Fiberglass vs Concrete vs Vinyl Liner | Pool Videos | Pool Design Guides
Of the hundreds of questions we are asked on a daily basis, the most common is probably this:
"What are the differences between concrete and fiberglass pools?"
It's a great question and there are many differences, but there's one in particular that fiberglass pool owners love to talk about: fiberglass pools are extremely low maintenance.
You'll find this to be the consistent testimonial of virtually all fiberglass pool owners, whether you call some of our customers, talk to friends, or research on the internet. The difficulty for us as a fiberglass pool dealer has always been helping the person in the market for a pool quantify exactly how much this single aspect of pool ownership will impact their life.
In conversations with potential buyers, many times there's a general feeling of "yes, I know fiberglass pools are low maintenance, but...."
This "but" means we didn't do our job!
This "but" means they don't fully understand that this is the difference, as our sales manager Dan Dunn likes to say, "between cursing your pool and blessing it!" In short, it's our job to help them (and you) "get it."
This is why I felt sharing the above video would be a great idea. For me, a guy who's been in the pool industry for over 20 years, it was even an eye opener.
What's Inside
This video demonstrates the process involved in acid washing a concrete or gunite pool, which is a routine maintenance that's required every 3–5 years. As you may have guessed, fiberglass pools do not require acid washing.
I feel safe in saying that if you are considering a concrete pool, this video will not be a waste of your time. In fact, it could literally save you countless hours of time...if you get my drift. I don't want to give away too much, but let's just say that the process is so extensive and caustic that a World War II gas mask is involved!
As you watch the video, consider why this radical routine maintenance is required in the first place...because the surface of concrete pools are extremely rough and porous, thereby harboring the growth of every pool owners worst enemy...algae.
Fiberglass pools have a non-porous surface which prohibits algae from embedding. This results in less chemical use, less time and money invested, and as thousands of happy folks will testify, more enjoyment of your pool. In contrast to concrete pools, the surface of a fiberglass pool requires no routine maintenance. This means that you'll likely spend more time watching this video than you would maintaining the shell of a fiberglass pool over the next decade!
Hope you like the video! And special thanks to David Van Brunt (the guy in the video) for sharing his knowledge.
As always, feel free to share questions and comments below.
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