There are many reasons why our company has chosen to only install fiberglass pools over a gunite or vinyl pool. Here is a fair comparison between all 3 to help you make the best decision:

1. Fast installation- In a surprisingly small amount of time, your fiberglass in-ground pool can be installed.  Your fiberglass swimming pool shell arrives pre-formed, weatherproof, complete and ready for installation. If weather permits and every aspect is connected, it can be installed in as little as 8-14 days.

   A rebar framework sprayed over with a concrete and sand mixture is what gunite pools have. One of the major problems with gunite installation is that all of the work must be done on site.  Concrete must be cured and this process is weather-depending. Therefore, a gunite pool cannot be installed any earlier than about 2 ½ months.

   Because a vinyl liner is composed of custom-made sheets of vinyl that serve as a divider between the water and your swimming pool structure, a vinyl pool can be installed in about two weeks.

2. Gel-coat finish- This impenetrable, pigmented surface is enforced during the manufacturing process to yield a smooth feeling that is kid, pets and feet-friendly. Because Barrier Reef’s climate-controlled factories are held to the highest standards, their fiberglass pools have a smooth and even surface that never needs painting. In addition it resists stains and requires fewer chemicals. It can save you money and time because it requires fewer time to clean and less chemicals.

   Gunite pools are finalized with plaster which is actually a mixture of marble sand and cement.  Cement absorbs the sun and also forms an unsafe finish not suitable for kids, pets or feet. The finished plaster is painted and chips can occur.

   In hot climates like the Carolinas, vinyl pools will fade and become brittle and tear. Kids and pets that are unaware can accidentally rip liners as they play, causing you to have to replace a liner to the tune of about $4,500-5,000. Another con is that wrinkles can happen when the measurements are not properly taken. Improper measurements of the liner will cause the corners and floor angles not to match exactly.  This will in turn cause any area of stress to sag due to the weight of the water pulling on the liner. The final result will result in a stretching and then a tearing of the liner where the corners are not fitted.

3. Safety- Your family’s safety is our first priority. Fiberglass pools have smooth edges with anti-skid surfaces on all stairs and pool floor, with a safety ledge walk around of 20-24 inches included in its shape.

   With gunite pools, it is easy for the pool chemicals to become imbalanced which can wreak havoc on the pool plaster surface leaving rough and dangerous edges within days or weeks.   They do have a swim out- or seating that encompasses the pool.

   Vinyl steps are molded with non-skid, ABS white plastic, but they don’t come with a safety ledge. Moreover, if your vinyl liner accumulates algae, then it will become slippery leaving your family vulnerable to accidents and falls.

4. Salt compatible- Fiberglass pools effectively keeps your pool clean with natural salt. This cuts down on dangerous chemicals and eliminates wasted time; your pool can be kept clean in as little as 20 minutes per week.

   Cement, plaster, painted and vinyl pools use chlorine tablets that you are required to constantly buy and store. Your chlorine dispenser requires a constant filling every 1-3 weeks. Chlorine tablets contain a stabilizer that can build-up over time in the pool and can require you to partially drain and refill the pool to get the pH levels back into proper range.

   During the heat of the summer, vinyl needs about 1-3 inch tablets a week, and as it cools off, only 1 tablet every 2 ½ to 3 weeks.

5. Variety- Fiberglass pools come in a wide range of sizes, designs, and new colors.

   Gunite pools are made to fit any shape, size or design.

   Vinyl pools are made to be flexible in their shape, size and color.

6. Durability- Our stable, fully framed, one-piece, 100% fiberglass swimming pool shell contracts without cracking to accommodate the movement of the earth.  One of the main reasons we only install fiberglass pools is because they have a concrete decking bond beam. Therefore, unless they are drained of their water, they will not float.

   Gunite pools use rebar and are encased in gunite, but as the earth moves, concrete will crack- and that will eventually cause a leak in your pool. You can try to patch it with plaster and pool paint, but the fix is not permanent and will eventually have to be drained and repaired.

   It is more common today for vinyl pools to have metal or even polymer plastic, but some old ones still have wooden framework. When metal rusts, it will eventually cause sharp edges that will cut your liner. It is also common for water to get behind the pool wall of a vinyl pool allowing wrinkles to form, and soft spots to develop in the liner.

7. A more reliable investment- A fiberglass pool’s surface is impenetrable and non-porous; they do not require costly chemicals and therefore, eliminate the downward spiral of the effects of metals and alkaloids that can leach into the water.  If severe weather occurs and causes damage to a fiberglass pool, they can be easily repaired at a fraction of the cost of replacing a gunite pool. Moreover, fiberglass pools come with a lifetime limited warranty and never need resurfacing, so there is no need to drain the pool.

   Because gunite pools require maximum use of the pool’s filter to prevent metals and alkaloids that will leach into the water through the plaster finish, their maintenance is much greater.  Additional maintenance is needed because of the porous pool’s surface, interaction with the water can cause algae to breed requiring the use of other chemicals to cleanse and stabilize the water quality.  Not to mention, a plaster finish that is applied to concrete pools must be reapplied about every 10 years.

   Similarly, vinyl liner pools only last up to 5-7 years and must be drained to replace or repair liners. Without plasticizers that are no longer allowed by the EPA, liners don’t have the elastic properties they used to have. Moreover, using chlorine to keep it clean eventually takes the elasticity out of the liners causing them to be brittle and crack.