Steel vs Resin Top Rails/Verticals

Lots of threads here:

nitro230 said:

Hi, I am about to purchase a smallish 18’ diameter above ground pool and narrowed it down to two choices from my local pool store.

One is the Embassy Sterling model and the other is the Embassy Summer Nights model. Both have steel walls and it seems like the only difference is that the Summer Nights model has a resin top rail and verticals while the Sterling model is all steel.

The Summer Nights model is $500 more than the Sterling model so just curious if you have any strong opinions one way or the other about the resin rail/verticals to help me decide if it’s worth that extra $500.

I am in Long Island, NY if that makes a difference.

Thanks!

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I replaced my pool last year (27' ABG). I looked at all sorts of options: all metal, metal wall with resin legs and rails, and 100% resin pools.

After much deliberation, pricing, and searching I went with metal walls with resin legs, top and bottom rails, and caps.

To me, the price difference was worth it. But the price difference to go up to a 100% full resin pool was not.

My old pool had some rust. The walls had some very tiny spots. It turns out they were surface on the exterior only, from rock dings and things like that. There was also rust from were the return fitting used to leak (and I have seen pools fail from this). This pool came with the house, and I used it for 10 years after I bought it, and the previous owner was not the best at maintaining things. It was also out of level. Not horrible, but 1/2" or so. Enough to be noticeable and drive me nuts. However the real kicker was the top rails started to rust, and once they started they did not stop. I took them off one by one, stripped the rust off, primed them, repainted, and re-installed them. Only to see them rust again.

So all of that impacted my decision to go with part resin. I don't plan on being in this house for an other 20 years (maybe an other 15, maybe, maybe not). If I was in my 20s or 30s and my kids were young, and I was looking at 25+ years in this house, I might have just gone with 100% resin.