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Imagine you are lazing away in the swimming pool of your home on a sunny weekend afternoon. The stress you had in your mind is evaporating like the bubbles on the water.
Suddenly you find the water leaking out of your swimming pool or start smelling something bad. You start feeling uncomfortable or get panicked. The stress hits you back with all the force ruining your weekend.
Then it becomes a long and strenuous journey of finding out what is wrong with your swimming pool. Once you find the reason for your swimming pool’s bad behavior, you go through another bout of stressful routine until the flaw is corrected.
Selecting a Right Type of Swimming Pool
Choosing a swimming pool that lasts long without becoming a reason for your stress is essential. There is no point in cribbing after constructing the swimming pool with cheap quality material and design flaws. Selecting the right type of swimming pool for your home depends on several factors.
Space, type of soil, weather, geography, etc. are some of the factors engineers consider while designing a swimming pool. They also suggest the type of swimming pool appropriate for the space you have chosen.
Types of Swimming Pools
If you consult an engineer or contractor for a swimming pool, he would mainly give three options. Concrete, vinyl, and fibreglass swimming pools are the three widely used swimming pools across the world.
Concrete Pools
Concrete pools are constructed using cement, bricks, and mortar. The cost of constructing a concrete pool starts from $10,000. These pools are designed to last long but need a lot of maintenance. They also require chemicals to clean the water periodically.
The dampness of concrete may facilitate the growth of bacteria and algae. A concrete pool takes more time and energy to heat the water. Even if it doesn’t get damaged due to all these factors, you will have to resurface it every 15 years.
Vinyl Pools
If you are tight on budget and do not want to spend more on the swimming pool, a vinyl pool is the best option. Durability is the main drawback of the vinyl pool.
They are also susceptible to damages due to accidents and mishaps. A vinyl pool may last long for 10 years and needs replacement after that. The cost of replacement is high and may exceed beyond $4000.
Fibreglass Pools
Fibregalss pools are the new concepts in the market. They negate the drawbacks of concrete and vinyl swimming pools and last long. They are easy to construct, highly durable, and high in strength.
The water inside the fibreglass pool remains insulated from the outer temperature. Due to this reason, they get heated quickly saving power and energy.
They also don’t require replacement or resurfacing like concrete and vinyl pools. The average durability of a fibreglass pool is 30 years so you can expect your swimming pool to last for life.
Considering the above factors, it is obvious that choosing a fibreglass swimming pool would be a better idea.
Fibreglass Swimming Pool
Fibre is made up of layers of polymer or generally called plastic. Three types of polymers are used in manufacturing fibre – polyester resin, epoxy, or vinyl ester.
While manufacturing fibreglass swimming pools, one of these polymers is places one after another in layers. These layers are treated with fire, chemical, and water-resistant materials.
These fibre layers are crack resistant and possess a small degree of flexibility. The flexibility of the fibreglass swimming pool helps it in withstanding extreme temperature and earth movements.
Hence, fibreglass swimming pools come with three main benefits – resistant to corrosion, resistant to heat, and resistant to water penetration and structural damage.
Factors Affecting Durability of A Fibreglass Swimming Pool
Nothing is permanent in this world. Fibreglass swimming pools also don’t last for eternity. Undoubtedly, they are much better than concrete and vinyl pools, the ability to stretch the age of a fibreglass swimming pool depends on a few factors.
These factors start showing their effect right from the time of manufacturing. Hence, it is very important to choose a fibreglass swimming pool manufactured by a trusted brand or company.
Below are the three factors that affect the longevity of a fibregalss pool.
Method of Manufacturing
Different brands or companies adopt different approaches to manufacture fibreglass pools. A manufacturer may choose to restrict the layers of the polymers to four and others may keep the layers up to seven. The more the layers stronger is the fibre.
The quality of the polymer used in producing fibreglass is also important. Following the strict industry norms while manufacturing fibreglass pools make them resistant to corrosion and leak.
Choose a fibreglass pool manufactured by a company, which gives the highest warranty. It assures that they are confident about their product.
Installation of The Pool
Fibreglass pools are easy to install but it doesn’t mean you should try your luck in installing it. Installing a fibreglass pool requires experience and skill.
Using the service of professionals in installing the fibregalss pool ensures the safety and no damage. It also avoids pool shifting and bulging of the wall, which may occur due to faulty installation.
Fibreglass pools are also strengthened with steel and concrete to provide support around edges. Look for a fibreglass pool company that includes professional installation support so that it couldn’t become a burden for you. Some brands or manufacturers provide a lifetime paving guarantee.
Maintenance of the Pool
Any swimming pool needs maintenance since it contains water. The water in the swimming pool is treated with chlorine to sanities it from foreign bodies. Keeping chlorinated water for long in a swimming pool without cleaning would make the water stale and unfit to use.
Changing the water at an appropriate time would increase the durability of the pool. Finding a Guide On How To Keep On Top Of Maintaining Your Pool Water, can make or break how long and how often you need to clean and maintain your pool. You should also keep the level of chemicals in the water as per the guidelines.
A high level of chemicals may damage the coating of the swimming pool. A fibreglass swimming pool requires a minimum amount of maintenance since it is non-porous, chemical resistant, and less prone to fire and other accidents.
If you maintain the fibreglass swimming pool with minimum care, it may last longer for more than 30 years.
