Fiberglass Pools

Any watertight vessel (in this case, your pool) will float, regardless of what it is made of provided the vessel is empty and there is water under it.

This same "principal of displacement" is what allows heavy concrete barges to float as easily as lightweight fiberglass boats. What overcomes displacement? The weight of the water! This is why boats that have sunk do not "pop" out of the water!

The reasons to drain a pool in the first place (resurfacing, acid washing to remove algae, or draining to correct a severe out-of-balance chemical situation), don't apply to fiberglass pools. So it is rare to ever need to completely drain a fiberglass pool. However, vinyl or gunite pools do require draining for this type of major maintenance or renovation. The truth is, that the majority of the pools that become dislodged (float or pop) are actually granite or vinyl liner pools.

Imagine throwing away a fiberglass boat. No Way! Quality boats don't ever wear out.

Provided it is moderately maintained, a quality fiberglass pool will last forever, looking very much like the day it was installed! Once nestled properly in the ground, they will remain beautiful and functional forever! They don't need to have their surfaces re-coated. Resin is permanent.

A fiberglass pool that has been installed with a cantilevered deck and perhaps optional waterline tile is impossible to distinguish from a brand new plaster pool. To tell the difference, one must reach in the water and touch the satin soft surface. The big difference, though, is that the fiberglass pool will keep its good looks, where a plaster pool will begin to look pitted, rusted, and blotchy after a few years!

The answer is truthfully yes and no. In many areas of the country, the purchase price of a fiberglass pool is about the same or slightly more than an equivalent gunite pool. Fiberglass is more expensive than a vinyl liner pool, and should be! The materials are more expensive, but fiberglass last forever!

The real fiberglass savings are seen each month in electrical and chemical costs. These expenses are higher in a vinyl or gunite pool and add up quickly.

In areas where fiberglass pools initially cost more, the difference is quickly made up after a few years of paying these bills.

Another expense to consider along with the purchase price, is the cost of resurface or reline those other types of pools. A fiberglass purchase is once and for all, typically wrapped up in the initial tax-deductible loan. This homeowner will never need to use a credit card or savings for a $2,900-$5,000 renovation!