Hello all!
First off, I want to say I've been reading TFP for a few weeks now and I am amazed with everyone's knowledge! It really helped answer a lot of questions!
My husband and I are looking at installing a new pool at our house. I love the water any way that I can get it, and have dreamed of owning a pool. My husband grew up in a 24' AG and knows all of the not so fun parts of owning a pool. Needless to say, he is willing to go with me on this one because I'm a teacher and have the entire summer off, so why not have a pool to enjoy during this time? We live in the country on 2 acres so we have been considering doing some type of large IG or semi-IG.
We went to look at Radiant and Doughboy this past Saturday. We were more interested in the Radiant and what it had to offer. We liked the aluminum walls and the ability to make it IG or semi-IG. I also liked the expandable liner option. Rough estimates came in at 25-30k installed for a 33' or 18'x33'. This made me nearly faint! I had NO idea it'd be even near that much (I was thinking $15K after visiting a local chain outdoor store and seeing their Sharkline Oasis!). This was way more than we thought it would be!
That's what really made me look at maybe doing a vinyl IG (fiberglass and concrete are WAY out of our price range). If I have to spend money, might as well go and do it right. The local pool dealer does Latham IG pools and has been in business for over 30 years. I am heading their way tomorrow to look at pricing for the IG. Main questions I have:
1. Polymer or steel wall? I know steel will eventually rust out, but how long? Polymer is plastic, and plastic eventually cracks. We live in Central Illinois, land of hot and humid summers and freezing cold winters.
2. How long to vinyl IGs last for? I'm sure question 1 plays into this for sure, but generally speaking in my area's conditions? I know I will have to have the liner replaced every 7-10 years @ $3-4K installed.
3. How DIY friendly is a vinyl IG? My husband is SUPER DIYer and can pretty much do anything construction or mechanical. He keeps saying he can do this no problem; I think it's a job better left to a business that has done this for 30+ years. I believe in him, but don't want to replace a liner early or mess up the dig, etc
4. How much is it each year to operate a pool? Chemicals, electricity, etc. We aren't doing a heater our first year to see how long we can get from the season naturally. We do have a friend who is giving us a natural gas pool heater (don't know specifics).
Sorry for all the questions, but that's what newbs do!
First off, I want to say I've been reading TFP for a few weeks now and I am amazed with everyone's knowledge! It really helped answer a lot of questions!
My husband and I are looking at installing a new pool at our house. I love the water any way that I can get it, and have dreamed of owning a pool. My husband grew up in a 24' AG and knows all of the not so fun parts of owning a pool. Needless to say, he is willing to go with me on this one because I'm a teacher and have the entire summer off, so why not have a pool to enjoy during this time? We live in the country on 2 acres so we have been considering doing some type of large IG or semi-IG.
We went to look at Radiant and Doughboy this past Saturday. We were more interested in the Radiant and what it had to offer. We liked the aluminum walls and the ability to make it IG or semi-IG. I also liked the expandable liner option. Rough estimates came in at 25-30k installed for a 33' or 18'x33'. This made me nearly faint! I had NO idea it'd be even near that much (I was thinking $15K after visiting a local chain outdoor store and seeing their Sharkline Oasis!). This was way more than we thought it would be!
That's what really made me look at maybe doing a vinyl IG (fiberglass and concrete are WAY out of our price range). If I have to spend money, might as well go and do it right. The local pool dealer does Latham IG pools and has been in business for over 30 years. I am heading their way tomorrow to look at pricing for the IG. Main questions I have:
1. Polymer or steel wall? I know steel will eventually rust out, but how long? Polymer is plastic, and plastic eventually cracks. We live in Central Illinois, land of hot and humid summers and freezing cold winters.
2. How long to vinyl IGs last for? I'm sure question 1 plays into this for sure, but generally speaking in my area's conditions? I know I will have to have the liner replaced every 7-10 years @ $3-4K installed.
3. How DIY friendly is a vinyl IG? My husband is SUPER DIYer and can pretty much do anything construction or mechanical. He keeps saying he can do this no problem; I think it's a job better left to a business that has done this for 30+ years. I believe in him, but don't want to replace a liner early or mess up the dig, etc
4. How much is it each year to operate a pool? Chemicals, electricity, etc. We aren't doing a heater our first year to see how long we can get from the season naturally. We do have a friend who is giving us a natural gas pool heater (don't know specifics).
Sorry for all the questions, but that's what newbs do!