OT - Need some advice on inground pools

One thing you did not mention is filtration, get a VS pump system....pools where I am are finite and plaster, mine is about 27 years old no real issue over the year

My pool is shallow on both ends, deeper in the middle 3.5 foot 5 foot 3.5....im glad I did that as it gets more use the a standard pool as a get older ....also get something smaller not biggee

I have an in-ground 20x40' liner pool and we love it.  No issues with punctures or fading until you hit the 10+ year mark,  which at that point they typically need to be replaced. Average cost is about $4-5k for a new liner.  If cost were no issue (and had I been the one who built the home) I would love a gunite pool, but there's a very steep increase in price. I believe my pool costs between $30-$40k whereas a gunite is closer to $80-$100k. Obviously the your decking material and sqr feet will play significant role in the overall expense. 

I'm not a fan of fiberglass pools unless space is a concern and you need a smaller pool. 

We also have a salt water generator and I would NEVER go back to manual chlorine.  SWG's take all the guesswork out of it and maintain the chemistry for you during the week (more or less).  Without it, it's daily testing and a roller coaster of chemistry. 

I'm on my 5th swimming pool (I built them all new at places we owned). 

Last two in Canada (Toronto). Both built by Pioneer Family Pools, who I highly recommend ... they absolutely offer the best package at reasonable prices. By best package I mean the hardware they offer (see my points below about the salt system and iAqualink).

Vinyl all the way ... fibreglass can still crack if there's any settlement ... happened to a friend of mine two years ago, North of Toronto.  Bottom cracked, contractor gave him the run around ... my friend lost big time ... had to replace the entire shell ... was very difficult to patch up ... he tried over two years before he threw in the towel. Forget about gunite in our climate ... any movement from frost and you are done. Concrete/gunite pools are old school up here ... I don't think anyone gets them anymore for Canadian climate.

Vinyl is the most forgiving you can get, when it comes to movement (settlement or frost). Even if you cut the liner, you can underwater glue patches ... you don't even need to empty the pool. The vinyl liner is thick ... it's about using a reputable pool company that gives you a good liner ... then you're good for 10 years, and relining takes one day to do ... when the time comes. Remember, even gunite has to be redone every once in a while ... and that is costly and a mess (my first three pools in South Africa were gunite ... so I know this inside out).  Vinyl is also more/most forgiving when it comes to water chemistry (if it is off like low pH) ... gunite is not, fibreglass is a bit better, but not perfect.

Depth ... some people like 8' deep pools to dive into ... I have someone I like to call a friend now, my pool sales guy.  He said in the 40s years I've been doing this, the 5' deep across the entire pool, except for a 3' smaller shallow area for the kids at the steps is the best use of real-estate. You can still swim no problem, and if you get tire you can STAND UP ... it leads to MANY more people in the pool using the entire area. The 8' depth areas are fun for 5 minutes, but then people get tire and go to the walls of the pools, so often the entire middle is empty of people after the first few dives.

SALT 100% ... I put chemicals in my pool twice per year ... once in Spring when we open things up ... and then I find in August after enough rain, ONCE I have to add some pH down ... not after every rain, just ONCE after enough rain has fallen over several days.  I do not have to do a thing!  Now, be careful, there are crappy salt systems out there.  I have the Zodiac DuaClear Salt System (see below) ... it has ZERO issues, have had it on last two pools, and it works like a beast!  I would advise to stick with this product, I've heard others don't work and are a pain in the but. You want worry-free equipment ... 



Do yourself a favor and get a Jandy, iAqualink system ... it will run itself, comes with protection measures for heaters, links to the salt system, lights, etc.  You can program everything on this ... when the pump comes on, when the lights turn on and off, even deck jets (sprays/fountains) turning on and off, all automatically ... heck it even comes with spare outputs, so I have my change room lights turning on and off at certain times via the built in programmable features.

fishlessman said:

with the diving boards, insurance companies are dropping customers with them around me. people are installing a  step platform to jump off of instead of the boards because of this. im probably one of the few that hates the shallow end and havent been in one for maybe 25 years

some are more elaborate, wide enough for table, chairs etc

We had some larger rocks around the pool for the kids and the spa attached to the pool was elevated so kids would jump off of that

I don't have much to offer re: pool building, since our pool was in place when we bought the house.

As mentioned above, troublefreepool.com is a fantastic resource. VERY helpful, and knowledgeable folks there. Its the eggheadforum of pool bidness. 

I vote for a salt water pool. Mine is chlorine, and easy to take care of (I don't kvetch about numbers/levels/etc.), but I love the feel of a salt water pool.

Lastly, after its built, don't spend $$ on pool guys. It's not terribly hard to service your pool gear yourself. 

unless your wife's lonely

Mark_B_Good said:

Guys, all of you that have gunite pools, you're all down south right? We have to be mindful of the weather up here ... they stopped doing concrete pools up here in Canada like 30 years ago when fibreglass became inexpensive, and vinyl lined pools were invented.  We have frost to deal with, that moves everything by inches each winter ... can't stop that force ... so you need to have some give in these pool systems. With concrete, one millimeter of movement, and you're done.

If I was in Florida, I'd probably have a gunite pool.

We have cold weather too.  It was 33 deg F one night a few weeks ago.

My only real advice is measure your water hardness prior to choosing a system.  High calcium content plays havoc with salt water systems.  Nothing you can do besides use bottled water or rent a giant filtration system to lower your calcium level to a point it will play nice with the salt cell.

Salt systems are the bees knees if your base water chemistry is good.

Ozzie_Isaac said:

Mark_B_Good said:

Guys, all of you that have gunite pools, you're all down south right? We have to be mindful of the weather up here ... they stopped doing concrete pools up here in Canada like 30 years ago when fibreglass became inexpensive, and vinyl lined pools were invented.  We have frost to deal with, that moves everything by inches each winter ... can't stop that force ... so you need to have some give in these pool systems. With concrete, one millimeter of movement, and you're done.

If I was in Florida, I'd probably have a gunite pool.

We have cold weather too.  It was 33 deg F one night a few weeks ago.

My only real advice is measure your water hardness prior to choosing a system.  High calcium content plays havoc with salt water systems.  Nothing you can do besides use bottled water or rent a giant filtration system to lower your calcium level to a point it will play nice with the salt cell.

Salt systems are the bees knees if your base water chemistry is good.

Ozzie, that's not even freezing temperatures. A couple of we were around 0F. Once frost sets in, it lifts everything up ... concrete pools aren't forgiving to that. 

I agree about the high calcium ... no doubt that will scale the electrodes and cause big issues.

@Ozzie_Isaac - just make sure you get all the utility clearances before you start to install your home high voltage charging station for that new ride.  

If you do hire a "pool-boy", just make sure he looks like Quasimodo and not Brad Pitt.

I have no experience with anything but chlorine, plaster in ground pools so take my comments with a grain of salt. I was a pool cleaner/maintenance guy for ~5yrs during high school/college and currently do all of the upkeep on our pool.

If you go chlorine there really is little effort that goes into keeping things balanced, if you can cook on an egg you can maintain a pool no problem. This might be different with the type of pool you are looking at though. I’ve always found it easier to take care of a 20,000 gallon pool than a small spa/jacuzzi.