Our home remodeling services directory can provide invaluable information when you're getting ready to start moving forward with your remodeling project. Click here to visit our Homeowner's Resource Guide containing verified architects, interior designers, landscapers, building contractors, and more.

Pool Primer

Gunite? Vinyl? Fiberglass? Aboveground?
Here are some basics to consider before installing a swimming pool.

By Cheryl Kain

Many pool companies guarantee that if they dig the hole in the fall you will be swimming in your new pool by Memorial Day.

On Cape Cod, where weather and temperature are a variable, those in the market for a pool should begin shopping well in advance of the hoped-for installation date. “We dig all winter long,” says Thom Kearns, president of Anchor Design & Pool Corp. in Dennisport. And a company may be backlogged with work, so if you wait until April or May to put in your order, you might have to wait in line.

No matter what kind of pool you are interested in, reputable pool installers urge you to educate yourself. Take the time to talk to various companies, get a feel for their work ethics and aesthetics, and ask for a copy of pool selection guidelines when you go.
In-ground swimming pools come in three basic types: gunite, vinyl and fiberglass. Expect to pay a minimum of $20,000 for an in-ground pool. Aboveground pools cost much less: between $3,000 and $4,000. Here is a look at the advantages and disadvantages of the four types of pool options:

Going Gunite
In business since 1982, Anchor Design & Pool Corp. offers both gunite and vinyl pools. “If you have the budget, get a gunite. It’s the army tank of pools,” says Kearns. The main disadvantage of gunite is that it’s costly and labor-intensive. Lots of materials, time and trucks mean higher maintenance and more money. The pool must first be “cured,” insuring the materials dry uniformly. Curing time alone takes approximately three weeks.

A blend of dried concrete and sand mixed with water, gunite is sprayed through a hose to create a customized and sturdy pool. While you can expect to re-plaster the inside of the pool after seven to 12 years, the overall structure should last a lifetime. Gunite lends itself to unique settings, seamless construction and creative design options. You can plan on investing upwards of $50,000 for your gunite pool.

You should plan on budgeting both time and money for pool maintenance, which will depend upon your pool’s size. A reasonable estimate is approximately $400 to $600 per year for chemicals. Alkalinity levels should be monitored daily. You must be especially vigilant about the alkalinity balance and wash down the pool’s sides frequently. Cracking or staining of gunite walls can be an issue; upkeep of gunite is considerably more expensive.

But gunite holds a distinct advantage when it comes to creative design options, as the Hyannis-based Viola Associates demonstrates. While the company also offers vinyl pools, Viola Associates specializes in custom gunite, featuring waterfalls, the “infinity” vanishing edge and natural hardscapes. Run by John Viola, the company primarily works with high-end builders, landscapers and designers. The company shoots its own gunite (most companies rely on outside laborers) and, in fact, executes much of its work in-house.
You can expect to pay more for Viola’s services, but not above industry standards for this kind of quality, says Kevin Boyar, director of business development. “Our reputation is excellence, from our customers and designers to our communication. We are also very proactive with [procuring] permits.”

Veering toward Vinyl
A vinyl pool is “more like a Corvette,” says Anchor’s Thom Kearns. More of a finely tuned pool, vinyl feels and looks smoother, requires no curing time and offers a fair amount of design flexibility. Kearns sells many more vinyl pools than gunite.

Vinyl pools consist of a liner supported by 14-gauge galvanized steel panels bolted together and staked into the ground, with rebar (steel reinforcing bar) all the way around the bottom of the pool. A concrete footing and sand provide additional support.

Vinyl is much easier to maintain than gunite. The chemical balance is easier, with no alkalinity or staining issues. Fading of the ink on the liner after a decade or more can be a disadvantage. But this can be controlled or eliminated if you are diligent about chemically balancing your water.

A vinyl pool is soft to the touch, and color choices are vast. Liners typically come with a 25-year warranty, and each year brings more variety of design. You can usually expect to pay between $15,000 and $30,000 for a vinyl pool.

Favoring Fiberglass
Fiberglass is the quickest and easiest to install of all in-ground options and priced midway between vinyl and gunite pools. You need only a crane operator and an excavator to install the pool, and it can be a mere three to five days from excavation to plumbing hook-up.
The only major disadvantage of fiberglass is the limitation on design. Because the pool is installed in one seamless piece, opportunities to create wild shapes and features are not as varied, although determined pool owners have crafted more elaborate fiberglass designs by piecing two pools together. This is not recommended, however. Fiberglass carries a small risk of spider cracks and bubbling in the veneer due to osmosis, but if you use a reputable pool company that can perfectly level the hole, these problems are often avoidable.

Potential disadvantages aside, fiberglass remains the pool of choice for many. Installation is quick, and there is no replastering to worry about or liners to replace. Fiberglass has been around since the 1950s and is 17 times stronger than concrete and “as smooth as your bathtub—it never gets rough,” says Jim Treese, owner of Cape Cod Aquatics in Harwich. Smooth does not mean slippery, though, as the bottoms of fiberglass pools are textured.

After dealing in gunite pools for many years, Treese switched to fiberglass, which he prefers. His customers are so satisfied, he says, they willingly let a potential buyer come to their home and see the pool. “It’s all about customer service in our company,” says Treese. “We keep our people happy.”

A fiberglass pool might save you money in the long run, as these pools are energy efficient. “The quicker turnover rate of water saves approximately 30 percent on chemicals, and you run your pump less often,” says Treese. “Another perk is that it is impervious to algae, since the fiberglass is not porous.”

Owners of fiberglass pools are not fighting the battle of minerals leaching into porous material, like concrete, which then has to be acid-washed in the event of an algae outbreak. According to Treese, second-time pool buyers on Cape Cod usually go with fiberglass. You can expect to pay around $30,000 for a fiberglass pool.

Asking for Aboveground
Chris Harwood, pool specialist for Bourne Bridge Pool and Spas and South Coast Pool & Spa of Lakeville, sells many vinyl pools, as well as the budget-friendly aboveground model. Aboveground pools are typically made for and purchased by families.

“Abovegrounds are more in tune with kids’ playing,” Harwood says. “ The walls are 52 inches high, and there is only 4 feet of water–much less chance for trouble.”

The maintenance of an aboveground pool is similar to gunite and vinyl; water needs to be chemically balanced, with the alkalinity, pH and calcium levels on target. Monthly chemicals run about $100 to $125. A certified pool chemical specialist, Harwood strongly recommends pool owners bring a sample of their pool water into the Water Test Lab at his (or another) pool store. Testing is free and a computer printout recommends exactly the right chemicals to add. Commonly used test strips are not always accurate, Harwood says.

One perk of buying an aboveground pool is quick and easy installation. Grass is removed; posts are laid on cement blocks for stability; galvanized steel walls with columns are put in place; the liner is inserted; rails and decking are installed; the pool filled with water. There is no worry about main drain safety since these pools don’t employ a main drain. You simply skim your pool frequently and vacuum the bottom a couple of times per season.

While design styles are limited–choose from round, oval or rectangle–you can get creative with decking. Some folks opt for aluminum decks to save money, but they can dent easily and tend to wobble when you walk on them. Sturdy wood or a composite are better choices. Since your aboveground investment will last up to 40 years or more, you want a deck that can support that kind of use.

The biggest seller of abovegrounds for Harwood is the Cozumel model, the “Lexus of the designs,” Harwood says. It’s an 18-foot round pool with a 40-year warranty. It costs $3,295, including installation. The Bimini model comes in at $3,195 and the St. Croix, $3095. The more you pay, the higher quality of the coated steel walls, the use of double primer and better galvanization of the steel.
While you obviously won’t get a deep end in your aboveground pool, the lower cost and child safety features can’t be beat. Harwood advises not to skimp on pool parts. It’s easy to save a few dollars on a lesser-quality part, but “if the deal sounds too good to be true,” he says, “it probably is.”

For a complete list of verified contractors, see our Verified Directory.