New Build -NY

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Bot

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Feb 8, 2024
1
Long Island
We are considering tow options for a new inground pool, our first ever pool
Both freeforms, vinyl liner, 20x40
Option 1- Steel wall construction, fiberglass steps, includes all - hayward equipment, swg, electrical. 20mil liner, and masonry sand for bottom.
Option 2 - concrete walls and steps, pentaire equipment, comes with 27mil liner and vermiticule bottom. doesnot include electrical or swg.
We are on Long Island, two dogs that may or may not go into pool.
option1 guy says conctere might crack , 20mil and masonry sand is fine for this area because of temp changes.
option 2 guy says concrete is better because steel will rust and 27 mil is needed because of the dogs and vermiticule is better because less foot imprints.
Option1 is pretty much all inclusive, option2 would end up 5k more because of the electrical and swg. We are leaning towards option1 because of the cost but I wanted to see how anyone else would approach this, would steel wall rust as option2 guy is saying? is 20mil liner ok with dogs and sand bottom? thanks in advance
 
Hey Bot and Welcome !!!

So with my first pool, one guy was pouring concrete shells while the others were doing steel. Along with other things/details, I decided I wanted a forever shell and went with the concrete. But then we moved and some other dude has my forever shell now. 12 years later doing it again in my mid 40s, the 30 year steel pool was effectively a forever shell and I was 100% open to it, but most were now doing concrete and the smaller/newer companies doing steel weren't any savings so I went with concrete again.

My build thread is linked in my signature but you have to turn your phone sideways to see it if you're on mobile. I think you'll see the benefit of the concrete walls that's more or less a house foundation. Steel will rust given enough time, and depending on your age, you might not care right now like I didn't on pool 2. Lol. But it's a better choice for whoever eventually sells your house. You could lose much more in home value selling a house with a 25+ year steel wall pool.

I went with 27mil for the liner with dogs, but would have for the extra strength either way. I've felt a bunch and the thinner ones feel chintzy to me.

The SWG can (and 1000% should) go on either builders pool. You want a 60k unit on a 20x40. They are rated for 24/7 operation and a 30k/40k unit will need to run 24/7 to produce enough FC in the peak season with your pool north of 30k gallons. It's also considerably cheaper to upgrade than the lifespan gained. Going 40k to 60k costs about 20% more but gets 50% more lifespan from running the larger unit less.

Get us model #s of all the equipment because it's the backbone of the operation and those details are huge.

Sand is customary for the pool bottom here. They dug out rough sand to lay a few inches of finer sand. Lol.

Also, my electric quote was $5800 to use my own guy, so that aspect might make a huge difference. I reluctantly used the PBs electrician who did it for a $3500 upcharge because the budget was long destroyed already. My guy would have done more/better but what I got works so I can live with the decision.
 
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Think about the pool shape long and hard. Freeforms are definitely pretty to look at but a rectangular pool gives you the option of a automatic pool cover lending itself to longer pool seasons. The shoulder season is where you open early and close late, heat the pool and won't lose the heat to the sky. It'll keep the pool cleaner by not letting the spring and fall foliage hit the water.
 
Hey neighbor! I decided to go with steel walls for my project after getting quotes from several well-known builders in the area who specialize in both concrete and steel wall constructions. I'm really pleased with how everything turned out. Actually, two of my friends are using the same builder—one started a few weeks ago, and the other is starting next week. They're both opting for heat pumps and auto covers. Let me know if you want more details. Personally, I found that both concrete and steel walls have their pros and cons, but my builder was able to deliver exactly what I wanted, tailored to my preferences, and I managed to save about $8,000 in the process. I am in Nassau county, all my equipment is listed in my signature.

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