Should I Choose a Cement or Fibreglass Pool?
In recent years, the popularity of traditional hand constructed cement swimming pools has been challenged by a growing interest in factory fibreglass pools. However, despite this, many people continue to invest in high quality cement swimming pools. There are a number of reasons a property owner may choose to install a cement swimming pool rather than a fibreglass one.
Versatility of size and design
One common reason for opting for a cement pool over a fibreglass pool is that cement pools can be designed to suit your backyard area. This means that you can neatly incorporate your swimming pool design into the overall look and style of your backyard, ensuring that it works well with your landscaping and design scheme. Fibreglass pools on the other hand are typically purchased as-is, and don’t allow for custom designs. This makes it difficult to choose a fibreglass pool that works well with the overall design of your yard.
Aesthetic integration
Another benefit of the flexibility of custom cement pools is that they can be customised and designed with complex visual aesthetics in mind. Cement pools can be finished according to your particular design requirements, and can incorporate visual aspects such as decorative tiling, tinted lining, invisible pool lips, and can include design elements such as waterfalls and fountains. In contrast, Fibreglass pools have severe limitations in terms of how they can be aesthetically integrated in to your backyard area, and as a result some pool owners feel that they have a cheaper overall aesthetic.
Depth and slope of the pool floor
Because it’s possible to custom design a cement swimming pool, you can choose to incorporate a sloping or a tiered floor, or a deep floor that allows for diving. This allows you to cater to the different needs of your family. Fibreglass pools, in contrast, are typically quite shallow, and rarely incorporate challenging design features such as angled floors.
Cost – surprisingly, concrete pools are cheaper
A standard cement swimming pool will typically be less expensive in terms of initial installation than a fibreglass pool, although proponents of fibreglass pools will argue for the longer-term economy of fibreglass. However, while it’s true that a fibreglass pool is typically cheaper over the long run, these estimates fail to take into account the fact that a cement pool can be upgraded, restored, and superficially redesigned if desired. In contrast, making improvements or changes to a fibreglass pool is just about impossible without physically removing the pool and replacing it, which can be a prohibitively costly endeavour.
Concrete pools offer the greatest flexibility in terms of design, from the shape of the pool to the features and look of the pool interior. If the vision you have for your landscaped pool area won’t fit into a fibreglass mold – or the fibreglass mold won’t fit into your space – speak to a concrete pool expert at Salt Pools and let’s get creative!
