Fiberglass Inground Pools – Advantages and Disadvantages

On June 17th, 2011 by admin | No Comments | Posted in Fiberglass Inground Pools


For comprehensive information on how to buy an inground pool, I recommend the site below:

How to Buy a Swimming Pool the Right Way

Inground fiberglass pools have various advantages over pools made of other materials like concrete or gunite. They also have a good number of advantages over free standing, above the ground and portable pools. However, just like any other material, they have their disadvantages too. Let us first begin by looking at their advantages.

Inground fiberglass pools are durable. Durability means that you don’t have to spend too much time and money on repairs and renovations. This is quite an advantage, especially if your pool is used for commercial purposes, as for any single day the pool is closed for repairs, you lose money and clients.

Fiberglass inground pools require relatively little maintenance. For starters, you don’t need to mix acids and bases together like you would with pools made of other materials. This simply means you spend less time and manpower (i.e. money) in maintaining and cleaning your pool. The easier it is to clean the less likely you are to visit the hospital for any water related diseases you may contract.

Fiberglass inground pools have a smooth non-abrasive finish. With such a finish, you are spared from bruises, scrapes and cuts that come with most of other pool materials. Such a pool is much safer not only for your delicate skin but also for your kids. The smooth finish also makes it less conducive for algae growth so you don’t have to spend too much money on detergents and other cleaning elements.

Unlike concrete pools, fiberglass inground pools don’t require frequent maintenance sich as repainting and re-plastering. Neither does it require frequent liner replacement like vinyl liner pools do. In fact, installing it as well as maintaining it is quite cheap compared to pools made of other materials.

It’s a known fact that inground fiberglass pools are several times stronger compared to concrete pools. They are flexible and can withstand soil expansion and contraction without experiencing much damage. This is unlike concrete, which cracks easily on expansion and contraction. This property makes inground fiberglass pools ideal for both warm and cold regions. Inground fiberglass pools are good for sports pools, lap pools, patio pools, or even spas.

Most things come with both advantages as well as disadvantages, and fiberglass inground pools are no exception either. One of the major disadvantages of inground fiberglass pools is that they come in a very limited range of colors. This is because when exposed to sunlight they fade over time. Some colors have been found to fade more than others hence the manufacturers rarely produce pools in those colors. They concentrate on producing in those colors that don’t fade too much.

You cannot change the shape of the fiber glass pools – you have to stick to the shapes the manufacturers produce. There may be a variety of shapes and sizes from the manufacturers but for those who prefer their own custom shapes, this may put them off. This is unlike other materials like concrete, vinyl lined pools or gunites where you choose the shape you want for your pool. With these, you can actually use drawing softwares to come up with the shape you want for your swimming pool.

Emptying fiberglass inground pools can also be a problem. This is because if you empty in an inappropriate manner, it can cause the pool to buckle or crack. The pools are supposed to be full of water at all time to maintain the pressure.