Tear Down/ Re-Build Question

[wpparrish]

We have an old hybrid pool and after months of research and help from this board the conclusion is there isn't really an ideal solution to fix it. Basically to fix it we can go cheap and paint it while acknowledging this won't last long at all, or pay a substantial amount for one of only two real options to rehab it...both of which are half of a new pool and don't take care of other aesthetic issues we have with decking. So we decided to get quotes on a new pool instead+decking instead.

First guy is well known and does great work but is a little expensive. He recommends tearing it out and starting from scratch and has a long book of residential references and pictures. he's solid.

Second guy says the most cost effective way for him to do it is not tear out the actual pool itself and instead use that for the form to spray or pour the new pool and pour new decking and so on.

My question is I haven't heard this suggested by other builders as an option. There must be a downside to doing it this way, right? I asked if there were issues adhering the gunite to the fiberglass and he said that nothing is adhering he's basically just using the walls in place as the form for a totally new pool. He has some reviews and they're positive and also pictures, he's just not nearly as well known as the first guy.

Is this a normal suggestion and what is the downside to doing it this way?

 

[bmoreswim]

There honestly would be no normal way to do what you are doing. It's a special case. That said, anything can be used as the form (which is really a bad word because it implies a normal concrete form which needs to hold the weight of the concrete). It's really just something to stop the gunite as it's shot. Gunite is self-supporting. And the PB is correct that it does not need to adhere to the fiberglass for any reason (nor would it).

The negatives in my mind are that you are constrained by the outline of the old pool regarding shape. You are now paying a lot for this project and I'd want to make some changes for sure if it were me on the pool design. That won't be possible to a large extent if he's shooting up against the existing walls. The positive is that he doesn't need to demo it and put up forms. I'd vote for demo and rebuild to get exactly whatever you can dream up as far as design/layout of your new dream pool. As opposed to paying still a lot of money and being very constrained by the current shape.