Concrete pools are sometimes
A fiberglass pool is made of prefabricated components, which are then delivered and installed on your property. While your fiberglass pool is being manufactured, your building team can concurrently begin breaking ground and getting ready for your pool to be delivered and installed. Installing a fiberglass pool can take as little as two to three days.
By contrast, a gunite pool needs to be done in stages, with your pool installation team digging and preparing the ground, then adding concrete to the space. It can take roughly 28 to 30 days for a gunite pool to cure before it can be filled and used. From end-to-end, the entire installation process for a gunite pool can take anywhere from three to six months.
When comparing a gunite pool vs a liner pool, a vinyl liner pool may take slightly longer to install than fiberglass. However, you’re looking at a timetable of roughly two to five weeks for a vinyl pool to be completed compared to the multi-month process required for proper installation of a gunite pool.
Concrete or gunite pools offer a range of customization options since their size and shape can be tailored to fit your design aesthetic, as well as conform to the size of your backyard. Due to their highly customizable nature and the labor involved, concrete pools are often the most expensive of pool types, starting at $50,000 and climbing higher depending on the degree of customization.
Some of the most common shapes, sizes, and custom add-ons for gunite pools include:
Concrete pools can last a long time, but can be more expensive than a fiberglass or vinyl liner pool to maintain.
Concrete cancer, also known as alkali-silica reaction (ASR), is a real risk with concrete pools.
When concrete is exposed to moisture, chemicals or other factors, it can develop a chemical reaction known as alkali-silica reaction (ASR), in which the concrete expands and cracks. This reaction starts in one place, then spreads across the entire concrete structure over time, breaking down the strength and integrity of the concrete.
Pools, which are filled with water and chemicals continuously, are especially susceptible to concrete cancer, which would require a complete replacement of your pool structure.
Since fiberglass and vinyl liner pools use no concrete in their structures, this expensive replacement is only needed for concrete pools.
A Concrete Pool needs to be done in stages, with your pool installation team digging and preparing the ground, then adding concrete to the space. It can take roughly 28 to 30 days for a gunite pool to cure before it can be filled and used. From end-to-end, the entire installation process for a gunite pool can take anywhere from three to six months.
Concrete pools require regular upkeep, including weekly scrubbings and sweepings to keep algae at bay due to its more porous surface. About every 10 years, Concrete Pools require resurfacing.
Fiberglass swimming pools are known for being virtually maintenance-free. That’s in part because of the durability mentioned above, but also because fiberglass offers a smooth, less porous surface. The smoother surface prevents algae growth, which is common with other pools that have more crevices (especially concrete). Customers with fiberglass pools report spending less time cleaning and maintaining their pools each week, in addition to lower long-term maintenance.
All vinyl liners eventually need to be replaced. But with fiberglass pools, there is no liner. This is a large expense that fiberglass pool owners are happy to never have to deal with. Concrete pools also need their own maintenance to keep them clean and well-maintained: it’s recommended to have concrete pools acid-washed and even resurfaced every few years. These are additional concerns that fiberglass pool owners don’t have to worry about.
A swimming pool, of any type, is a great investment that will continue to offer benefits to your family for years to come. But it’s important to remember that maintaining your pool is also crucial for protecting your investment, and that maintenance comes with additional costs over the long term. Fiberglass pools typically have a higher upfront cost than vinyl liner pools, for example. But when you consider the low maintenance and other benefits, fiberglass pools ultimately cost you less to own over the long term.
