You’re contemplating adding a swimming pool to your garden, envisioning years of enjoyment, laughter, and family fun. Undoubtedly, owning a swimming pool can profoundly and positively impact your life. To truly maximise this experience, however, it’s crucial to understand your options and determine which type of pool will best suit your specific needs.
Even as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of inground fibreglass swimming pools here at Leisure Pools, we are committed to providing you with honest, unbiased insights to help you answer this very important question. Here’s our breakdown…
Option #1: Above Ground Swimming Pools – Pros and Cons
Advantages of Above Ground Pools
There’s one clear advantage to an above ground swimming pool: cost. Without question, an above ground pool will be less expensive initially than any type of inground pool (unless you build an extensive deck around it, at which point you could have easily afforded an inground option).
Disadvantages of Above Ground Pools
For many, the most significant drawback of above ground pools is their aesthetics. Some perceive an above ground pool as an eyesore. Often, housing developments do not permit their construction within their covenants. Even with a deck fully built around them, an above ground pool generally won’t enhance the appearance of your home and garden. In fact, it’s more likely to be a deterrent.
Another limitation of above ground pools is their restricted depth and design options. Generally speaking, most above ground pools are available in only three shapes: circle, oval, or rectangle.
Above ground pools are simply not built for long-term durability. Their metal walls can oxidise and rust easily, and the majority of structures typically fail within 8-15 years. Consequently, an above ground pool is usually not considered an improvement when a house is valued and can even be a disadvantage when trying to sell a property.
Above ground pool – circle shape
Option #2: Vinyl Liner Inground Swimming Pools – Pros and Cons
Advantages of Vinyl Liner Pools
If you’re looking for an inground pool but have a very tight budget, a vinyl liner pool might be your best choice. Their material costs are low, meaning a vinyl liner pool will typically be £5,000 to £10,000 less expensive initially than comparable concrete or fibreglass pools.
With a vinyl liner pool, you face very few limitations regarding shape and size. Thanks to modern technology, you can design the pool to be as deep and as curvilinear/straight/large as you desire.
Disadvantages of Vinyl Liner Pools
The most significant drawback of a vinyl liner inground pool is the liner itself. This material is a polymer, which will degrade over time and necessitate replacement. Furthermore, the liner can tear easily or become detached from the sides, leading to its gradual collapse into the water.
On average (and irrespective of “warranties”), you can expect your inground vinyl liner to last between 7-12 years, with the average replacement cost (including labour, liner, and water) typically ranging from €3,000 to €7,000, depending on the pool’s size and shape.
Another disadvantage of a liner pool is its aesthetic appeal. Generally speaking, a standard liner pool installation often appears much “cheaper” and more “temporary” than a fibreglass or concrete pool. Consequently, vinyl liner inground pools typically do not add the same value to your home as a fibreglass or concrete pool of equivalent size would.
In many countries today, vinyl liner pools are less common, with fibreglass and concrete pools being the preferred choices for swimming pools.
Option #3: Concrete (Gunite) Swimming Pools – Pros and Cons
Advantages of Concrete (Gunite) Pools
The primary benefit of a concrete pool is its unparalleled customisability. It can be designed and constructed to virtually any size, shape, or depth you desire. From a visual standpoint, a concrete pool can be exceptionally attractive due to these bespoke features.
Concrete pools demonstrably add value to a property and are a significant asset when the owner decides to sell their home.
Disadvantages of Concrete (Gunite) Pools
By far, the most substantial drawback of a concrete pool is the extensive maintenance required to keep it visually appealing, clear, and clean. Not only does a concrete pool demand more chemicals and brushing during the swimming season, but it also necessitates an expensive resurfacing, on average, every 8-15 years.
Another disadvantage of a concrete pool is its rough surface. This texture not only contributes to the need for acid washing and easy algae growth but can also be quite abrasive on children’s feet, potentially causing bleeding after just a few hours of play.
Concrete pools also traditionally take a considerable amount of time to build. This can be frustrating for homeowners, as their garden effectively becomes a constant construction zone for an average of three months.
Concrete pools are not ideally suited for salt chlorination. While salt chlorinators can be installed on concrete pools, a concrete pool will demand more maintenance and require resurfacing sooner than if traditional water sanitization methods were employed. Given the numerous benefits of salt chlorination, this presents a notable disadvantage for concrete pools.
Option #4: Fibreglass Swimming Pools – Pros and Cons
Advantages of Fibreglass Pools
Generally speaking, it is now widely accepted that fibreglass pools demand the least amount of maintenance among all swimming pool types available today. With their smooth, non-porous surfaces, it’s challenging for algae to proliferate on fibreglass, and when combined with a salt chlorinator, the minimal maintenance required is often astonishing for pool owners.
Fibreglass swimming pools can be installed in a very short timeframe. The primary reason for this efficiency is that the swimming pool structure is fabricated off-site. This means that once the hole for the swimming pool is excavated, the finished pool structure can be lowered into place, and all that remains is the completion of the decking and landscaping around the pool. Fibreglass swimming pools can be fully installed and operational in as little as 5 days.
Leisure Pools has achieved remarkable advancements in the colour technology of fibreglass swimming pools. Leisure Pools offers each of its swimming pool designs within the Leisure Pools SMART colour range. This innovative colour range is available in 8 distinct options, each boasting a spectacular sparkle finish. The surface is smooth, ensuring that children’s and adults’ skin is not irritated or damaged by the pool surface.
Leisure Pools has also made significant advancements in manufacturing technology with the introduction of the Leisure Pools Composite Armour™ swimming pool. This pool features improved flexural and tensile strength, enabling Leisure Pools to provide a Lifetime Structural Warranty and Lifetime Osmosis Warranty (refer to the warranty for specific terms). A “Lifetime warranty” in this context means no less than 35 years. These warranties are considerably superior to anything offered by above ground, vinyl liner, and concrete pools.
Given that a fibreglass swimming pool is constructed from a mould, a key benefit is that the design schematic precisely reflects the final appearance of the swimming pool. We frequently hear from customers who express dissatisfaction with concrete pools after completion because the design is formed on-site, and in many instances, the final build by the concrete pool builder does not match the customer’s initial vision. With fibreglass swimming pools, you know exactly the design and sizing from the outset, allowing you to plan your garden landscaping around that precise design.
One of the significant advantages of a fibreglass swimming pool is the diverse range of designs available. Leisure Pools offers a wide spectrum of designs to complement various home architectures. Our designs are developed based on extensive market research to ascertain the specific features and benefits that customers desire from a swimming pool.
The Cube™ – fibreglass swimming pool
Disadvantages of Fibreglass Pools
The first disadvantage of a fibreglass swimming pool is that the pool needs to be transported by road to the home site, which naturally limits the possible dimensions of the swimming pool. Our largest fibreglass swimming pool is 12 metres long and 4 metres wide. If you require a swimming pool larger than these dimensions, then a concrete swimming pool will be your best option. In reality, however, 95% of swimming pools are less than 12 metres in length.
The second disadvantage of fibreglass pools arises if you are seeking a design that is not available within our existing range. Fibreglass swimming pools are built from expensive moulds. Consequently, we are limited by the number of mould designs we can offer. Leisure Pools conducts extensive market research to ensure we can provide a range of designs to meet 95% of customer requirements. However, if you are looking for a design that is somewhat unconventional, you may need to consider concrete swimming pools.
In Conclusion: What is the Best Type of Swimming Pool?
We firmly believe that the Leisure Pools composite fibreglass swimming pool represents the best available swimming pool structure for 95% of customer requirements. We strongly urge those on a budget to consider fibreglass before above ground and vinyl liner pools. Even if it means waiting an additional year to save the difference, in the long term, both in terms of ongoing maintenance and the increased value to your home, it will prove to be the most advantageous decision for you.