelcoat, is virtually non-porous. In contrast, the surface of a concrete pool is extremely rough and porous. These rough cavities and pores give algae a place to hide and call home, making pool ownership much more difficult.
Concrete pool builders teach their clients that weekly brushing of the entire pool surface is mandatory to keep algae at bay. In addition, chemical usage in concrete pools is much higher because of the need to penetrate the pool surface to kill algae. Concrete pools also require daily doses of muriatic acid to lower the pH of the water. This is because concrete is alkaline based and constantly increases the pH of pool water. Fiberglass pools, on the other hand, are inert and do not effect water chemistry in any way.
This means anyone who owns a fiberglass pool will spend more time in the pool and less time maintaining it. Because the fiberglass pool shell is manufactured off site, the installation of the shell typically occurs in about two days. Compare this with three to six months with a concrete pool, and we're talking about a huge difference in the duration of time your yard is in disarray Because fiberglass swimming pools have no liner, there's no need to concern yourself with puncturing the pool surface.
Vinyl liners are not cheap This can happen from dogs getting in the pool, tree branches, patio furniture blown into the pool, etc. Fiberglass pools are incredibly strong and durable , so there's no need to be concerned about damaging the pool during daily use.
Over the past 30 years, fiberglass inground pools have transformed from the typical white bathtub you'd find at a rental beach house, to the elegant swimming pool designs and aesthetic features that are now as much works of art as the pool. This is due to advancements in the industry such as beautiful colored finishes, ceramic tile, tanning ledges, water features, stunning pool lights, elevated spas, poolside walls, etc.
This is one of the many reasons why fiberglass pools have gained exponential market share over the past decade. Salt chlorinators have proven to be a low maintenance, high water quality option for pool owners.
However, if you have ever seen what de-icing salt does to the surface of a sidewalk, you can guess what it does to the surface of a concrete pool. In our opinion, this makes the combination of salt systems and concrete pools unfavorable. In-ground concrete pools provide the most design freedom. Given the space on site, they can be as wide and long as you want and any shape or depth. As well as this, there are more options when it comes to design features such as vanishing edges, beach entries, tanning ledges and so on.
In fact, a concrete pool can become a major design feature and part of the house, adding significant value. Concrete pools are expensive to maintain. In addition, the porous surface nature of concrete creates the perfect environment for algae growth, therefore more chemicals and filtration are required to keep the pool in good condition.
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Your pool professional should be able to go over all of your options, as well as show you 3D renderings of what your final design will look like in your space. Vinyl-lined pools have been popular in the industry for decades. Since vinyl is a lining, these pools require a material to give them structure. Although each serves its own purpose, the steel wall vinyl-lined option is the most popular.
Steel can be cut into any size or shape, making it highly customizable to fit in your precise space. On top of the creative freedom that steel offers, vinyl lining is available in many different colors and patterns. Concrete is one of the most popular materials for backyard pools.
Other names for this material are gunite or shotcrete, which are application methods. The difference between them is the technique for mixing and then applying the concrete to the pool. Of all three types of pools, concrete is the most durable and lasts longer than other materials. You can craft your pool in virtually any shape and size, as well as add finishes like colored plaster, quartz, and smooth glass beads.
Both the level of customization and the difficulty of installation contribute to this higher cost. You can cut back on the costs by choosing less expensive finishes or decreasing the size of the pool, but it can still take from weeks to months to build the pool. Fiberglass pools are one-piece, prefabricated pools.
You can order them with built-in seats, benches, and even spas. You do not want to be the only house on your street with a concrete pool, or vinyl liner pool, or fiberglass pool. Or even worse potentially, having a hybrid pool or low-hung liner pool that no local pool technicians are familiar with or will touch with a 10 foot telescopic pole!
There is definitively something to be said about conforming to mainstream standards when it comes to picking the right pool for your house. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule as well, such as with concrete pools. The pool must match the property value - Concrete pools are almost unanimously regarded are the highest quality swimming pool that money can buy. In this way you could always make an argument for choosing a concrete pool for any property. I mean, how could the "highest quality" anything be bad, right?
Adding a pool to your property, for the most part, does not increase the value of the property. It might increase the curb appeal, to the right buyer, but it also excludes your house from the majority of searches as most people do not want a pool.
Pools are a liability, and expensive, and a lot of work, and dangerous , and not every person is willing to buy a house that has one. So despite the fact that concrete pools are very high quality, they are not the best pool for every house. Along the same lines with a vinyl liner pool, while respectable and versatile as an entry level inground pool option, you would not want to be surrounded by houses with concrete or fiberglass pools and have the only vinyl liner pool on your block.
For the most part this would be viewed as a negative by potential buyers in the future, similar to how having low end furnishings in a home can make it feel cheap as compared to a house finished with higher end appliances, faucets, lighting etc. Finding out that your house is not going to sell for top dollar because you have the wrong type of pool for your neighborhood or property value, like in the above example, would certainly count as a surprise This introduces the question of what, precisely, you should be considering when choosing which type of pool to get?
Budget for your pool - As an experienced pool builder I can often determine which type of pool you should be getting simply based upon your budget and your list of features that you want the pool to have. Quite often people will come to the table with a long list of wants and then are surprised to find that the pool they want costs double the budget that they have.
Upgrades for pools are expensive, and many times changing from a concrete to a vinyl pool can bring the costs back down into a realm where you can afford them without having to give up all of the extras that you want. Still, I would prefer to see pool owners spend more on a quality pool installation with less bells and whistles versus a lesser pool that has more in the way of diving boards, slides, peripheral equipment, fancy lighting, upgrades to interior surfaces or decking, or any number of expensive, but optional, upgrades.
Longevity - The longevity of the pool, or service life, is a very important factor when considering what type of pool to buy. Concrete pools have the longest service life, assuming it is well built, followed by fiberglass and then vinyl liner pools as a tie, more or less, for second place. A concrete pool can still be in serviceable condition, and daily use, after as much as 50 or 75 years. With modern construction standards these numbers could push well beyond this Fiberglass and vinyl liner pools will last for a long time when serviced well.
At some point you will end up replacing every part of the vinyl liner pool such that no original components remain other than the hole that was dug in the backyard.
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