Midwest US New Pool Construction

[dchamb]

Hi,

I am new to this forum and new to inground pool construction. I've done quite a bit of research so far, finding many types of construction methods and materials, and many opinions on each. I am down to two proposals and would like to get some advice from others on this forum.

First of all the construction will be in the St. Louis Missouri area, where the winter freezing and thawing occurs often. Second, the pool will be a free-form shaped pool, almost peanut shaped, 34' long, 16' on the narrowest, and 18' on the widest. In both proposals a Kool Deck will be poured, and includes an inground spa. Here are the proposals:

#1 : All concrete construction (not gunite, but poured). Walls to be 10" thick, 8' tall, rebar throughout. Wood forms to be used. All Hayward system.
#2 : Hybrid construction, concrete floor with fiberglass walls. Includes a bench. Floor and bench will have white marcite plaster finish. All Pentair system.

Considering the type of construction given location and weather, which proposal would yield the best chances for overall satisfaction and reduced maintenance over the years.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

Dale

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

Hybrid construction works great for quite a while, but tends to have more maintenance problems in later years. It isn't that big a deal, just that the maintenance issues with concrete/plaster and the maintenance issues with fiberglass are different, so there are more total different kinds of things that can come up, so more to know and deal with. This style was popular once, but you don't see them very often any more.

The most important thing is the reputation and references you get from the builders. A good builder can make any kind of pool work great and a bad builder can ruin even the simplest pool.