Today, we ask the age-old, or at least a couple of years old question – is installing a fiberglass pool a good idea? As you can probably guess – a simple yes or no answer isn’t necessarily an easy one to give. Fiberglass pools, in the past few years, have become arguably the most popular choice when it comes to swimming pools and one could say they’re taking over the market. But as we all know, the most popular thing isn’t always the best. But, how do we determine whether something is good or not? Well, we thought about it and determined it would be best to take a closer look at every individual aspect and see whether it’s good or not. Let’s take a look at what we found out.
1. Maintenance
Undoubtedly one of the best things about these pools is the nonporous, gel coat finish and a glossy surface that is incredibly easy to clean and requires minimal maintenance. Two of the most common problems concrete pool owners have to deal with are algae and cracks – which is a non-issue in this case. The nonporous and non-sticky surface of the fibreglass makes it virtually impossible for algae to latch onto it and spread through the pool like the menace it is.
Nothing really sticks to these walls – which makes it incredibly easy and simple to maintain. Any stains are easily removed, you don’t have to worry about cracks at all and since the material from which the pool is made of is entirely mineral-free – balancing the pH of the water is as easy as it gets. Sun damage and colour fading shouldn’t be an issue, as well. You may have to recoat the pool after 20 years, but that’s about it when it comes to major maintenance.
2. Installation
There is a lot to talk about as far as installation goes, but we’ll try and keep it as concise as possible. Regardless of where you want to pool to be installed – outdoors or indoors or how big do you want it to be – it’s all virtually the same. Installing a fibreglass pool is as easy as maintaining it. They usually come in one piece and some of them are really tiny. Those ones are ideal for indoor pools options or for small backyards with not a lot of free space. Even if you opt-out for something larger or if the pool cannot fit through the door in one piece, don’t worry, they are delivered in sections and put together on site. The installation process is usually done within two weeks, sometimes even less if it’s an above ground pool. Which brings us to our next point…
3. Customization
Even though they arrive pre-built, you have the option to customize them to fit your needs or taste. From various shapes and sizes, interior layouts, coating colour, accessories – you have the ability to customize virtually anything. Do you want to know how far customization has gone? According to www.smartselfcleaningpools.com.au, a company that produces self-cleaning pools, a lot of pool builders have started using advanced techniques when constructing pools. Nowadays, there are more options than ever and people have a bunch of twisted ideas that can be put to practice. The final result – fully-customized pool clients could have only dreamed of.
Aside from shape, size, colour and accessories – you can decide on the type as well. By type, we mean you can choose from a below ground, above ground or partially above ground type. The structural integrity of these pools makes them suitable for everything from yards to basements and balconies.
4. Durability
As we have previously mentioned – there aren’t many things that can harm these pools. If there’s anything they should be known for – it’s for their longevity. Most of them have 10 or 20-year warranties, which basically means they will last you a lifetime. Sometimes they last longer than the houses they’re part of and they definitely last longer (at least without any re-touches) than their concrete counterparts.
5. Budget-Friendly
Now, installing and maintaining a pool isn’t cheap. It’s a luxurious thing to own. However, after the costs of purchasing and installation, you’re pretty much in the clear when it comes to spending money on it. They are far easier to keep warm than the concrete ones, other than an occasional pH balancer you don’t have to buy any chemicals to keep water healthy and clean. Even the initial costs are lower than they would be if you went the other way and chose concrete.
Now, as you can see, these are clearly all great things. But, what about the not-so-good ones? Are there any?
6. Size And Shape Limits
As you probably know, fiberglass pools are made with molds, which ultimately means there are certain limitations when it comes to shape and size. Now, we’ve said that you can customize as much as you want and that’s true, but only according to the molds. Now, to be fair, most people don’t really go too complex with their pool shapes, most of them are pretty basic – rectangle and oval, with a couple of variations or combinations of the two. However, if you’d like a really large one then this might not be the move for you. You’re really limited size-wise which could very well be their only real flaw.
Installation?
Now, we’ve said it’s easy and quick to install and that is still true. However, there aren’t a lot of people that can actually do it properly. Most of the professionals are focused on concrete which means that finding a good installer could be difficult. Especially if you’d like an above-ground unit, as that requires additional support.
Gel Coating
That protective, durable gel coating, we’ve so generously praised earlier, can turn out to be a bit of an issue. Namely, it is said that if the water pH levels aren’t kept in check, the gel coating can be ruined in just a few years. Now, maintaining a proper water quality should be done for other reasons first and foremost, so, this could very well turn out to be a non-issue issue.
As you can see, the pros clearly outweigh the cons in this case. What does that mean? Well, as far as we’ve concerned, that means that purchasing and installing it is indeed a good idea. Now, you could have other preferences, which is fine, but that still doesn’t change the fact that there are to valid reasons to consider it a bad investment or a bad idea.
