What’s the Inground Pool Installation Process Like? A pool is one of the few aspects of a home that can provide as much excitement and fun as it does. A pool can transform any dull outdoor space into a sun-drenched sanctuary for people of all ages. While inground pools require significant financial and time commitments,…
A pool is one of the few aspects of a home that can provide as much excitement and fun as it does. A pool can transform any dull outdoor space into a sun-drenched sanctuary for people of all ages. While inground pools require significant financial and time commitments, their popularity is not going away anytime soon. In the United States, there are over 5 million in-ground pools, with almost 200,000 new swimming pools added every year. Above-ground pools are much more pocket-friendly, and as a result, they have a bigger market share.
So, if you are ready to invest in an in-ground swimming pool, here are six important steps to take to ensure you get the pool that’s right for you and your loved ones.
There are three types of in-ground pools: The most popular materials are concrete, vinyl-lined, and fiberglass. You can also find pools with steel or aluminum walls in remote areas across the country.
Concrete pools are truly unique because pool professionals can make them into nearly any shape, size, or depth. These pools are known as shotcrete or gunite pools, as concrete is fired from a gun onto steel-reinforced walls. When the concrete cures, the pool professionals plaster, paint, and finish the pool with a tiled or textured surface.
Concrete pools are more difficult to install than other types of swimming pools, taking between three and twelve weeks on average. However, these pools are the most durable and strongest. Several concrete pools that are more than five decades old are still in use today. Unlike other types of in-ground pools, pool professionals can upgrade, enlarge, and rebuild existing concrete pools.
Concrete pools take longer to install than other types of pools —between three and 12 weeks on average—but they are the strongest and most enduring. In fact, several concrete pools that are over 50 years old are still in use today. Existing concrete pools, unlike other forms of in-ground pools, can be rebuilt, enlarged, and upgraded.
Vinyl pools are built with a prefabricated flexible liner that fits into a dug hole. It’s fastened to aluminum, steel, or non-corrosive polymer-enhanced frame. Although most vinyl pools are rectangular, some manufacturers provide freeform and L-shaped liners. Building a vinyl-lined pool can take anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks.
If you are considering purchasing a vinyl pool, remember that sharp objects, pets, and pool toys, can all pierce the liner. While you can replace liners, it is best to choose a liner that has a thickness of at least 20 to 30 mm.
After being factory-molded into one massive basin, a crane lowers a fiberglass pool into the dug pit. Because of this, fiberglass pools are far less challenging to install than other types of pools. In some cases, installers can complete it in as little as three days. A fiberglass pool’s super-smooth gel coat coating is stain-resistant and extremely long-lasting. Unlike concrete pools, fiberglass pools are nonporous, harboring less algae and requiring fewer pool chemicals.
Pools made of concrete, vinyl, or fiberglass are available across the country. Some varieties, however, are more popular in some areas than others. Vinyl liners and fiberglass are suitable for use in cold conditions where freezing and thawing cycles can damage a solid concrete structure. Vinyl pools are available in most areas, but fiberglass pools are more common in the south.
If you are not sure what kind of pool to get, seek advice from local pool builders. There’s most likely a good reason why they are focusing on one type of pool. (This is often a result of the local soil and climate conditions.) When you’ve decided on the type of pool you want, hire a contractor who specializes in installing that type of pool.
The pool installation process isn’t always linear; your pool contractor might include additional or slightly different phases.
1. Obtaining permits and approvals
2. The big dig: excavation
3. Wall and brace installation
4. Concrete bond beam and pool floor pouring
5. Plumbing and electrical installation
6. Vinyl liner and coping installation
7. Pouring the concrete deck
8. Finishing the area with the decking and landscaping you’ve chosen.
You also want a free from stress pool installation process, which means having the best relationship with your builder will help you finish the job easily and fast!