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Q.
What is the difference between the different kinds of pools?
A.
There are primarily three types of swimming pools on the
market. Available are vinyl pools (both inground and above
ground), fiberglass pools, and concrete pools. The common
thread in all three is that they hold a body of water. Vinyl
pools are basically a large vinyl bag hung into a hole dug in
the yard. They have no structural strength and use the
surrounding ground to hold the weight of the water. They can
easily be pierced or torn by a sharp object such as a dog
claw. It is common practice for the sales representative to
tell a consumer that the cost of upkeep will be considerably
less in a vinyl than a concrete pool. It is quite obvious that
this is not true. The chemical treatment of any pool is to
treat the water, not the pool. So if you have 15,000 gallons
of water to treat it makes no difference what kind of
container it is in.
Fiberglass pools are a one-piece molding that also uses
the surrounding ground for strength and support. They are not
made the same way that the fiberglass hull of a boat is
constructed. A boat hull has a lamination process similar to
the construction of a piece of plywood. The laminating is the
secret to the structural strength. There is no lamination in
the making of a fiberglass pool. The only similarity is the
raw materials; glass fiber and resin (the glue). Keep in mind,
plywood and particleboard are both made of wood and glue. Most
fiberglass pools come with a lifetime warranty. If the shell
cracks it is replaced. I have not seen any fiberglass guarantee that will pay for the removal
& reinstallation. Many thousands of dollars.
Concrete pools encompass the "Gunite" pools and the
"Shotcrete" pools. Neither Gunite nor Shotcrete are a
material. They are names of a pneumatic application process of
concrete. These pools have immense structural strength. The
concrete is sprayed onto a steel rebar structure and has a
monolithic bond beam. They do not need the surrounding dirt
for support. This type of concrete pool is specified for all
commercial applications. YMCA's, hotels, universities, swim
clubs etc use this construction type. Pool by Design gives a
lifetime, transferable warranty on the concrete structure of
every swimming pool they build. It is the opinion of the
author that a vinyl or fiberglass pool has the architectural
equivalency of a mobile home. So the question to ask yourself
is," Do I want a mobile home in my back yard?" |