Benefits of Vinyl Liner Pools
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Why would anyone want to get a vinyl liner swimming pool when you have other, presumably better options, like fiberglass pools and concrete or gunite pools? Well, there are actually a number of very compelling reasons why a home owner may want to consider a vinyl liner pool versus either of these other two options. Further, the look of vinyl liner pools has come a long way in recent times and a well appointed vinyl liner pool installation can be very prestigious and compelling...and not even really recognizable as a vinyl liner pool at all.
You essentially have three options for inground pools. Concrete pools include gunite, shotcrete, tile, cast, ICF and all other forms of concrete shell swimming pools. Then you have fiberglass pools which are one piece giant pool shells that you drop into a hole in the ground. Many people make the assumption that vinyl pools are inferior to these other two options but I would definitely disagree with that statement. There are more factors to consider than just which pool you think looks nicer. Your geographic location, winter climate, availability of skilled labor, ground water tables, soil conditions...all of these would need to be considered in order to choose the right pool. Or stated better - the right pool for your specific property. Let's break this down a little further:
Vinyl pools are the best for cold climate areas - It is simply a fact that any areas where you have freezing winter conditions would likely benefit from choosing a vinyl liner pool versus any other pool type. In cold climate areas vinyl liner (inground) pools tend to dominate the residential swimming pool market. Both concrete pools and fiberglass pools experience significant challenges when located in these cold climate areas. The pools age faster, wear interior surfaces down quickly and can crack from ground movement or freeze and thaw conditions. Vinyl liner pools on the other hand show no damage or wear from repeated freezing winter cycles and the unique nature of how a vinyl liner pool is built versus the other two options makes damage to the pool from movement of the ground much less of a concern. You can have concrete or fiberglass pools in cold areas however the liner pools will outperform and outlast these two options if exposed to freezing weather.
Vinyl liner pools are the least expensive inground pool option - Let's be realistic here and address that inground swimming pools are such a massive luxury (and expense) that most people will fail to save up enough budget to ever build their dream pool. If you make the decision to install an inground vinyl liner pool instead of a concrete or fiberglass pool then you can likely achieve a similar result to the other two options with about 60% of the budget of the others. Vinyl liner pools cost less to have installed than either concrete or fiberglass pools, and usually by quite a large margin. This is especially important when we are talking about the average inground pool installation costing upwards of $100,000 or more these days!
Vinyl liner pools look good - It used to be that a vinyl liner pool looked like a (cheap) above ground pool that someone buried in the ground. Modern vinyl pool installations are a whole different animal! Almost any feature that you can have on a fiberglass or concrete pool can now be achieved with a vinyl liner pool installation. This includes advanced features like an in-floor cleaning system for example. Or waterfalls, deck jets, automatic safety covers, cantilever stone coping...more and more you can not even discern it is a vinyl pool until very close inspection. If you think all vinyl liner pools look "cheap" then consider browsing the portfolio of some premiere vinyl liner pool installers and you might find yourself surprised.
Vinyl pools last a long time - The vinyl liner pool at my house was installed before I was born and has been in continual service since that time, almost 50 years now. To look at the pool you might think it is 10 years old or less. It has had a few liners installed over the years but the current liner is about 11 years old and has plenty of life left in it yet. No fading, wrinkles, scratches or other imperfections. Often liners last so long (if you take care of your pool well) that you will elect to change your liner just so you can have a change of scenery. A new liner print, pattern or color can change the entire look of your backyard area and this is something that vinyl pool owners consistently enjoy. So contrary to the idea that pool liners are cheap and will rip or tear easily, many last so long that pool owners choose to replace them for cosmetic reasons.
The right pool for you will depend on a lot of variables but I think you would be making a mistake to entirely discount a vinyl liner pool installation just because you think liner pools are inferior. This stigma might make you overpay for a concrete or fiberglass pool when you might have been entirely happy with a vinyl liner pool (plus a bunch of cash back into your pocket). Liner pools have come a long way and deserve a second look if you are considering to have a new pool installed.
If you are having or considering to have a new swimming pool installed, vinyl liner or otherwise, you might want to consider signing up for the new pool installation consulting package that I offer through this website. I can help you navigate the difficult and confusing process of designing your pool systems, choosing the right equipment, hiring the right builder (or even building the pool yourself). Why fly blind when you can have access to an objective opinion from a swimming pool specialist who is on your side to help make sure you get the right pool and right equipment for your pool!
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Swimming Pool Steve is an award winning, second generation swimming pool specialist from Ontario Canada and one of the most trusted voices in the swimming pool industry. With over 20,000,000 views on the Swimming Pool Steve YouTube Channel, winner of the Pleatco Pool & Spa Industry Leadership award and author of hundreds of pool and spa articles both online and in print. Steve is committed to helping pool and spa owners as well as pool and spa industry workers learn more about the technical side of building, renovating, repairing and maintaining all types of swimming pools and spas. Follow Swimming Pool Steve on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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