Primer on various types of in ground pools

[Sebastian]

We are considering putting in an in ground pool, but to be frank, don't know that much about it. Would like some perspective about the different materials available, what the pro's/con's are, and respective costs (approximate differences) if available. Ie, how do fiberglass, vinyl, concrete, gunnite compare vs one another? We've spoken with a few retailers in the area and have obtained their perspective, but of course it's not an unbiased opinion...

Thanks in advance

[seb]

i got a vinyl pool from jd pools (french company) and there is no way to keep the lining clean what ever you do dont buy a vinyl pool and make sure you get a pool with the right filtrastion system and a atomatic ph system and a salt chlorinator so you can forget about all the alge problems

[tgr]

I have a home that is 40 years old. The pool has been here for 38. Only replastered once, change the pump and filter once. The key is to keep it up!! If you are not willing to spend say 2 hrs per week in season maintaning it then do not get one. Be willing to learn to do the basic things yourself, even change out the pump and filter.

[LauraLee]

You did not mention what area of the country you live in. I am in the upper north area and the local pool companies around here recommended going with a vinyl liner pool due to the yearly freeze/thaw cycles. They said the gunite/shotcrete pools develop lots of hairline cracks from the temp changes but they do put them in if that is what the customer wants. While I think gunite/plaster pools with real tiles are nicer looking, the vinyl liner has served us well and was quite a few thousand dollars cheaper to install. It has a concrete floor and heavy gauge steel walls under the liner. We are still on our original liner and this is our 14th swim season- no tears or repairs ever. I hate to replace a perfectly good liner but frankly there are so many prettier liners to choose from these days that I am hoping something goes wrong with it just so I have an excuse to pick a new design! The neighbors across the street have a totally concrete pool that they put in themselves 35 years ago and they have not had any problems with it. A friend has a fiberglass pool and she hates it- says it is very slippery on bottom and they had problems with bubbling and cracking in the finish right from the start. I think she picked the cheapest company and not the best company and has a lot of difficulty getting the company to stand behind the product. Get a couple of local respected pool companies to come out and give you some estimates, they can go over the pros and cons of each type of pool for your area too.