Throughout the years of helping pool shoppers compare and contrast the different types of pools available, I’ve had many that debated the merits of Vinyl Liners versus Fiberglass Pools. So let’s take a closer look at these two swimming pool building methods and the pros and cons of each. While both have their differences the addition of a pool can bring great value to your life. This post is to simply outline the differences between vinyl vs fiberglass. In the Wisconsin area we see a lot of both kinds of pools.
Vinyl Liner Pool Advantages:
Initial Price: In just about every market, a vinyl liner pool will have the lowest initial install price. This is mainly due to the fact that the material costs for a vinyl builder are the lowest, and the labor isn’t too bad either. The majority of vinyl liner pool installations in most parts of the United States fall in the 30-50k range once one figures pool and patio.
Soft/Non Porous Liner: Although vinyl liners have their drawbacks, one of the benefits of a liner is the fact that it, like fiberglass, is not rough on the feet and does not harbor algae growth(unlike concrete/gunite pools). Having a non-porous surface leads to less chemical usage during the season and therefore money savings as well.
Shape/Depth Customization: Unlike a fiberglass pool, vinyl liners can be customized into any shape or depth. So whether you want an ‘L’ shaped pool, a classic Roman, a Grecian, etc; a vinyl liner pool will fit the bill.
Vinyl Liner Pool Disadvantages:
Liner Replacements: Although liner warranties are usually between 20-30 years, the liner warranty covers manufacture defects only and not cover wear & tear that can happen over time with a vinyl liner. In most cases when a vinyl liner needs to be replaced it’s due to normal wear vs manufacture defects. Although the structure of a vinyl liner pool will typically last over 35 years, the liner itself will have to be replaced on average every 8-12 years. In other words, I’ve seen vinyl liner pool owners that have replaced their liner 4 times in 20 years and others that have only replaced it once in 20 years. Currently, the cost of a vinyl liner replacement, when you figure in labor, liner and water, is about $4,000.
Bleaching of Liner: For chlorine users, vinyl liner pools can fade in only a few years time. What this means is that even though the liner itself may hold up, its appearance can look not so great once faded out. Now, at Patio Pleasures we package our pools with a high quality High Tech Tab which allows you to run a lower chlorine level yet sanitizing just as effectively. This will help prevent the fading of a liner. It’s always important to use quality chemicals and not big box or catalog chemicals.
Steps and Benches Don’t Always Match Liner: In most cases, the steps and benches of a liner pool do not match the actual liner. In other words, let’s say you have a dark blue vinyl liner pool. Steps and benches are usually white fiberglass structures that are inserted and the liner butts-up to these units. While the steps and benches don’t match the benefit is if you have a dog swim in your pool they can get out without puncturing the vinyl. In recent years, some builders have started overlaying the steps and seats with the actual liner to eliminate this problem. This option does add cost to the project.
Coping: A large majority of vinyl pool builders use an aluminum C-track coping edge for the interior coping of the pool’s patio. Although using a C-track makes the process of pour concrete around a vinyl pool much easier, it also negatively impacts the pool’s appearance. A vinyl liner pool owner can use a cantilever coping when purchasing a vinyl liner pool to eliminate this issue.
Fiberglass Pools
Fiberglass Pool Advantages:
Lower Maintenance: This is what originally spawned the fiberglass pool movement throughout the United States and the rest of the world. Pool buyers, in general, want a pool that will be low maintenance in terms of chemicals as well as repairs down the road. Fiberglass pools fit this need better than any other pool structure.
Aesthetics: In their early stages, fiberglass pools were rather ugly, with white being the only finish available and exposed fiberglass coping edges. But with new mold innovations, colored finishes, and cantilevered concrete; fiberglass pools have come to rival the aesthetics of concrete pools.
Long Term Cost: Because of their incredible longevity, the cost of a fiberglass pool, over its lifetime, is usually much less than a vinyl liner pool.
Resell: Because of their aforementioned benefits, fiberglass pools will often appeal to home buyers that normally would not have been interested in swimming pool ownership.
Fiberglass Pool Disadvantages:
Shape/Depth Limitations: The main drawback of a fiberglass pool is that they typically don’t go deeper than 8′ and no wider than 16′. This does limit one’s ability to customize pool shape and depth.
Initial Price: For some customers, the initial price of fiberglass pools can be a drawback. When comparing a vinyl liner pool apples to apples with a fiberglass pool one will find that a fiberglass pool is initially 10-20k more.
