INGROUND SWIMMING POOLS: FIBERGLASS VS. GUNITE
by
John Durick
of john durick
(
23-Feb-2009
)
THE ADVANTAGES OF HAVING A FIBERGLASS POOL OVER A GUNITE POOL ARE MANY. FIRST OF ALL FIBERGLASS POOLS INSTALL IN DAYS NOT WEEKS THAT A CONCRETE POOL REQUIRES. YOU WILL SAVE AS MUCH AS HALF THE COSTS ON ELECTRIC AND CHEMICALS. YOU ONLY NEED TO RUN YOUR PUMP FOUR TO FIVE HOURS A DAY IN SUMMER AS COMPARED TO EIGHT TO TEN HOURS A DAY FOR A GUNITE POOL. THIS SAVES ON THE CHEMICALS ALSO. FIBERGLASS POOLS ARE SEVENTEEN STRONGER THAN CONCRETE AND WILL EXPAND AND CONTRACT WITH TEMPERATURE CHANGES, CONCRETE WILL CRACK FOR ALMOST ANY REASON. TRY TO GET A LIFETIME WARRANTY ON A CONRETE POOL. THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN. FIBERGLASS POOLS COME WITH A LIFETIME STRUCTURAL WARRANTY AGAINST CRACKING. GUNITE POOLS NEED TO BE REFINISHED EVERY EIGHT OR SO YEARS AT A COST OF $4,000-$5,000. YOU ALSO HAVE TO ACID WASH A GUNITE POOL EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS. YOU NEVER NEED TO REFINISH A FIBERGLASS POOL. FIBERGLASS IS SMOOTH AND EASY ON THE SKIN SO NO ABRASIONS. MAINTAINANCE ON A FIBERGLASS POOL IS ONE HOUR PER WEEK BECAUSE IT IS NON-POUROUS AND ALGAE DOES NOT ADHERE OR LEECH INTO THE SURFACE. YOU WILL SPEND ABOUT EIGHT HOURS MAINTAINANCE A WEEK ON A GUNITE POOL. THE CHOICE IS YOURS.