# Fiberglass vs. vinyl pool?



## anniemac (Feb 6, 2008)

I'm thinking of adding a small pool (14' x 28') in my small backyard for sunning and relaxation - during the short summer here in Indy.  A couple of friends have recommended that I go with a one piece fiberglass unit with automatic cover for easy maintenance and care.  I guess that I had vinyl or concrete in mind but am open to investigating fiberglass.  Any experience or advice?


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## Don (Feb 7, 2008)

Having had a vinyl pool in VA, it would be my last choice.


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## anniemac (Feb 7, 2008)

Hey Don - why is vinyl your last choice?


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## naudette (Feb 7, 2008)

I've had them all:  vinyl, fiberglass, concrete, gunnite, plaster, pebbletec and pebblesheen.

Vinyl can tear, break down and needs to be replaced every so many years.  Fiberglass is mostly maintenance free, it's like swimming in a big bathtub.  I would definitely choose fiberglass over vinyl.


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## camachinist (Feb 7, 2008)

Get some quotes. Vinyl and fiberglass are like different fruits, in many ways, including cost. Be sure to factor in year-round maintenance as you can't just cover up the pool and forget it.

I had an in-ground vinyl pool that I designed myself for about 16 years before my mom had her stroke and I no longer could take care of it. The liner needed replacing anyway. The structure is still there, complete with beautiful deck, awaiting a replacement liner and other parts. The liner never failed below the water surface, rather UV took its toll on the part near the clip track at the top. I imagine liners today are much better than those made in the late 80's.

Siting and designing a pool and deciding which type is appropriate and cost effective is a pretty complex task. I'd suggest spending some time researching and contacting a couple of competent contractors to get a feel for it. BTW, with a solar cover and/or solar heater, that pool can give long seasonal service, far past the brief summer.  I insulated my pool (1/2 foam) and used underground rated plywood for the walls and with a solar cover I could swim near year round here in Cali. December and January were the only two months where it got down below 65 degrees in the pool. I remember a 1/2" of ice on the pool in 1990 when it froze here real bad and it didn't damage anything.

I think fiberglass pools look more "professional", but one can do some pretty neat styles with vinyl now. And, if your water table is high, that fiberglass pool can pop right out or get damaged if you're not careful. Back when I built my pool, a fiberglass pool of the same size was about 6 times the cost, partially due to it requiring a contractor. Lastly, depending on local codes and construction methods, a vinyl pool may be considered "temporary", so no permit may be required nor value assessed for property taxes.

Just be sure to look at all the details before making a decision...

Pat


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## Cruiser Too (Feb 8, 2008)

njwhite said:


> I've had them all:  vinyl, fiberglass, concrete, gunnite, plaster, pebbletec and pebblesheen..... Vinyl can tear, break down and needs to be replaced every so many years.  Fiberglass is mostly maintenance free, it's like swimming in a big bathtub.  I would definitely choose fiberglass over vinyl.



I whole-heartedly agree !

I had a vinyl-liner pool too ! 
I had to replace it twice (not cheap) due to solar damage.

My Vinyl pool was sunken pool.
The hole in the ground was lined with sand.
The vinyl laid over it.
As the ground underneath the pool shifts or cracks... 
the sand shifts or "leaks" into the crack...
That area in the pool is then indented !

Finally got tired of it about the same time my neighbor decided to install a gunite pool.
The excavated soil from his yard filled the hole in mine.

A win-win situation !!!

Go with Fiberglass !!!


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## Don (Feb 8, 2008)

anniemac said:


> Hey Don - why is vinyl your last choice?


For all of the above stated reasons.  I know that this thread was concerned about in ground pools and mine was above ground, but the same problems still exist.  I imagine replacement time would probably be longer for an in ground than an above ground, but it would still need to be replaced.  My liner only lasted three years.  On top of that I had moles and whenever a tunnel went under the pool, I had a deep indentation.  It couldn't be fixed without draining and removing the liner.


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## timeos2 (Feb 8, 2008)

*Why so down on vinyl? Don't go the cheap root - buy a good quality*

I suppose the area has a lot to do with it.  We installed a vinyl liner pool in 1976 after looking at gunite, fiberglass & vinyl.  The gunite in our area - western NY - cold, hard freeze winters, was not a viable option. We looked at pools that were 5 years old and already needed major reconstruction and resurfacing. It just doesn't hold up. 

The fiberglass appeared to wear well but was limited in depth (no diving board - too shallow) and shape.  We wanted a unique look that gunite would have given  and that vinyl also offered. The cost for fiberglass was also higher than vinyl but less than gunite.

The type of structure used to support the vinyl seems to be the key. My uncle had a wooden (pressure treated) structure installed back in the 60's - we laughed about that for years and sure enough it failed in the 70's and had to be rebuilt. You could also get metal - rust worries - or even concrete (expensive).  We opted for Styrofoam.  I don't even know if the company is still in business but what they offered was Styrofoam walls coated with a hard plastic along with plastic support braces.  It could be shaped into almost anything - we opted for a "viola" shape with a wide shallow end and a more narrow deep end at 10' to allow for safe diving. As we all know a Styrofoam cup is supposed to last thousands of years so I figured the pool walls would too. 

The bottom of the pool was plaster over a sand base. When done it was flawlessly smooth. Then the vinyl liner went over the top & was imprinted with a tile design along the top so realistic that many thought it was a tile pool until they touched it.   We also used a fibergalss cartridge based filter system that is under the deck - only the pump is exposed at the pool house area. Everything behind the Styrofoam walls was set in poured concrete. As the construction crew said "this thing isn't going anywhere for centuries".   So far they were right. An unanticipated bonus was the shape has no corners so the pool is basically self cleaning from the action of the pump.  We don't have an automatic cleaner yet we only have to vacuum about every two weeks. 

It has served us well. It is over 30 years old now and the only maintenance all those years is replacement pumps (3), the filter cartridges (we get about two years out of each one) and one liner replacement in 1997. It took 4 hours to replace & the new one is thicker & looks even better than the original.  The walls and support have held up flawlessly - the plaster / sand bottom still looks as good as new when it was exposed to replace the liner.  

At least in our area I'd never have anything but a vinyl lined in ground pool. If they still make the Styrofoam based ones I'd use that again in a heartbeat.  My second choice would be fiberglass - my last concrete/gunite as maintenance on those are a nightmare with painting, cracks, mold/algae  in un-smooth areas - a harder more durable surface is far easier to maintain.


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