A swimming pool is a large investment and an even larger commitment. If you think about it having a swimming pool is like adding another member to your family. You have to buy things for it, you have to take care of it, you have to interact with it, and of course you have to give it water. If it had a personality of its own or a consciousness its relationship with you would be unconditional. No matter what you do your pool will be there doing the same thing it always does. It can act as a place of refuge from the stresses of the outside world. It can act as a place of entertainment for you, your loved ones, and your friends. It can be a tool of therapy for both emotional and physical ailments. It can act as a romantic setting to impress a date. It be a peaceful setting for late night drinks or evening dinners. There are many things that a swimming pool can be if you treat it with care and respect. You can literally become the envy of your neighbors by having a beautiful inground swimming pool. There are several different types of inground swimming pools available today. When you have made the decision to have a pool installed this one of the first obstacles you will have to over come. When deciding you will want to keep a few things in mind.
First you will have to look into your wallet and decide how much you are willing and able to spend on a pool. The most expensive type of pool available is the concrete pool. This is the type of pool that you will likely see movie stars having in their own backyards. I think that the price is partially due to prestige that people feel when they have one. It’s kind of like having designer clothes and high end luxury cars. A lot of the cost is wrapped up into the name. People buy these things because they want to feel important and powerful. Truthfully while concrete pools, designer clothes, and luxury cars are nice, there are other lines, brands, and styles that are just as good and not nearly as expensive. While a concrete pool might help to separate you from the rest of your neighbors, there are some drawbacks. They might seem trivial to some but to others they may be a deal breaker. First a concrete pool surface is the most abrasive surface of the types of pools. You might think no big deal but you must realize that if you have children running around the pool and jumping in and out of the pool everyday you will likely spend a good amount of time playing medic, and treating scraped knees and elbows. The other downside of this abrasive characteristic is that it provides a good place for algae and bacteria to settle and thrive. Another drawback is that being concrete if you should ever have a problem with the plumbing of the pool you will have to have the concrete busted up to get to the plumbing and then re-poured again. This type of repair could again result in a good amount of money leaving your wallet.
So now you might be thinking about those one piece fiberglass pools you have seen in southern states. I have installed a few of these in the past and my honest opinion is that these pools are not the best way to go. One thing that I don’t really like about them is that they only come in a few shapes and sizes. That being said I wouldn’t want the same pool that my neighbor could just as easily get. With the fact that there are only a few different options to choose from, there is not much that can be done to suit your specific wants or needs or to adjust for specific backyards. It is what it is, and no matter how they are advertised they are not very big. A major drawback its that this type of pool is not self supportive and if you ever need to drain the pool it could very easily collapse on itself. Another problem with draining a one piece fiber glass pool is that if there is water underneath the pool when you drain it, there could be the possibility that the force could shove the pool out of the ground. This is actually more common than I thought.
The best choice in my opinion is a vinyl liner inground pool. They are cheaper than a concrete pool and cheaper to repair if something should happen. In addition to that they can be made into virtually any shape or form to fit any backyard or personal taste. You can also change the look of them by simply replacing the liner with a new one of a different pattern. So if you get tired of looking at the same old pool year after year you will have the ability to drastically change the look of it by getting a new liner. Another huge benefit is that the surface of the vinyl liner is smooth not rough so it will save your little swimmers from scrapped knees and elbows while at the same time aid in the cleaning of your pool because there are no rough areas for algae and bacteria to attach to. With this type of pool you can achieve the same luxurious look of a concrete pool at a fraction of the cost. With today’s technology you can have a virtually maintenance free pool and coupling that technology with a vinyl liner in ground pool you will greatly improve the possibility of having a maintenance free pool.
A swimming pool is supposed to be something that is loved and enjoyed for a long time. Choosing the right type of swimming pool is the first step in loving it. If you choose the wrong type then you can be looking at something that causes you unnecessary stress rather than something that offers you a care free relaxing environment. For more information on the types of pools, the technology available for your pool, and many other topics related to swimming pools please check out my other blog posts. I currently have 44 different posts on all sorts of topics related to inground swimming pools and specifically vinyl liner inground pools so chances are if you are curious about something, I have you covered.
