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  • thanks for clearing up some of the old "wives tales" associated with Fiberglass and Vinyl liner Pool installation
    Here in Louisiana we mainly focus our attention on ShotCrete Application due to the fact that we have the crews here for that style installation and also have always been wary on installation of any other type than that due to the water table here... this discussion has motivated me to look into other types of install. Will there be less Cement in the Ground... We will see!!!!
  • I agree all three types of pools have their place and are excellent choices depending on local conditions and ALWAYS the caveat "proper installation". All pools also need proper care afterwards- you treat the water, not the surface of the pool, and always the water must be properly treated to maintain any pool surface vessel properly as well. There are pros and cons to every product we build or sell. My philosophy is to underpromise and then overdeliver, not the other way around. You always have a happy customer that way unless you just have a complete loon, which we all get from time to time!

    May I add that it is especially important to properly backfill a fibergalss pool. Some of the floating and shifting problems which might occur are due to this issue. But ANY pool of any type has to be installed correctly. My husband has built gunite pools for 39 years and does a lot of highly customized high end designs. He considers his pools sculptures with water and loves this end of the market. We are in a primarily gunite market here. A lot of what you choose to do depends on what skilled labor and equipment and materials you have available in your area and customer perception and demand, climate and ground conditions.
  • Great question I would say they are both a good fit for high water applications, fiberglass is a bit quicker and the hole does not have to be sculpted like shotcrete but fiberglass is lighter than concrete which could float somewhat easier than concrete. My answer is try both with a good installer and you decide you may want to offer whatever the buyer asks for. Good luck in 2009!!

    Michael Boyce said:
    I have a question in regarding Vinyl, Shotcrete and Fiberglass pools. Where I live and install pool, in Michigan, we run into a lot of water issues. The main issues is our water table is fairly high. I have heard concerns about fiberglass pool "pooping out" but have never seen or been a witness of that occurance. I also have heard of fiberglass pools settling. I am a vinyl liner pool builder (with one of my best friends a shotcrete builder) and out of all hoensty I would like to know any truths about fiberglass vs vinyl vs shotcrete in an area with water issues?
  • I have been installing fiberglass pools for 20 years and have installed over 2000 fiberglass pools without many problems, we are also located in a state that is very hard on in ground pools with freeze thaw cycles each year. Honestly any pool is only as good as the person installing it, pools are like homes the better the builder the nicer the home. There are some excellent pool contractors and there are even more bad ones. I sell all three types of pools and I now manufacture my own fiberglass pool because I want to provide my customers the best quality products possible. Any pool can pop out of the ground but not with a proper drain system and proper instruction for the homeowner. Good luck to all pool builders for 2009!!

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  • I have a question in regarding Vinyl, Shotcrete and Fiberglass pools. Where I live and install pool, in Michigan, we run into a lot of water issues. The main issues is our water table is fairly high. I have heard concerns about fiberglass pool "pooping out" but have never seen or been a witness of that occurance. I also have heard of fiberglass pools settling. I am a vinyl liner pool builder (with one of my best friends a shotcrete builder) and out of all hoensty I would like to know any truths about fiberglass vs vinyl vs shotcrete in an area with water issues?
  • ...and lets not forget about vinyl pools. Relatively inexpensive, easy to build AND (my favorite aspect) with minimal investment, you can completely change the look of the pool with a new liner.

    ...and yes, I'm bias.
    www.kaydenmfg.com
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