Posted by Marcus Sheridan on Thu, Apr 01, 2010 @ 09:39 AM
Having been in this business for almost 10 years now, it's absolutely unbelievable just how much the inground swimming pool market has changed during this time. This trend was made even more evident to me when I recently sat down with a customer in Baltimore Maryland, who, by all intents and purposes, was a self-taught fiber glass pool expert.
For the sake of privacy, I'll refer to the lady as ‘Renee' in this article.
Intense Research
For many months now, Renee has been scouring the internet doing research on swimming pools. Recently, when her and her husband finally decided it was time to actually have a pool installed, they focused even further on what type of pool to choose and with whom they wanted to entrust their backyard. And with such an outstanding amount of research, Renee knew that a fiberglass pool would clearly be her choice for this important investment. And what brought her to this conclusion? Well she thoroughly understood her goals for this swimming pool project would be as follows:
- A pool that would last forever without big expenses down the road
- As little maintenance as possible
- A visual enhancement to her backyard that would be consistent with her home's aesthetics
And because she was looking for a small to medium size, Renee understood overwhelmingly that fiber glass was going to be her choice. At that point, it was just a matter of choosing the right manufacturer and the right builder.
More Consumer Tools
In the past, most consumers didn't necessarily know how to research fiberglass pool manufacturers as well as builders. But today, with more and more educational consumer blogs popping up all over the internet, as well as a significant amount of pool/spa forums designed to promote conversation on the product, consumers are now light years ahead of where they were just a few years ago.
In the past, I would meet with a homeowner and spend most of my time teaching them the differences between Vinyl, Fiberglass, and Concrete Pools. Now, instead of teaching, I'm listening to them tell me what they want, why they want it, and how they want it to be done. And let me tell you, this type of informed consumer really, really gets me excited.
For example, my friend Renee not only knew she wanted a
fiberglass pool, but she also knew that she wanted it to be backfilled with gravel, not sand. (In fact, she finds it hilarious that some slower-minded individuals in the pool industry still subscribe to a sand base and backfill). Renee was quite aware of the differences in pool color finishes, materials, and patio options. And finally, Renee was well cognoscente of what manufacturers have shown financial stability, as well as the ones that have experienced financial disaster due to poor business models and management practices.
Seeing the Big Picture
All this being said, Renee was really the exact type of customer I get excited to work with when it comes to a swimming pool project-informed, able to see the big picture, and concerned enough to do all the necessary leg work(research).
But getting back to my original point, the experience with Renee was perfectly analogous to the great movement that is happening within the swimming pool industry. No longer do consumers simply base their decisions on initial price, what their neighbor has, or what their parents had growing up. Yep, today's swimming pool consumer chooses their own path through diligent research and an understanding of the good, the bad, and the ugly of all their possible choices. And by so doing, they are able to, just as Renee did, make a decision that will bring them joy and happiness for many years to come.
Marcus Sheridan, PoolSchool
Posted by Marcus Sheridan on Tue, Aug 04, 2009 @ 02:54 PM
By Jim Spiess
My business partner Marcus Sheridan has done pool comparisons on other blogs, this one is a fiberglass pool comparison, but on a little bit of a different scale. As a business owner and as a person, I believe that what makes you successful is not how much money you make, but how you conduct yourself as a business and an individual. Because Viking Pools is so upset with Marcus Sheridan for pointing out their flaws in his popular ebook found at www.poolschool.us , they have stooped to new lows with such websites as www.riverpoolsvirginia.com and other similar sites. Essentially, Viking has made it their main priority to affect River Pools' business in a negative manner. An interesting way of solving their own deficiencies but so be it. So with a new competitor in the Virginia market, I will attempt to compare the two companies in this article. I will also admit right up front that I am biased in my opinions of the two companies, because I own one of them, but just because I am biased, does not mean I am not telling the truth.
Category 1: Innovation
Because Viking Pools have been around so much longer than River Pools and Spas, they were able to be one of the main innovators in terms of the fiberglass swimming pools in the early years of the industry here in the United States. They were one of the first companies to have colored finishes and they did a great job integrating benches, ledges, etc into their pool molds. In the last year though, River Pools and Spas has found two other pool companies, Leisure Pools and Trilogy Pools, that have done a better job with color and one of the companies can customize benches and seats to better suit the customer. Essentially, Trilogy has been the first company to specialize in modular fiberglass customization. In other words, one can take a ‘fusion' model and change the steps, add tanning beds, spillovers, etc. To understand this further, see their website at http://www.trilogypools.com/fusion/the-fusion-advantage. Simply put, Trilogy has set the tone for the future of fiberglass swimming pool customization. Leisure Pools has set the bar with their color process and all American swimming pool companies have been trying to figure this process out, because when a Leisure pool is repaired it blends in so that it cannot be seen, therefore you do not even know that there was a repair. To learn more on this visit Leisure's website at http://www.leisurepoolsusa.com/ Simply put, Leisure leads the industry in color finishes for fiberglass pools, which when you add the two together, River Pools and Spas has the best color finishes available and the best innovation of fiberglass pools available.
Category 2: Shapes and Sizes
Both Viking and River Pools and Spas have a very large amount of pool designs to choose from, especially if you count Viking's multiple lines that they offer with Composite Pool Corporation and Crystal Palace Pools, and then you look at the fact that River Pools carries two lines with Leisure Pools and Trilogy Pools. In terms of sheer numbers, Viking does have an advantage, with more models to choose from. In terms of elegance and classiness though, Trilogy and Leisure dominate when one looks at such models as the Grand Elegance and the Moroccan by Leisure Pools and the Hyperion and the Regalus by Trilogy Pools, which are in my opinion four of the classiest large pool designs in the fiberglass pool industry.
Category 3: Warranty
Marc has spoken heavily on this subject regarding fiberglass pools(to see his now famous blog regarding Viking's color problems, go to: http://blog.riverpoolsandspas.com/blog/bid/22092/Why-is-Viking-Fiberglass-Pools-Trying-So-Hard-To-Discredit-Marcus-Sheridan-s-Swimming-Pool-eBook) , with his emphasis always being placed on the Surface / Finish Warranty of the pool shell and not so much on the structure warranty of the shell. In terms of structure warranty, both Viking and Trilogy boast a lifetime warranty on the structure. Leisure however boasts a 35 year stated structure warranty. But where one will find a significant difference between manufacturers is with the finish warranty, especially now that all manufacturers are using colored finishes, and not just white, with their pools. Viking has a 7 year warranty on their finish, but if one actually reads the warranty (which as far as I can tell is not listed on their website) they will find that the warranty is only 3 years full and 4 years prorated. Trilogy, on the other hand, displays their entire warranty on their webpage (http://www.trilogypools.com/about-trilogy-fiberglass-pools/warranty ), which shows a 10 year, non prorated surface warranty. Leisure has a 15 year finish warranty and Leisure's warranty covers fading and yellowing. It is because of Leisure Pools' aquaguard gel coat finish that they are able to offer such an exceptional warranty. For more information on Leisure Pools warranty visit their website at www.leisurepoolsusa.com.
Category 4: Website
Both http://www.riverpoolsandspas.com/ and http://www.vikingpools.net/ are great websites. Both have quite a few videos, but River Pools and Spas has more blogs and more information on pools then Viking does. Both websites have a lot of pictures and a pool styles to choose from. Viking has their models directly on their site, and with River Pools and Spas you need to go to their links to see the different models. River Pools and Spas has a testimonial on every page and also have a page related to testimonials.
Category 5: Owners
Viking boasts that they have the benefit of a big corporation with the benefit of a small family business. Such a statement is an oxymoron. Viking is owned by a big corporation, River Pools and Spas is a small family business that strives to maintain that personal feel, which is why every customer is on their reference list.
Posted by Marcus Sheridan on Wed, Jul 29, 2009 @ 03:23 PM
By Jim Spiess, www.riverpoolsandspas.com
There are many factors to consider when purchasing a swimming pool. First- Is the type of pool you will purchase, will it be an above ground pool, or an in ground pool? Let's look at above ground pools first.
How much will our above ground pool cost, and if it is an expensive pool does that guarantee quality and durability? Just because an above ground pool is expensive does not guarantee anything, for that matter most of your more expensive above ground pools are generally cheap pools that will cost you upwards to ten thousand dollars, and only last a few years. Beware of companies that advertise on television and show a beautiful pool with a ridiculously low price. If it looks too be true it probably is. These companies will do the same with magazine ads, only to do a bait and switch when they show up. There are many good above ground pools out there, Artesian Pools and Strong Pools make great pools, but beware of the riser pool made by Strong Pools, because it has its issues. These two manufactures have a difference of about one thousand dollars in their price; both have great warranties, and will not only last for many years of enjoyment, but will keep their look over the years. How many times have you seen an above ground pool get put up in the neighborhood and a year or two later they look twenty years old? An Artesian 24 foot round pool should cost you in the neighborhood of five thousand dollars with installation, the Strong Pool would be about one thousand more. How much can you lose on an above ground pool purchase? Up to ten thousand dollars if you make a bad choice. It is not a good idea to purchase an aluminum deck for an above ground pool. I recommend a wood deck or a composite deck, which is much more attractive, more durable, and will probably cost less too.
Now let's take a look at inground pools. Here we have really five types of pools to choose from: There is the natural pool which is filtered with plants and can even have fish in them, with a structure that is basically a vinyl liner pool. Initial cost can vary upon plants, type of fish, and stone work, but will generally run around thirty thousand. This is a great pool if you are more interested in a pond than a pool. Personally, I would not spend much on it because vinyl liners have a limited life to them, and it can be a mess to replace the liner on a large pond with vegetation, rocks, and fish. The cost is not that cheap because of the designing, planting, installation, and more, and your loss could be up to ten thousand after replacing liner and surroundings.
Second we have the vinyl liner pool. Its initial pool cost is around $25,000, and it falls into the category of a temporary pool. Liners today generally last between five to ten years, depending on how your pool was installed. If the pool did not have an over-dig and was put in exactly to specifications than that will increase the life of the liner. The problem is a lot of vinyl liner pool companies put the pools in fast and do a slight over-dig to make sure they do not get wrinkles in the liner. This causes the vinyl liner to get stretched and it has now had years taken off the life of the liner. Also, if the pool is put in out of square, it will shorten the life of the liner. We have people who call us to replace the vinyl liner in their pool, and they want to give us the spec sheet for the liner that came with the pool. We never go by that. We have to measure the pool ourselves and it has not once come up to the measurements on the spec sheet of the customer. Replacing a vinyl liner will cost you between four thousand to six thousand dollars with water. This is also what will bring the value of your home down when you go to sell it. The problem with swimming pools and home sales is that three red flags come up when someone sees a pool. 1. How much maintenance is the pool going to take? 2. How much will it cost me to run that pool each year? 3. What are my future expenses on that pool? With vinyl, you have fairly high maintenance, more cost in chemicals with the pool, and future expenses. Home value can even go down ten to twenty thousand.
Third we have gunite pools or concrete pools. This is a permanent pool, which is high maintenance, high chemical cost, and elevated electrical costs. This pool will have to be resurfaced on average every 10 years, and that can cost from ten to fifteen thousand dollars depending on the type of surface. The price of gunite pools depends on the size and scope of the work, although there are large companies out there that are selling them very cheap because of the economy. My feelings on this is if you have thousands of pools that you have put in and you kept your customers happy then you should not have to cut your cost on your pools so drastically. Most reputable gunite company's pools range around thirty five to fifty thousand dollars. I would beware of the companies that are offering the same pool for ten thousand less. These pools can bring the value of your home down too, usually less than a vinyl pool, around five to ten thousand dollars. Your loss can be as much as twenty five thousand if resurfaced twice during your ownership.
Fourth we have the fiberglass pool wall with a concrete bottom. Initial cost around twenty to twenty five thousand. This pool is still a high maintenance pool due to the concrete bottom, and a lot of times I have seen these pools put in and the bottom painted with a waterproof paint, this can lead to disaster. The life of these pools is determined by the installer, but the bottom of the pool will need resurfacing at a cost of around five thousand dollars. The pool tends to look cheap and will take away from the value of your home, around five to ten thousand dollars. Your loss is around ten to fifteen thousand dollars.
Last we have fiberglass pools. There initial cost is around thirty five to fifty thousand dollars, around the same as a good reputable concrete pool installer. Maintenance is low, operation cost is low, and future cost is very low. Adds value to your home because of all the above. Your gain is extra money when you sell your home, and years of enjoyment without all the work and headaches. But going with the wrong manufacturer, or picking the wrong company, because you are basing your decision on price can cost you more than you save. For instance the pool you have chosen appears to be the same, but the cost difference between the two companies is around five thousand. Well, you could end up the loser when the concrete does not turn out right or the pool was installed improperly, etc. There are many things that could go wrong that will cost you more than the five thousand you saved. Maybe you picked the wrong manufacturer and save five to ten thousand and then find out that you really lost around twenty five thousand and now have a non functioning pool in your backyard. Pool choices are tough decisions, you are spending a lot of money, the last thing you want to do is make a mistake that will cost you even more. For more information on fiberglass pool cost go to http://www.riverpoolsandspas.com/ or http://www.poolschool.us/
Posted by Marc Sheridan on Tue, Jul 28, 2009 @ 02:25 PM
By Jim Spiess, www.riverpoolsandspas.com
Finally, fiberglass pool costs are coming down. That is true with a lot of fiberglass pool dealers. But the question is: What is really a good deal on a fiberglass pool? As owners of a company that offers the best in fiberglass pools, with our Leisure Pool line and our Trilogy fiberglass pools, we have found that we are still installing a good amount of pools, but have come against some fiberglass pool companies that are pricing fiberglass pools at such low levels that they will not be able to survive. One only need to look at the car dealerships to see that cutting cost, without cutting anything else will result in financial collapse, and the last time I checked there were no government bailouts for pool companies. We at River Pools and Spas refuse to cut quality in any way or form, and that means we cannot cut fiberglass pool costs as much as the other fiberglass pool companies. Our manufactures at Leisure Pools and Trilogy Pools feel the same way. We have had people that we have visited say, they were more focused on quality rather than price if they had to choose between the two, and then after getting a few quotes, will turn around and focus on the price rather than the quality or service. It always amazes me that someone thinks in terms of two or three thousand dollars they are saving, when in reality it is 35 to 40 thousand dollars they are risking. When we sit down with the customer they already have a reference list of all the pools we have installed, which is well over 500 people, we do not pick and choose who goes on that list. In turn our competition will come in and offer a few references and a cheap price which always becomes a distraction from quality. I cannot believe that if a person is spending thousands of dollars on a fiberglass swimming pool that they would not demand a customer list, after all some companies boast that they only put in 20 or 30 pools a year so they can focus on the customer, great, have them give you that many names, so you can pick and choose who you want to call. These same companies will say that River Pools and Spas is focused on volume not quality, yet even with volume, you will see all of our customers on our reference list, dating back to when we started up in the swimming pool business, including our vinyl liner inground customers, and you will find if you take the time to call all of them you will get less than one percent negative feedback. Yet even with that we still are reducing the cost of fiberglass pool installations, just not as much as the companies struggling to stay in business, and that is why we will be around to service your fiberglass pool for years to come. And when you go to sell your home it will go up in value because of the beautiful fiberglass pool that you had River Pools and Spas install. Beware when the price differences start to hit over five thousand dollars. That is dangerous territory and do you really believe there is that much mark up on fiberglass pools? This is probably a company that is on its way out, and possibly with your money. Again I run into people who will still try the cheap swimming pool route, only to find out it was a disaster and they either spent more money than they intended too, or they are stuck with what they have, due to the fact that the ten thousand dollars or so they saved on the pool just will not fix all their fiberglass pool problems. For more information on fiberglass pool costs and prices visit http://www.riverpoolsandspas.com/ and http://www.poolschool.us/
Posted by Jason Hughes on Mon, Jul 20, 2009 @ 04:45 PM
Why are Inground Fiberglass Pools so Low Maintenance?
by: Jason Hughes
If you have done any research on inground fiberglass pools you have certainly read that one of their primary advantages is low maintenance. If you have gone as far as to speak to an owner of an inground fiberglass pool they probably said something like "...they said it would be low maintenance, but I had no idea how easy the pool would actually be to take care of. " It is a fact. Inground fiberglass pools are a breeze to maintain....but why?
2 Reasons:
1. A non-porous pool shell:
The gel coat surface of the inground fiberglass pool shell is non-porous. With pools, pores are bad. They give dreaded algae a place to live and breed....YUCK! The surfaces of concrete pools are very porous and algae embeds into this surface. This is why weekly brooming or sweeping of the entire pool shell is recommended and periodic draining and acid washing of the pool is required; all to prevent and kill algae. Because algae is tougher to kill when it's embedded into a pool shell, concrete pools also use 2 to 3 times more chemicals than inground fiberglass pools. With a non-porous shell, inground fiberglass pools eliminate the need for all this extra work and expense because algae doesn't have anywhere to hide. Imagine your beautiful pool on a 90 degree day. Would you rather be manning a pool brush or laid back in the float with a cold drink listening to the kids have a blast? In the off season would you rather fork out close to a thousand dollars to drain and acid wash the pool or close the thing and forget it until next year?
2. A chemically inert pool shell:
Inground Fiberglass pools do not react with the water in the vessel. Would you believe that concrete pools do? Yep. Because concrete is very alkaline, it actually raises the pH of the water in the pool. This means a constant battle to keep the water balanced....and it's important to keep it balanced. Pool water that's significantly out of wack is hard on pool equipment and the finishes used on concrete pools. This is why concrete pool owners buy muriatic acid in bulk; they're always adding to the pool. Inground fiberglass pools have no effect on the water because they are totally inert. Get your water balanced and keep it that way! Sure make up water and rain water may cause you to make a few minor adjustments over an entire season, but the inert nature of the inground fiberglass pool shell eliminates the constant battle to keep your water balanced. Again, what would you rather be doing with your pool; enjoying it or maintaining it?
Are inground fiberglass pools really that easy to maintain? Find out for yourself. Give us a call or email. We have hundreds of clients that will literally talk your ear off about how wonderful and low maintenance their inground fiberglass pools are. We have many who are former concrete pool owners and they would be the first to tell you to ditch the pool brush and hop on the float.
Posted by Marc Sheridan on Mon, Jun 01, 2009 @ 08:59 AM
By Jim Spiess,
www.PoolSchool.us
The question is, should I buy a fiberglass pool when I am not sure of what the economy is going to do? The answer to that question solely rests with you. You are the one that knows your financial situation, how stable is your job, if you have a savings account to fall back on in hard times, and how well you manage your money. If you have a job that is in a stable field such as law enforcement, doctor, nurse, dentist, dental hygienist, and other areas where economy does not affect you, then you should not have to worry about the economy so much. As far as 401ks go, and the stock market, they should be looked at as long term investments, so the fact that they are down now, 5 years from now they will be back where they should be. I have found personally that when I buy something I find a way to pay for it, if I couldn't pay for it, then it would reflect in my credit score and I would not be able to finance anything anyway. With so many people being upside down on their homes with equity, it is harder to get a loan for a swimming pool, but not impossible. We still have people buying fiberglass swimming pools, they are just not getting as many options as they use too. But a lot of people are investing in their homes with the addition of a beautiful fiberglass swimming pool with the realization that they are going to be living there longer now than anticipated, and they want their home to be a place they can enjoy inside and out. More people are staying home instead of traveling abroad, and even those that have community pools recognize that your own fiberglass pool is so much better to have. The kids will be at your house where you can watch them and know who their friends are, plus you can swim when you want. Community pools and public pools open on Memorial Day and close on Labor Day, when Mother Nature generally shows she can get hot before Memorial Day and stay hot well after Labor Day. Most of our customers are using their pools 8 months out of the year, maybe not swimming all those months, but barbequing, lighting up the fire pits and just enjoying the backyard as a whole with the pool lights on and the water shimmering. The economy has brought a lot of stress to us and a fiberglass pool can help relieve some of that stress, so yes, buying in a down economy can be good with the right circumstances. One other thing to remember is that conservationist have been getting more and more influential with the government, and pools will be harder and harder to get permits for due to the fact that they are trying to say that pools contribute to the pollution of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. This will not only affect people that live near the water, but everyone that lives in the states of Maryland and Virginia. The laws are already on the books that say you cannot cover more than 16% of your property with house, driveways, sidewalks, decks, hot tubs, sheds, garages, pools, or any other structure. They just choose not to enforce these codes in most counties at this time, although there are some counties that do enforce these codes and when someone applies for a permit for a pool in these counties, they have to have a site survey done, an engineered set of plans done and must also ask for a variance. This all adds up to a lot higher cost on the pool if it gets accepted. So fiberglass pools will add value to your home even more so in the future. So is now the time to buy your fiberglass pool?? I think so.