Fiberglass swimming pools at one point in time were frowned upon in the swimming pool industry. And frankly, much of the criticisms were merited. In the early stages, the biggest problems and issues with fiberglass swimming pools were:
- They looked like bathtubs in the ground.
- The materials (resins) utilized were faulty and led to osmotic blistering, cobalting (black spotting), etc.
- There was almost no customization.
- There were very few shapes and sizes available to consumers.
Well, I am here to testify just how much this paradigm has changed, especially in the last few years. For example, nearly 20 years ago when my company River Pools and Spas first embraced fiberglass swimming pool technology and decided to make it our focus, we had to spend most of our time educating consumers to help them understand that fiberglass pools were actually superior to gunite/plaster pools in terms of longevity and maintenance.
We also had to prove that these pools did not look cheap and could coincide nicely with any home, no matter the value. But in today's swimming pool market, fiberglass pools have become ‘en vogue', with pool owners of all types, demographics, locations, etc. embracing their benefits.
In fact, the majority of people that now call our company are looking ONLY at fiberglass swimming pools, and not even considering vinyl or concrete pools. Frankly, this growth has been absolutely astounding. But considering the power of the internet and the ease in which we are able to research and gather information, fiberglass swimming pool growth will only continue to skyrocket in the future as more and more informed consumers see their logical benefits versus vinyl and concrete pools.
Improvements
Bathtubs No More
The main reason fiberglass pools received the ‘bathtub' label in the past was three-fold.
- Fiberglass pools were only available in a white color.
- Most contractors did not cantilever or bull nose the concrete coping, and instead poured the concrete up to the lip of the fiberglass. (This is rather ugly and cheap-looking)
- Most of the early fiberglass pools had no tiling options, such as waterline tile and inlay tiles.
Now, with the color finish explosion in the fiberglass swimming pool industry, cantilevered concrete becoming the standard, and tiling available literally anywhere on a fiberglass pool; the ‘bathtub' statement has almost become extinct.
Better Resins
Without getting too technical here, one of the main reasons why fiberglass pools had blistering and cobalting issues in the past was due to the improper resins used in the fiberglass shell's construction. Now, just about all fiberglass swimming pool manufacturers are using vinyl ester resins as the main component of the pool's structure. These resins do not allow water to pass through and therefore combat such issues as blistering and cobalting.
Customization
Another area fiberglass pools have been enhanced so greatly is through one's ability to customize the pool project. For example, such items as kiddie pools, tanning ledges, hot tubs, water features, mosaic inlays, vanishing edges, etc, etc are all possible with a fiberglass swimming pool project. This also explains why more and more high-end customers who previously would have only chosen gunite pools are now deciding to go with a fiberglass swimming pool.
Shapes and Sizes
15 years ago, most fiberglass pool manufacturers didn't have more than 10-15 models to choose from. Now, quite a few manufacturers have more than 30 different models to choose from. This means that just about any swimming pool consumer will be able to find a pool that meets their needs.
Today's Market and What the Future Holds:
Because we have installed thousands of fiberglass swimming pools at River Pools and Spas, I've been able to see many trends within the fiberglass pool industry.
In the past, many vinyl liner and gunite pool builders spoke poorly of fiberglass and always seemed to spread falsehoods regarding its benefits so as to make a sale. A perfect example of this is Anthony Sylvan Pools.
Anthony Sylvan has always been one of the largest concrete pool builders in the world. And whenever I've competed with them head to head for a customer, they always seemed to mention falsehoods such as:
- Fiberglass pools pop up out of the ground all the time.
- You don't have a pool unless it's a concrete pool.
- Fiberglass Pools don't work in colder climates.
- Fiberglass Swimming Pools are not repairable.
Obviously, anyone that has a clue regarding fiberglass swimming pools knows these statements are grossly exaggerated if not outright bologna, but notwithstanding such claims can be heard even in today's information age.
What makes me laugh about Anthony Sylvan though, as well as many other builders, is that these same anti-fiberglass companies are now on-board the fiberglass swimming pool train. For example, Anthony Sylvan is now carrying Trilogy fiberglass pools, and my guess is that many salespersons have had to drastically change their approach to selling against fiberglass.
This being said, fiberglass swimming pools are only beginning to see their potential here in the United States.
While the popularity of vinyl pools and concrete pools have actually lessened over the past 10 years, fiberglass swimming pools have steadily increased. And with so many consumers looking for low maintenance, longevity, and aesthetics with their swimming pool, the fiberglass market looks to be the king of the swimming pool industry for years to come.
At River Pools, we manufacture world-class fiberglass pools for homeowners across North America. If you'd like to explore your fiberglass pool options, you can browse our pool models, try out our pool pricing calculator, or request custom pricing using the button below. Happy swimming!
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