After having been heavily involved in the swimming pool industry for the past 10+ years, it has been interesting for me to watch the changes that have occurred in the industry, as well as the trends that seem to be taking shape daily, especially when it comes to preformed fiberglass swimming pools.
When you look back 50 years ago, the US was mainly a concrete pool market. Vinyl liners had yet to make their mark and fiberglass was certainly lagging behind. In fact, fiberglass really didn’t start experiencing huge growth in the US market until the last decade.
Despite the fact that fiberglass has been so prevalent in Australia for well over 20 years, there are still many American consumers that don’t understand its benefits:
- Extremely low maintenance, especially in conjunction with salt chlorine generators
- Exceptional longevity
- Ease of installation
- Cheaper than concrete over the course of their lifetime
- Incredible aesthetics with colored finishes, tile options, free form shapes, etc.
But due to their preformed nature (having been built in a factory and needing to be shipped to location), there are some inherent drawbacks to fiberglass:
- A width limitation of 16’
- A length limitation of about 44’
- A depth limitation of about 8-9’
But for those persons that are looking for a pool that fit these size parameters, the many benefits of fiberglass are incredibly attractive and appealing.
In fact, places that have always been concrete pool strongholds are now becoming huge growth areas for fiberglass—Texas, Florida, Maryland, and California—all are seeing gains, and this of course is a natural result of more consumer education on the web dispelling the fiberglass myths that are still prevalent today.
So, if you’re considering an inground pool for this summer, you may want to consider fiberglass as well.
Up Next:
Fiberglass Swimming Pools 101: Manufacturing, Cost, and More