Why should I buy a fiberglass pool? What pool is better, fiberglass versus concrete (gunnite) versus vinyl liner pool? These are all question you ask yourself when considering a pool. We’re here to help you with some information. First off, congratulations! Installing a pool is a big deal and it’s something to be happy about. It’s also a big commitment and something that you shouldn’t take lightly. That’s probably why your here right now, doing the research that is deserved before spending $40,000 to $80,000 on a pool. That’s right, most pool builders don’t really want you to know the price up front, but we’re not here to dance around the obvious fact that pools are expensive. We’re here to help you make the best decision for you and that’s what we’re going to do. We’ve broken down the factors of choosing a pool into different areas and now we’ll break them down and talk about what the different types of pools have to offer.

Cost

There isn’t a big difference in initial costs of any of the pool types. You shouldn’t see more than a 5% difference in any of types. But, if you really want the raw data, vinyl pools have less of an initial costs than fiberglass or concrete with are about the same cost. Again, there isn’t a huge difference but there is a difference.

Look/Feel

Fiberglass pools have a clear advantage here. You can use the exact same materials for the edge and deck of any pool, so that’s not what we’re talking about. The materials and surface of the fiberglass pools will really bring out the clarity and colors of the water and make your pool look like a show quality sports car, or classic car if that’s your thing. When you compare that to the dull look that concrete or vinyl pools give off, your trying to compare that show car to a beat up ranch truck.

Maintenance and maintenance costs

Using the surface we just talked about, it’s a little easier to explain how maintaining the water quality of a fiberglass pool as well. The “smooth as glass” surface of fiberglass is MUCH more resistant to algae growth than either concrete or vinyl pool. Bacteria just simply doesn’t grow on non porous surfaces, like it does on the porous surfaces you find on concrete and vinyl pools. Fiberglass pools also act as an insulator which will decrease the costs associated with the temperature and filtering needs of your pool. These costs are the water loss, electrical costs, etc. Fiberglass pools also hold the advantage on surface maintenance as well. A typical concrete pool will need resurfacing after 8-10 years and that is a significant cost as well as the water needed to refill your pool after the resurfacing. If you add in the climate where we live and the temperature fluctuations we see, that time frame may even be cut down a couple of years. Vinyl pools definitely fit into the same types disadvantages as concrete. Fiberglass pools are designed to last 20+ years without a need for surface maintenance.

Shape/Size choices

There’s no secret here, concrete and vinyl pools have an advantage here. With the right builder, a concrete or vinyl pool can be built any size or any shape you want. Some of those will add significant build costs, but they still have more choices. Fiberglass pools have come a long way in the last 10 years and now offer many different shapes. But since they are shipped via highways, you are limited to how wide your fiberglass pool can be. Fiberglass pools now can be wider than in the past though, but it requires your pool to be shipped in two different halves and joining those halves on sight. Of course, this does add to the initial cost but at least it’s now an option.

Build time

The total project time is another area where fiberglass pools has a clear advantage. It will take anywhere from 2 to 4 months to build a concrete or vinyl pool from start of project to finish. A fiberglass pool can be as little as 2 weeks! We all know that once you write that check, you want your pool to be yours and fiberglass is definitely in a class by itself here.

These are just the major factors you must consider when looking at the different pool types. We at CPS obviously install fiberglass pools, but that’s because we see the clear advantage fiberglass pools have. We don’t want you to feel that our opinions are swayed, so please take the time to search the dozens of articles on the subject across the vast land of the internet. We feel confident that you will get the same information we’ve provided above. Then, we truly hope you’ll find your way to our showroom and we can spend the time needed to discuss your particular project. Thanks for taking the time to consider us in your research.