Swimming Pools

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Determining Size and Shape

Swimming Pool to the Users Needs

Swimming Pool Size and Shape

Space around the swimming pool

The Shell that holds the Water

You can have a Spa, too

Fiberglass Pools

Fiberglass one-piece Swimming pool shell

In addition to the one-piece shell, there are several hybrids combining fiberglass sidewalls with bottoms of various materials.

The biggest advantage of fiberglass pools is low maintenance; the slick surface is difficult for algae to cling to and is easy to clean. Color is built right into the material, and usually no other surface finish is required. In areas where the alkaline content of the water is high, however, improperly maintained pool water can chalk the finish; the pool will then have to be painted.

Fiberglass shell

Major improvements in the construction and installation of fiberglass shells have overcome the original problems of leaking, buckling, and adverse reaction to soil chemicals.

Since the size of the shells makes long distance transportation uneconomical, they may not be available outside of major population centers. As the demand increases however, more manufacturing plants are being established to extend the market for these pools.

White Fiberglass Swimming Pool

The swimming pool constructed on an upside-down mold. To form the smooth surface on the inside of the pool, a layer of gelcoat containing the color is applied to the mold. Then, layers of resin-saturated fiberglass are laminated over the gelcoat to the desired thickness. Necessary reinforcement is added as the glass cloth is build up. The steps are build as part of the shell.

After the excavation is completed and the plumbing installed, a bed of sand is spread in the bottom of the hole and contoured to fit the shell. A crane picks the shell up off a trailer and swings it into place. After the plumbing is connected and the backfilling completed, the one-piece concrete bond beam and deck is poured integrally with the coping, which is part of the fiberglass shell.

The major disadvantage of the one-piece fiberglass mold is the limitation in size and shape. Since molds are massive and expensive, manufacturers offer only a few models.

Hybrid Fiberglass Pools

Hybrid fiberglass pools usually have 1 meter high fiberglass sidewalls that may be made either from a continuous length or from flanged fiberglass sections bolted together with a leak-proof seal. Some are designed to be installed with a concrete bottom and others with a vinyl bottom over sand – the latter type is called a “low-hung” vinyl-lined pool. The fiberglass is the same as in the one-piece shell.

The sidewalls are flexible and, in the case of a concrete-bottom pool, accommodate almost any size and shape. The low-hung pool's size and shape are limited by the capability of the liner manufacturer.

Other Swimming pool constrution materials are; Gunite, Poured Concrete, Hand-Packed Concrete, Masonry Blocks, Vinyl-lined Pools, Metal or Plastic Sidewall Pools, Fiberglass Pools, Fiberglass Shells and Hybrid Fiberglass, and Portable Pools.