OT Swimming pools
 

We just moved into a new house here in Illinois and the wife wants a swimming pool. She had an above ground at the old house. The new town does not allow above ground. It is in my best interest (read- new boat soon) to honor her wish.

Anybody have any ideas as to the most cost effective way to get a pool installed. I thought there was some kind of liner type that was cheaper. I can do all the extra stuff like running electric and putting up the fence etc. I am not looking for a monster pool or anything, just something that will do that is in the ground.

HELP !!!!


Dave

Around here there's been companies advertising fiberglass pools - they dig a hole and plop the new 'glass pool right in. No pouring gunnite like the old days - really sounds like a no-brainer idea.

Try google - I'll bet you find something on the 'net.

Liner pools are the best for the money. Don't go with fiberglass lots of trouble with leveling and keeping level and problems with floating when it needs to be drained from ground water.

Check out poolwarehouse.com. My boss put his in himself 20 x 40 slide diving board for around 25000. Mike

I know several who have put liners in gunite pools after lots of troubles (one guy just filled it with dirt and had it sodded)...

In some areas, though, gunite holds up quite well.
They are just SO hard on your feet if you play rough in a pool.

Liners will tear if your family is keen on throwing pool furniture in the pool and having WWF matches in it - or if you have some horrid long-clawed water-loving dog that doesn't have enough brains to find the stairs and dogpaddles a hole in the liner wondering why he can't swim out of the side of the pool...

Fiberglass may be the cheapest if you can cut a deal with the guy who owns the molds (call some glass shops - around here, one out of three has a big pool mold lying around). They WILL indeed float out of the ground just like those caskets we all saw in those flooded Texas towns - if you have ANY groundwater issues in your area, then you need to consider that.

I've had three liner pools and I like em. I can throw on a mask and patch a small tear myself without draining the pool. Liner is usually good for seven years. Not all that hard to change it out (I've swapped one out myself and paid for the others).

So you are going to take the plunge cool .I too am getting ready to put one in but it will be what they call shotcreat or plastered.I just posted about a month ago about my friend and his insurance co.that was going to cancel him if he did not remove the slide and diveing board.Seems like the insurance co. are going crazey about everything. Heard that they are starting to look at the trees around the homes they insure and if there are any large limbs overhanging the house that there will be some chopping or some dropping. :cool:

FYI on the popping.

A gunnite pool also pops if you have high groundwater and if it gets totally empty. It's just like a concrete boat (they exist) v.v. a fiberglass boat: They both float. I have a gunnite pool, and it has some kind of a well and a pump connection underneath. When the pool gets totally drained, the pump must run round the clock to lower the water table.

Check with Cental Pool Supply in Peoria IL. That is where I got my inground pool, about 15 years ago. I've had to replace a liner once in 15 years. The also have the fiberglass ones that you are talking about.

Pools are a great item to purchase. I make my living in the pool industry and it allows me to insure and fuel my boats. I build in California and we are somewhat different than most other parts of the country but all pools are very similar. The midwest and south are big on vinyl liner inground pools due to soil freezing. I believe that one of my suppliers, South Central Pools has an outlet in your area, this is a wholesale only outlet so you would have to befriend a pool guy but they sell the complete package that you need. I hope this helps. Contact me if you need any info. Doug