3Feb
A Look at the Benefits of Choosing a Vinyl-Lined Pool Over Concrete or Fibreglass
When building a new in-ground pool for your backyard, you have tons of options to choose from, which means making important decisions can be difficult without the proper knowledge.
Concrete, fibreglass, and vinyl-lined pools all have their advantages. But when it comes to cost, installation time, maintenance, and customization, one option might be the best for you, your home, and your budget.
Here’s a look at the benefits of vinyl in-ground swimming pools, and why you should consider choosing this option over concrete or fibreglass.
Benefits of Vinyl Inground Pools
Cost-Effective
While any type of pool installation is an investment for your home, vinyl-lined pools are the most cost-effective pool option. Not only are they less costly to install compared to concrete and fibreglass pools, but they are also less expensive to repair as well.
Concrete is the most expensive type of pool to install and maintain. Fibreglass is more cost-effective than concrete but is still more expensive to ship and repair than vinyl-liner pools.
Though you will need to replace the vinyl liner eventually, the liner replacement is still more affordable than resurfacing a gunite pool.
Low Maintenance
Vinyl-lined pools are considerably low-maintenance compared to concrete and fibreglass pools. Vinyl liners are less porous than concrete, so it is more difficult for contaminants like algae to grow in vinyl liners.
Smooth Surface
The smooth surface of a vinyl liner is also gentle on the skin. You don’t have to worry about scraping your skin on a rough concrete surface. And it is much kinder to the bottoms of your feet.
More Design Options
Vinyl liners can be designed for many shapes and styles of pools, including pools with tanning ledges, water features, and spillover spas. Vinyl-lined pools can also be designed with a deeper end than fibreglass pools.
Fast and Easy Installation
Vinyl-liner pools are fast and easy to install. So instead of having to wait all summer to enjoy your new pool, you will only have to wait a few weeks.
Less Vulnerable to Cold, Canadian Winters
Vinyl pools are less vulnerable to the freeze/thaw cycle of Canadian winters that pose a threat to cracking concrete pools.
Can Be Customized
Vinyl liners are easily customizable, with liners available in a variety of colours, patterns, and thicknesses.
You can also opt for a textured non-slip surface. And if you ever wish to change the look of your pool, you can replace your vinyl liner with a new design—which is not so easy to do with concrete and fibreglass pools.
Vinyl vs Concrete
Installation Time
Vinyl pool installations take much less time compared to concrete pools. While a vinyl pool can be ready in a matter of weeks, a concrete pool can take a few months to install.
It takes about three to eight weeks to install a vinyl-lined pool. So even if you start building in late spring, you will still have your pool ready for use in summer.
For concrete pools, it can take all summer—about three to six months—to install. So you probably won’t be able to enjoy your concrete pool until the following year.
Installation & Maintenance Costs
Vinyl pools also cost much less to install and maintain compared to concrete pools.
Concrete pools costing typically cost anywhere from $80,000 to $120,000, while vinyl inground pools start at $30,000.
Concrete pool maintenance costs run about $25,000 every 10 years for acid washes, replastering, and the high costs for pool chemicals and energy usage.
Vinyl pools tend to use less energy and fewer chemicals, reducing overall lifetime maintenance costs. And a vinyl liner replacement only costs around $4,000-$5,500 every five to 12 years.
Customization
Both concrete pools and vinyl-lined pools can be customized to any shape, size, and depth, and have custom features. However, concrete pools may have more customizable features available.
Interior Surface
Vinyl pools have smooth surfaces that are gentle on your skin. Whereas concrete pools tend to have rough plaster finishes that can easily scrape your skin—so much so that kids often have to wear water shoes in concrete pools to avoid hurting their feet and getting blisters.
Durability
Concrete pools are more durable than vinyl liners, especially if you let your dog swim in the pool. While concrete is resistant to scratches from dog nails and branches, vinyl liners can eventually tear.
And if there is a leak in your liner that doesn’t get fixed, the pool water will eventually corrode the metal wall panels or wear down polymer wall panels.
Pool Maintenance
Since concrete pools have porous surfaces, algae can easily embed in the surface and become extremely difficult to remove. So it is recommended to brush the surface of a concrete pool at least once a week with a steel brush to remove algae from the pool’s surface.
You will also need to use more pool chemicals to prevent algae growth in a concrete pool, along with more energy for heavy circulation to ensure your pool stays clean. And the high pH of concrete means you will need to add acid regularly to keep the water’s pH level balanced.
The plaster on a concrete pool surface will eventually stain, crack, flake, and wear down over time. So concrete pools require acid washing every three to five years, and refinishing with plaster every 10 to 15 years.
Vinyl liners are smooth and less porous than concrete, so they are less prone to algae. And they won’t affect the pH of the water as much as concrete plaster does, so you won’t need to spend as much money on pool chemicals or energy use overall.
But these liners can experience wrinkles, divots, and dents, which can take time and effort to smooth out. And if there is a tear in the liner, you will need to patch it until you replace the liner.
Pool liners require replacement every five to 12 years, but are less costly and experience fewer issues overall compared to concrete.
The pool-building season is just around the corner, so it’s time to consider the best pool option for you, your home, and your budget.
With the fast and easy installation of vinyl-lined in-ground swimming pools, consider this option so your pool can be ready in time to enjoy this summer.