Overwhelmed: vinyl, gunite, fiberglass

Jump to latest Follow Reply
C

Cleanmypool

0
Jun 23, 2018
10
FL
My head is spinning after reading on here for hours about pros and cons. I'd love some fresh opinions from you guys, you're all so knowledge and basically my pool idols. ;)

-We aren't the least bit concerned about customizing shape
-We have a goldendoodle that thinks he's a fish
-We have two kids, live in Florida

We've had one company out for quotes so far that does all three pool types and has stellar reviews. His designer strongly steered us away from fiberglass due to cost, which with other companies we've briefly chatted with seems to come in under gunite, which is his favorite. He swears we don't need to be concerned about our dog in a vinyl pool as long as we teach him to use the plastic stairs to get in/out. If this is the case, we're having a really hard time seeing the value in a gunite pool that runs $10-15k more with them, considering the long term costs on top of that (replastering every 10 years at $8-10k?!), but it seems to be the fan favorite here by far too. So, what are we missing? We are so confused by the most basic decision. Please help!
 
My first thought was fiberglass but there are not a lot of people in our area that do them. The one company that does install them charges for consultation. We have not started on our build yet but plan to go with vinyl. It just seems the most cost effective. We are looking at 14x28 and plan to spend in the neighborhood of about $35k. I think a gunite pool of similar size was going to be nearly double that price.
 
Vinyl liner pools are easier and cheaper to install than gunite or fiberglass, especially for smaller companies (and this allows a higher profit margin for the builder). Personally, I'd go with gunite/plaster every time (you'll thank me in 30 years time)!

Gunite shouldn't be double the price of vinyl - the builder is basically telling you he doesn't want to do it. Keep looking
 
Gunite pools just offer a greater flexibly in shape and if properly cared for, the the plaster (or especially an aggregate finish) will last well past 10 years.
Liners need to be replaced as well and the walls behind the liners can rust as well requiring more expensive repairs.
Fiberglass size is limited and does fade and gel coat can go bad ... much more difficult to "reface" a fiberglass pool.

You do not not care too much about shape and want to save money, go with a liner pool. Just make sure to train the dog.
 
Directly comparing gunite to vinyl is hard to do because the assumption is that the underlying structure of the pool is the same. Gunite pools are essentially concrete basins built into your ground with a plaster coating over it. A gunite shell (rebar and concrete), if shot correctly, will last an eternity.....ok, not forever, but you’ll be dead and gone before that shell will need any kind of repair. A vinyl pool uses a vermiculite based (porous type of cement material to allow water flow through it) and structural wall elements - either steel or polymer walls. Those structural elements are far more likely to fail than a gunite shell will. I’m not saying they do so all the time, but it is not at all uncommon to replace a liner and have the contractor find that the steel walls are rotted through with corrosion and/or the vermiculite base is cracked or damaged and needs redoing. While a vinyl liner is cheaper than a plaster recoat, repairing the structural elements of a vinyl pool and replacing the liner can easily cost as much or more than a replaster job.

Being in FL, you’ll have high ground water and heavy periods of rain. You will almost be assured to have your liner float on you when ground water gets too high. While not catastrophic, plaster doesn’t “float” and so a gunite pool isn’t going anywhere when it rains too much.

I would only want a gunite pool if I were building new and located in FL.
 
I was in this conundrum a few years back as it was looking like I'd be getting a house without a pool but wanted one installed.

I definitely would have chosen vinyl. But as luck would have it I found a house with an inground vinyl pool, at the last minute.

Good points about wood or metal lined vinyl pools, but they also have composite walled ones now which should not be an issue
if properly installed.

It's not as common but my pool is actually concrete with a vinyl liner.

I'd still choose vinyl over anything else if I had to pay to have one built. They cost a lot less than gunite in my area.

Matt makes a VERY good point about your location in Florida. In areas with high water table issues a proper nearby
well with an automatic pump would keep the floating down to a minimum if any floating at all, but certainly a possibility.
 
JoyfulNoise said:
While not catastrophic, plaster doesn’t “float” and so a gunite pool isn’t going anywhere when it rains too much.
Click to expand...
Note that he means the plaster will not float if there is high ground water.
The entire pool could float out of the ground if it is left empty or will very little water in it and the ground water level gets very high ... it will turn into a boat.

The same is true for a fiberglass pool which will float out of the ground even easier due to its lighter weight.
 
Thank you guys! Many great points defending gunite that we hadn’t previously considered (I didn’t realize, stupidly, vinyl pool walls could be a short term issue!).

The gunite through these people isn’t double, as mentioned, I wish. We were quoted $37k for the vinyl, which seems crazy to me. We are waiting on the official quote, but he said to add the $12-15k “typical” difference and we’d have a close idea. So, $49-52k, which is actually what we were anticipating for gunite quotes, just the vinyl cost was surprising.
 
Shirker said:
My first thought was fiberglass but there are not a lot of people in our area that do them. The one company that does install them charges for consultation. We have not started on our build yet but plan to go with vinyl. It just seems the most cost effective. We are looking at 14x28 and plan to spend in the neighborhood of about $35k. I think a gunite pool of similar size was going to be nearly double that price.
Click to expand...


I've read enough posts here to know how important proper install is, and I just don't trust the experience of the local FG installers here. It was my first choice, too, until I kept reading more and more. They still seem to have pros, but I think they're out simply because I can't find someone to put it in with extensive experience.
 
None of the PB do gunite here so it is vinyl for me. It’s all I’ve ever known so I’m happy with it!

Good luck with your decision !
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
I know everyone has different experiences, but my aunt put in a vinyl pool 39 years ago and it's still in good shape today. She's never had any issues. She replaces the liner about every 15 or so years. Like I said, this is just one person and I'm not sure what the average would be, but thought I'd throw it out there anyway. Best of luck on your decision.
 
I can get you to sign on the dotted line for either of the 3..

Given you are in Florida, shotcrete all the way.
There are mechanisms to minimize risk of popping the pool.

Do you want a structure that if placed properly will out live you or a $40,000 zip lock bag?

Again that’s based on your location..
& despite popular belief pourous vermiculite substrates can also pop.. not pretty..
 
Re-plastering every 10 years is not really a good metric. If the pool water is maintained you can get 2 times that out of a good plaster surface. You can also do a pebble surface that offers lots of color options and last longer.

I am a fan of concrete / plaster / pebble pools.

Do you want a spa or any water features or just a plain pool?
 
Just to add a twist on a vinyl pool. Our liner pool has poured concrete walls that remove the risk of the steel rusting and polymer bowing out.
 
blakeusa said:
Re-plastering every 10 years is not really a good metric. If the pool water is maintained you can get 2 times that out of a good plaster surface. You can also do a pebble surface that offers lots of color options and last longer.

I am a fan of concrete / plaster / pebble pools.

Do you want a spa or any water features or just a plain pool?
Click to expand...

That’s good to hear about it being able to last longer than 10 years. No interest in a spa, we are wanting to do a small water feature as we’ve been told it’ll help a tiiiiny bit cooling the pool down (or is that not true?).

- - - Updated - - -

I’ve seen a couple of you mention an upgraded surface and our potential builder offers this:
“Blue Haven’s SmartBrite®—made with a select blend of ceramic quartz aggregate—will accentuate your pool’s interior with a gleaming, slip-resistant, long-lasting surface that’s easier to maintain than traditional marcite plaster.”
I’ve seen a few mentions of the pebble surface too, but I’m thinking it may be more than we want to spend as we swallow the pillow that our original idea of an easy vinyl pool for maybe $30k has grown in cost and complexity by a lot. But the difference for the SmartBrite stuff seems attainable. Worth it?
 
SmartBrite sounds like a dealer-brand plaster finish. A lot of these PBs will create these dealer-branded products that are nothing more than traditional plaster with some cheap aggregate that they’ve acquired where they slap a fancy name on it, claim its better than standard plaster (dubious at best) and then hit you with a $1,000 up-charge. It’s pure profit for them and very little upside for you.

All plaster surfaces take the same amount of time and energy to maintain. Pebble and exposed aggregate surfaces offer a slightly better long term performance and hide stains better than standard white plaster but all surfaces require the same maintenance. What defines and separates a good plaster job from a bad one is not the materials but the skill and workmanship of the crew.

I suggest you look up posts by TFP Expert onBalance as he is/was a plasterer for many years and now is an industry expert (and scold) who routinely debunks and demystifies all of the plastering nonesense that’s out there.
 
JoyfulNoise said:
SmartBrite sounds like a dealer-brand plaster finish. A lot of these PBs will create these dealer-branded products that are nothing more than traditional plaster with some cheap aggregate that they’ve acquired where they slap a fancy name on it, claim its better than standard plaster (dubious at best) and then hit you with a $1,000 up-charge. It’s pure profit for them and very little upside for you.

All plaster surfaces take the same amount of time and energy to maintain. Pebble and exposed aggregate surfaces offer a slightly better long term performance and hide stains better than standard white plaster but all surfaces require the same maintenance. What defines and separates a good plaster job from a bad one is not the materials but the skill and workmanship of the crew.

I suggest you look up posts by TFP Expert onBalance as he is/was a plasterer for many years and now is an industry expert (and scold) who routinely debunks and demystifies all of the plastering nonesense that’s out there.
Click to expand...

Thank you!! While I have you saving me money on that option, I just received the first gunite quote, any feedback on it?
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply