Hi - I am new to this forum. Trying to decide between fiberglass pool (16 x 33 ft) or vinyl liner pool ( 14 x 34 at narrow end to 18 x 34 at wide end). Would like to know from folks who have them the pros and cons of each. Is it true that the fiberglass pool is actually a lot smaller then the dimensions?
Fiberglass or Vinyl Liner?
- Thread starter Valley Girl
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,840
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Welcome to TFP! 
My FG pool is 16 x 40. You can see it in my signature. Good size. As for pros & cons, I'll say that with fiberglass you don't have to worry about tearing. There are many gelcoat colors, shell shapes/sizes, and other options are available. The only con I can think of is the potential for the gelcoat to fade a bit over time. Not all gelcoats do it, but some do for some reason.
Vinyl is very popular due to many available prints/patterns. Biggest con (IMO) is that they are susceptible to tearing. Vinyl also has a limited lifespan, perhaps of around 10 - 15 years or so depending on how well the chemistry was maintained.
There may be other pros & cons I'm missing. Others will reply I'm sure.
Also see -------------> Pool Care Basics
My FG pool is 16 x 40. You can see it in my signature. Good size. As for pros & cons, I'll say that with fiberglass you don't have to worry about tearing. There are many gelcoat colors, shell shapes/sizes, and other options are available. The only con I can think of is the potential for the gelcoat to fade a bit over time. Not all gelcoats do it, but some do for some reason.Vinyl is very popular due to many available prints/patterns. Biggest con (IMO) is that they are susceptible to tearing. Vinyl also has a limited lifespan, perhaps of around 10 - 15 years or so depending on how well the chemistry was maintained.
There may be other pros & cons I'm missing. Others will reply I'm sure.
Also see -------------> Pool Care Basics
thank you for this info. Is it true that the 16 foot width is really more like 14 feet of swim space?Welcome to TFP!
Vinyl is very popular due to many available prints/patterns. Biggest con (IMO) is that they are susceptible to tearing. Vinyl also has a limited lifespan, perhaps of around 10 - 15 years or so depending on how well the chemistry was maintained.
There may be other pros & cons I'm missing. Others will reply I'm sure.
Also see -------------> Pool Care Basics
btw I just looked at the pictures of your pool and it is BEAUTIFUL. Can I ask what color you chose?
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,840
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
I've not heard that before. Our pool was advertised as 16 x 40 and it's basically just that. About 3.5' in the shallow and almost 7' in the deep.
It was called Maya Blue.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,432
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Fiberglass Pools - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
The bond beam of about 6" wide all around may be included in the overall dimensions. So you might lose that width.
You lose about 6" in depth as water level is about that far below the bond beam.
so the actual swim width is 15 ft 4 inches wide?Fiberglass Pools - Further Reading
The bond beam of about 6" wide all around may be included in the overall dimensions. So you might lose that width.
You lose about 6" in depth as water level is about that far below the bond beam.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,432
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
The bond beam around the top of the shell is typically about 6" wide, give or take. So that would take 12" off the stated dimensions. Approximately. Depends on manufacturer.
My 16'x40' fiberglass pool has inside water dimesions of 15'2"x39'.
Edit: Maybe I should change my signature to 16'x40'. I was listing actual water dimensions instead of pool dimensions.
Edit: Maybe I should change my signature to 16'x40'. I was listing actual water dimensions instead of pool dimensions.
Hi Valley, fellow Chester County neighbor! I would research Fiberglass pools in our climate. When we built 3-4 years ago, one of our perspective builders cautioned us on Fiberglass because of our freeze/thaw cycle in the Northeast, which could have a negative effect on the fiberglass pool(shifting and such). He could have just wanted to sell us on vinyl, but I didn't get the impression he was lying.
sktn77a
Gold Supporter
Another potential issue with fiberglass pools is blistering and cracking of the gelcoat after a few years. Having had a fiberglass wall ("hybrid") pool, I would never have another because of this. Not a fan of liner pools, either. Is gunite not an option?
We chose Fiberglass for the easy care and maintenance. Hearing how vinyl liners have to be replaced and gunite replastered (saw some ugly stains) we were concerned about future costs. We’ve had it only 4-years but are happy with our decision.
I don't know what the difference in costs are today. When I built my first pool in 2006, I picked vinyl over fiberglass and gunite. It came down to costs. Fiberglass was about $20k higher at the time. I calculated I could replace the liner 4 times for that cost difference. That's about 50 years before vinyl would be higher (ignoring rebuilding any walls). I determined I likely wouldn't still own the house by then. I ended up only replacing the liner once before selling.
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