You have many choices when it comes to your next in-ground pool, and each offers its own distinct advantages. Concrete pools are easily customized and exceptionally durable. Vinyl pools are available in irregular shapes and sizes, making them a swell addition to smaller backyards. Steel dunk pools similarly fit in odd spaces and take very little time to install.
The fiberglass pool is one of our all-time favorites here at Paradise Patio, Pool & Spa. It is created by lowering a prefabricated shell into an excavation. That’s because it offers so many benefits that they can only be properly detailed in a whole article!
Ease of Installation
Concrete pools can take up to six weeks to install. Vinyl pools may take as long as two months. But thanks to its lightweight shell, an entire fiberglass pool installation (including a patio) may take as few as two to four weeks. And because the largest part of a fiberglass pool is fabricated at a factory, temperamental weather can do very little to slow down an installation project.
We always seek to minimize the disturbance our work creates to the best of our abilities. But, our clients do appreciate that they can say goodbye to our installation crew that much sooner – not to mention start enjoying their pools!
Durability & Longevity
Fiberglass is not just lightweight. The glass fiber reinforced plastic is also highly resistant to wear and tear, which is why it is used to manufacture everything from helicopter rotor blades to pole vaulting poles. The supple yet strong material adds outstanding value to a swimming pool as well. A fiberglass pool may easily last for 40 years or even longer. During that time it will reliably shrug off damage from scratching, puncturing, and crushing. (Anyone with kids knows they can never predict what kinds of damage are in store for their property.) What’s more, flexible fiberglass withstands earthquakes and frost heaves like a champ.
Low Maintenance
Fiberglass pools need famously little maintenance. They do not require acid washing, painting, or replastering. All of these tasks are time-consuming if you do them yourself or costly if you hire a professional. They also are not prone to wrinkling or degradation like vinyl liners are, and do not possess cracks or pores which algae can easily colonize. A fiberglass surface’s inhospitality to algae is especially nice for aesthetic reasons, and also conveys real savings as you avoid having to purchase cleaning chemicals. Avoiding having to apply cleaning chemicals is always nice as well!
A fiberglass pool’s gelcoat is so hardy that it never needs resurfacing. Although many people do opt to resurface their fiberglass pools, they will find no reason to within the first 20 to 30 years of installation. Compare that to concrete pools which need resurfacing as often as every 10 years, or vinyl pools which need it as frequently as every five years!
Smooth Surface
A fiberglass pool’s gelcoat surface doesn’t just pay off in the form of reduced algae growth. You likely recall skinning your knees or toes on an abrasive pool surface at least once during your lifetime. But fiberglass lets you avoid reliving that pain. Even non-slip textured surfaces aren’t coarse enough to draw blood, however violently you might scrape the bottom of your foot against one!
Saltwater Compatible
Saltwater pools are a great alternative to traditional chlorinated ones. They don’t emit a chemical smell, are significantly gentler on the skin, eyes, and hair, and even cost less to maintain despite salt’s corrosiveness. Not all pool surfaces are compatible with a saltwater system, but the same qualities which make fiberglass low-maintenance and resilient to algae also make it an ideal choice for saltwater!
High Resale Value
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” as Rod Sterling once said. We acknowledge that not everyone will find fiberglass pools attractive, but their virtually endless range of style, surface finish, copying, and color options mean those people are few and far between.
You won’t be the only person to appreciate your new fiberglass pool’s aesthetic value. Whoever you might like to sell your home to in the future will appreciate a pool that perfectly complements the surrounding landscape and architecture. Any pool is a good investment in that regard. Real estate experts estimate that the average in-ground pool raises a home’s resale value by 5 to 8%!
Would you like to learn more about the virtues of fiberglass pools? If you live in the greater Sioux Falls area, please consider Paradise Patio, Pool & Spa your local ambassador to this long-lasting, low-maintenance, and above all fun pool system. Please contact us today, or stop by our store to shop for swimming pools, hot tubs, yard games, and table games in person!
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