Posted by Marcus Sheridan on Thu, Aug 19, 2010 @ 12:13 AM
As just about any pool shopper knows, there is a significant debate raging on in the swimming pool industry:
Concrete Compared to Fiberglass: Which is the Best Swimming Pool?
Understandably, this question merits serious consideration. But the truth is, just about every pool guy is quite biased when it comes to the product they sell. And no matter what any person says, they are almost always leaning one way or another when it comes to what they tend to recommend to customers.
I've mentioned many times that we try not to be 'that guy' here at River Pools---You know, the one that is so blinded by his own products and need to 'make a sale' that he completely loses track of what the customer is really looking for. In reality, the fact is fiberglass pools aren't for everyone. Nor is a concrete or gunite pool the right choice for many consumers. One has size/shape limitations. The other involves significant upkeep, chemicals, and maintenance.
But when comparing the two, the truest way to know the merits of each product is to actually ask a consumer who has owned or currently owns both products. After all, pool owners that have experience with only one type of pool only know things from their one-way perspective. Not that this is by any stretch a bad thing, it just is what it is. But when you take an individual who owns both and ask that person to compare, well then we have a serious analysis at hand.
So without further ado let's finally hear what a customer who owns both products has to say. The following video shows Ken Knull, owner of Yankee Pt marina in Lancaster Virginia. Ken owns a fiberglass pool at his marina. He also owns a concrete pool at his residence. Considering the heavy usage of his fiberglass pool, Ken is the perfect case study of someone who can shed legitimate light and understanding on such a long-standing debate:
Posted by Marcus Sheridan on Wed, Jul 21, 2010 @ 11:04 AM
One of the greatest evolutions in the fiberglass swimming pool industry has been a concerted effort from many builders and manufacturers to add customized features to their products. And considering the biggest knock on a fiberglass swimming pool is its lack of customization, such an effort makes quite a bit of sense.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, one of the more ‘en vogue’ swimming pool features homeowners have been looking for is the addition of a tanning ledge/water feature to their poolscape. Because fiberglass pools have width limitations, such a feat is difficult unless the tanning ledge is modular (as offered by Trilogy Pools), or if the tanning ledge is built-in, just as it would be on a concrete pool.
The following video depicts a custom tanning ledge on a Leisure (Riviera Model) fiberglass pool. The tanning ledge is made out of regular concrete and is overlaid with a ceramic tile, specifically Aztec cobalt. Along with the ledge, you’ll also notice 3 bubblers that were built into the structure as well.
So if you are considering a fiberglass pool, and are worried you may not get as many ‘customized’ features as you’d like, make sure to check and see the limitations of your builder, as you may be very surprised just how customized these pools can really be.
Marcus Sheridan
Posted by Jason Hughes on Tue, Jul 13, 2010 @ 10:20 PM
One of the most challenging aspects of buying an inground pool is visualizing what the finished project will look like, and this is especially true on a sloping lot where retaining walls are needed.
This short video will give you a walking tour of a completed project that has two retaining walls complete with fence and landscaping to help you conceptualize what an inground pool with retaining walls might look like in your backyard.
This particular site had about four feet of slope from the front of the pool to the back; so the solution was to build two separate retaining walls, each two feet tall. The result was gorgeous....check it out for yourself.
Posted by Marcus Sheridan on Mon, Jul 12, 2010 @ 09:54 AM
Although there are certainly many ways to dress up an inground swimming pool, I wanted to write a brief list showing 11 things (just about all of which are shown in the video) you may consider to dress up the overall appearance of your backyard ‘poolscape’. Keep in mind that as you read the following ideas they are just that-- ideas, and by no means a requisite to having a beautiful pool in your backyard. As I always say, it’s better to have a pool in your backyard without all the options you wanted, than it is to have a beautiful pool with every option you ever dreamed of......in your head……and not in your backyard.
But without further ado, here goes:
1. Colored Pool Finish: White pools, especially if you’re considering fiberglass or concrete, have gone the way of the dinosaur. And to this I say good riddance. Colors make swimming pools look more natural, inviting, and often times create that ‘Carribean’ feel so many are looking for.
2. Separate Coping Color: As shown in the attached video, installing a separate border around an inground pool not only delineates the pool, but it adds a ‘pop’ to the shape itself. Borders can be done in a variety of ways, with an 18” stamped concrete border w/extra cuts the most common method on a fiberglass swimming pool.
3. Decorative Patio: Stamped Concrete and Pavers are two of the most common ways homeowners dress up their pool patio, but there are also many more, like bluestone, CoolDeck/Spray Deck, etc.
4. Gravel Between Pool and Fence: You'll notice on the video that the homeowner layed a white gravel beteen the fence and the pool. This makes for a perfect transition and is also rather low maintenance in terms of yardwork.
5. Dress Up the Fence: As shown in the video, black aluminum combined with brick pillars is very, very pretty. It’s also very expensive, but if you have the additional funds, the elegant feel it brings to the backyard is significant.
6. Arched Gate: This one goes hand-in-hand with brick pillars, but an arched gate has an impressive feel adds a nice flare to the fence itself.
7. Flowers/Greenery/Shrubs/Etc: The homeowner in the video did an excellent job with his plantings around the pool area, especially in the pathways that lead to the pool. When done the right way and with the right selection, plantings can completely change the look and feel of a backyard.
8. Water Features: This is one of the few elements not shown in the video, but water features have a powerful effect on the backyard/swimming pool experience. Even simple waterfalls are popular these days because of their relaxing and tranquil impact on the pool area.
9. Multiple Seating Elevations: In the attached video, the homeowner achieved this with a nicely designed composite deck that had multiple levels, overlooking the pool. This can also be achieved by using landscape blocks to create steps, benches, etc.
10. Contour Your Patio: The homeowners did an excellent job of this in the video, as they put an arch in the concrete on the opposite side of the arch in the Moroccan (fiberglass pool by Leisure), thus accentuating the shape of the pool and adding further to the 'classy' feel of the backyard.
11. Landscape Lighting: It's a shame we couldn't do a night-time video of this pool as well, because all of the landscape lighting has an awesome effect on the overall ambiance of the backyard at night time.
Well I hope this little list and video helps you with further ideas to enhance the look of your backyard swimming pool experience. If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to leave them below.
Posted by Marcus Sheridan on Mon, May 10, 2010 @ 10:43 AM
When one looks back on the fiberglass pool industry over the last 25 years or so, it's truly amazing the amount of progress the industry has made as a whole. Upon reflection on these changes, I figured it would be a good thing to look at this time period and mention the innovations that have made their mark on the industry.
Top 5 Fiberglass Pool Innovations of the Last 25 Years
1. Vinyl Ester Resins
Without getting too technical here, there are many grades of resins that can be used in the construction of a fiberglass swimming pool. Unfortunately, fiberglass pools a few decades ago were being constructed without vinyl ester resin, which is a tremendous barrier and prevents water wreaking havoc on a fiberglass pool over time. When cheaper resins are used, such issues as cobalting and blisters rear their ugly heads, which was certainly the case with some of the first fiberglass pools. But today, just about every manufacturer in the fiberglass pool industry is using at least a layer of VE resin in their pools, which is a great stride in the right direction.
2. Cantilevered Coping
Maybe the biggest knock on fiberglass pools from pool builders and consumers in the past was their ‘bathtub' and modular-looking appearance. This stigma was mainly a result of concrete patios being poured up to the fiberglass lip versus on top of the fiberglass lip. I've spoken heavily on this subject before (watch a how-to video here), as it still is a subject of debate at times due to antiquated thought on behalf of certain builders and manufacturers, but the simple fact is that cantilevered concrete coping not only forms a powerful bond-beam around a fiberglass pool, but also allows it to rival a concrete/gunite pool in terms of aesthetics.
3. GOOD Color Finishes
Notice I did not write here ‘Colored Finishes'. This is because colored finishes on a fiberglass pool have had a tremendous benefit in terms of aesthetics to this industry, but is some regards these colors have hurt the industry as well. I mention this because like everything else in the world, just because a manufacturer produces a shell with colored finishes doesn't mean it's a quality product. Heck, warranties don't even mean it's a good finish considering some of the semantic games I've seen certain manufacturers play in recent months. Fact is, there are companies
out there that are offering great colored finishes on their pools that will last a long time, which is a great thing for the consumer. I can only hope some other manufacturers that are not so ‘quality oriented' will soon follow suit.
4. Gravel Base and Backfill
Another point of controversy here but I'm happy to say that just about every forward-thinking, quality-minded builder and manufacturer (Trilogy Pools was pushing gravel 6 years ago)in the industry has now moved to gravel as the base and backfill to their pools. Having discussed this point in multiple other
articles, I'm still at times saddened by the fact that some manufacturers have put up a fight against suggesting gravel as the base and backfill for their pools, which is a clear sign of delusion. In fact, just as vinyl ester is now a standard part of the fiberglass pool experience, gravel will soon be as well, mark my words. Simply put, there is just too much science, evidence, and common-sense on the side of gravel.
5. The Use of Tile
These days, it's quite common to see the use of ceramic tile in fiberglass swimming pools. Whether it's tile on the waterline, inlay tile in the steps and seats, or possibly a mosaic in the floor; ceramic tile has allowed fiberglass pools to take one more step in their customization abilities as well as their aesthetic rivaling of concrete pools. Other than the great videos
that are available on our site, I'd also suggest you learn from one of the premier tile experts in the industry, Robert Ault, to learn more about the subject.
So there are your top 5 fiberglass pool innovations over the last 25 years. Although I'd could certainly list many, many more, suffices to say that these 5 have been critical to the growth of the industry.
Marcus Sheridan
Posted by Marcus Sheridan on Wed, Mar 24, 2010 @ 11:02 AM
Fiberglass Pool Coping: A How-To Video
One of the biggest factors in the success of a fiberglass pool project is the proper forming and pouring of the concrete patio. The absolute best way to achieve maximum structural integrity, as well as aesthetics, is to use cantilever forms. But as we've talked about many times in this blog, the reality is that many fiberglass pool builders have not yet fully grasped this construction technique.
This is why we at River Pools and Spas are so excited about this video, as it is, at least far as we're aware, the first of its kind. We hope that this video will be a tool for novice and even experienced fiberglass pool builders around the world to help them refine their trade and in-turn elevate the entire industry. We also hope this video will be utilized by homeowners attempting to bite off the huge task of building their own fiberglass pool from scratch in a DIY project.
If anyone has any questions regarding this unique skill, feel free to email Jason Hughes, who produced and narrated this entire video, at riverpoolsjason@gmail.com ...
Also, we invite all to leave comments, questions, or thoughts below.
Posted by Jason Hughes on Mon, Feb 22, 2010 @ 12:15 PM
Many people, especially when debating over whether to install a fiberglass pool themselves or have a professional installer do it for them, are frankly not quite sure of what a proper installation entails. As we have done with so many other videos regarding the swimming pool industry, this video (produced by Jason Hughes) takes all the essential steps of unloading, excavating, setting, plumbing, filling with water, and backfilling a fiberglass pool and rolls it into a concise yet extremely informative and entertaining 10 minute video.
Upon reviewing the video, if anyone has any comments or questions about what a proper fiberglass pool installation involves, please don't hesitate to put your thoughts below.
As always, we appreciate the involvement of the community that has grown here at the River Pools and Spas blog.
Posted by Jason Hughes on Thu, Feb 11, 2010 @ 11:34 AM
Most fiberglass pool shells come from the manufacturer without skimmers, return fittings, main drain fittings, or any other thru-wall fitting installed on the pool. This outfitting must be done by the pool installer and although it may seem simple in principle, it is a critical component to the successful installation of the pool. This step-by-step video demonstrates how to locate, cut, and install these components so they are secure and leak free.
As always, feel free to comment and don't forget to subscribe to our blog before leaving the site.
Video By Jason Hughes, PoolSchool
Posted by Jason Hughes on Wed, Feb 03, 2010 @ 07:25 AM
One of the most exciting and fascinating parts of every fiberglass pool installation is the moment the pool shows up on the truck and is carried to the backyard. Crowds assemble, the cameras start flashing, and the kids all run to grab their bathing suits.
This crowd pleasing process actually requires great skill and precision. The pools normally weigh anywhere from 1,500 to 3,500 pounds and it is common to have access lanes to the backyard just a foot or two wider than the actual pool. This video shows the process of unloading a fiberglass pool off of a tilted trailer and setting it into the hole. As always, please feel free to comment and don't forget to subscribe to our blog before leaving the site.
Video by Jason Hughes, http://www.poolschool.us/
Posted by Jason Hughes on Mon, Feb 01, 2010 @ 02:45 PM
We have written extensively on the differences between rigid and flexible PVC pipe and are huge proponents of using rigid PVC on inground pools. But one of the inherent challenges with the material is installing it in the tight and curvey areas around a fiberglass pool.
This video demonstrates the step-by-step process of heat bending rigid PVC pipe for installation on a fiberglass pool. Enjoy, and don't forget to subscribe to our blog before leaving the site.