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River Pools & Spas Blog
The most educational swimming pool blog in the country, providing fiberglass pool articles and videos, as well as information on inground concrete and liner pools.
Concrete Pool Information | Pool Maintenance
The following is a guest post from Diane Pierce at Authentic Plaster & Tile. Owning a pool can be a relaxing way to take a break after a long day, or enjoy the majority of your summer vacation. They’re the ideal location for any backyard barbecue where friends and family can gather together, connect with each other, eat good food, and splash around. They can also be a lot of work if not properly maintained in a timely manner.
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Concrete Pool Information | Fiberglass Pool Information | Finding A Pool Contractor | Vinyl Liner Pool Information
Fine print: we all hate it. How many of us really read the Terms and Conditions? Buckle down...you really do need to read your pool warranty. Actually read it. Then ask about anything you don’t understand or agree with.
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Don't blindly wonder if a fiberglass, concrete, or vinyl liner pool is right for you. Our educational ebook does a deep-dive comparison of the 3 types, all while noting the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Concrete Pool Information | Cost and Pricing | Pool Maintenance
When I’m not taking the pool industry by storm, I like to write novels. I plan ahead obsessively: think 10-page character sheets, hand-drawn world maps, and color-coded plot diagrams. “Congratulations on overthinking everything,” you say, “but I’m not writing a book. I’m buying a pool.” Don’t give me that look! For pool purchases and maintenance, you, too, need to plan ahead. Maps and diagrams included, probably.
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Concrete Pool Information | Installation & Construction | Options and Accessories
Concrete pools are often called “gunite” pools... but you may have heard of "shotcrete" pools, too. Researching your options when you want to buy an inground pool can feel overwhelming if you're unfamiliar with all the terms, technologies, methods, and processes professional pool builders toss around on a daily basis. But it's not as complicated as it can seem from the outside. This guide will help you understand the differences and similarities between plain old concrete, gunite, and shotcrete -- particularly when you want to use this material to build a sleek inground pool in your backyard. When you can speak a pool builder's language, you'll be on firm footing to negotiate your pool project's dimensions, costs, timelines, and options. Let's get started... Concrete fundamentals Concrete is a mix of water, cement, sand, and a coarse aggregate, which is a material made up of small particles, usually small crushed stones or gravel. The difference between sand and aggregate mainly comes down to the size of the particles and (sometimes) what they're made of. The sand you'll find at the beach or in the desert is usually made of quartz or limestone, but sand particles are always smaller than gravel, even if sand and gravel are made up of the same basic chemicals. Dry concrete is considered an "initial mixture" of cement, sand, and aggregate. The process of mixing water into an initial mixture of concrete gives the end product its name.
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Concrete Pool Information | Installation & Construction | Swimming Pool Design
What’s the best concrete thickness for your pool? If you’re asking this question, you’re probably already looking at and comparing the pool contractors in your area. The vast majority of us can’t DIY a concrete pool; the process is too complicated and technical. You’ll contract professionals to engineer and construct it. Be sure to ask them the relevant questions we lay out in our Swimming Pool Builder Vetting Checklist to confirm their integrity and expertise.
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Concrete Pool Information | Fiberglass Pool Information | Swimming Pool FAQs
Time for a radical statement: fiberglass pools aren’t for everyone.
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Concrete Pool Information | Fiberglass vs Concrete vs Vinyl Liner | Installation & Construction
If you’re planning to buy a concrete pool, have you ever wished you could time-travel to the future and see what the construction process is like? Time travel is, of course, the best solution to any question, but in this case we can provide answers without it.
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Concrete Pool Information | Installation & Construction | Options and Accessories | Swimming Pool Design
Here at River Pools, we care about your skincare routine. Well, for your feet. If you already have a concrete or gunite pool—or have ever been in one—you know that its surface chafes. Plain old plaster may look classy, but the scrapes on your skin do not. It’s even worse for kiddies, who need water shoes. To save yourself some Neosporin, you may want to consider upgrading the interior finish.
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Concrete Pool Information | Swimming Pool FAQs | Vinyl Liner Pool Information
Even though we’re one of the country’s leading fiberglass pool specialists, we’re still familiar with concrete and vinyl liner pools and understand that they have a place in the market. We appreciate their value and recognize that people want to learn about all types of pools. We’re here to help you learn everything you need to know about buying the perfect pool for you and your family. In this article, we'll cover the pros and cons of these two types of pools in the following areas:
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Concrete Pool Information | Pool Design Guides | Swimming Pool Design
Every pool owner has different goals. This affects the design—pools don’t have to be (and shouldn’t be) one-size-fits-all. You can customize concrete or gunite pools to fit almost any look you like, which is a huge advantage for this pool type. However, most don’t vary that much.
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