fiberglass costs
kekoa
17 years ago
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jimcufsem
17 years agoRelated Discussions
Why NOT Fiberglass?
Comments (29)All I can say is wow! I found the right discussion, or should I say debate, on concrete vs fiberglass. It looks like I may be a few years behind, but perhaps people are still willing to bring this conversation back..? As a background, I came here looking for a good discussion on which type of pool to look for in buying a new home in northern KY, or maybe which type of pool to avoid. I just moved here from FL and the last two homes I’ve lived in had traditional concrete pools. In fact in FL, it really wasn’t much of a discussion to have. It was very rare that I saw a pool that was anything other than concrete. I’ve seen many high quality pools in the time I was in FL and for some reason I can’t find many homes that seem to compare here in KY. Just so everyone knows, Im not trying to defend what I am biased towards given my history of purchases, which would be concrete, I simply am trying to reignite the debate to perhaps better understand the reasons why someone would lean towards buying a home with a pool of any specific construction? Or perhaps the answer would be, the pool construction type would Not influence the purchaser either way? Keep in mind, this topic is for buying a home with an existing pool, not to build a new pool, which I completely understand would change many opinions just on the purchase cost alone. There are a few topics I would like to comment on, given I have owned and maintained pools and hot tubs for close to 15 years now. For one, it seems that a handful of folks believe the chemistry is drastically different for pool types where fiberglass is said to be “impervious” to pool chemicals. I Strongly believe this is false and the folks who have debated otherwise have not convinced me with what seem to be opinions, not facts. Sure, concrete as a material is not 100% impervious because it absorbs, which is partly why it needs to be surfaced/sealed. I can also see how surface texture could influence things a bit. You could maybe even argue that concrete’s heat coefficient could influence surface temperature and in turn cause further issues, but at the end of the day, chemistry is chemistry. If you use a pool daily, the pH levels change, and acid levels needs to be modified. This is caused by chemicals that come from humans, not surf ace materials people. Humans sweat, are often dirty and/or wear lotions, and this causes alkalinity levels to rise. It has nothing to do with surface materials. For textured surfaces, algae is captured and it shows, for slippery surfaces, it goes somewhere else. As for high maintenance and cleaning for concrete pools, I don’t buy this one either. I’ve had times where for months if my previous concrete pool was not used and weather was OK, I had literally no maintenance. I’ve had other times when it was being used often, that I had to test levels and add chemicals daily. In parallel to the concrete pools I’ve had, I have also had concrete spas and fiberglass spas. The material had almost no influence on chemical treatment, only it seemed cleaning was a bit different given texture and openings. Sure the concrete was rougher and when algae formed, it was more difficult to clean. As for the fiberglass spas I’ve had, the algae seemed to find its way further into jets, which caused me to have to scrub even more to clean them. So at the end of the day, it was about the same. The bottom line for me has been, when I find a pool that was made by a good quality concrete installer, the pool not only feels of higher quality, but it looks of higher quality and appears to settle well with the space around it. I’ve seen about 15 homes now with fiberglass pools, and not only do most of them appear to be of lessor quality, but most of them seem to have issues with the materials that were built up around them. For example, in some cases where decking was constructed around the pool, the material has aged and/or is warping. In other cases I’ve seen folks pour concrete around the fiberglass pool (which just feels like a mistake), and in one case I saw differential settlement that caused the surface water to drain between the two which will eventually result in disaster (hence I didn’t buy that house). Is this perhaps just a coincidence of what I’ve seen, or can someone convince me that fiberglass can be better, and I should look for a house with a fiberglass pool..? For now, I feel that I would not only stick with concrete, but would further avoid fiberglass all together....See MoreLooking for Safe pools in Foster
Comments (14)We have owned a fiberglass pool and are getting ready to build a shotcrete pool. Not sure what you mean about which one is safer, as Scott said, they both hold water so you can drown in either one. They say fiberglass is easier to maintain but ANY pool needs regular maintenance to stay in good shape. Fiberglass is covered in gelcoat and gelcoat WILL oxidize. Just look at any older fiberglass boat, they are not shiny anymore unless they have been very well maintained. Gelcoat also can suffer from osmotic blistering (which happened to our pool as well). It can be repaired just as a gunite pool can be replastered, it just costs money. Our fiberglass pool was smooth, we had slippage issues on the steps. I'm sure there are options available to help with this. I find plaster to be smooth and comfortable as well. From reading it seems that costs can vary, in some places fiberglass costs more than gunite and vice versa or equal in other areas. Fiberglass only comes in certain shapes but some companies offer plenty of shapes to choose from. Gunite can be any shape. If you want or need a certain shape for your space and can't find a fiberglass pool that will fit, gunite can be made however your heart desires....See MoreInsulation - polyurethane foam vs. others
Comments (19)Nobody mentioned dense-pack cellulose. :) Each type of insulation has its merits and drawbacks. This is based on research we've done for a future addition: Fiberglass is less expensive to purchase, easy to install. To properly address the building envelope, you still need to seal all air gaps, a vapor barrier on the warm side, and a thermal break to eliminate bridging at the studs. Fiberglass also allows convection between the fibers; it's a very slow process, but one that is augmented by increased temperature variables between inside & outside. That's one reason why FG's effectiveness decreases as the outside temperature drops. Plus if it gets wet, it's practically useless. Dense-pack cellulose is supposed to give a slightly higher R-value per inch, and retains more of its insulating value at greater temperature differentials than FG. (People I know who have used it say it has better sound-absorbing features, but there may be other contributing factors to that as well.) The same issues apply regarding sealing air gaps, using vapor barriers and thermal breaks. And don't let it get wet. Sprayed expanding foam addresses and virtually eliminates issues regarding air infiltration, convection, and vapor barriers, and has a high R-value per inch; however, you still need to address thermal bridging. You might save the cost of an inside vapor barrier, but the product appears to be 2- to 3-times the cost of FG, so payback will be longer. I have read some claims regarding added structural benefit, but I know nothing about that. Supposedly it results in a quieter home as well. Perhaps the most important information I gathered from all my research is that, in the typical home, there is more to be gained by choosing -- and properly installing -- GOOD windows & doors, tightening up the building envelope, and properly sizing and designing your HVAC system, than by simply choosing any particular type of insulation. So in a way I agree with Manhattan, especially for the budget-conscious, you're not likely to recoup the cost of sprayed foam as quickly as a more conventional product, as long as the entire envelope is properly addressed. But then, of course, there are SIPs. :)...See MoreFiberglass windows - help before I spend big $$
Comments (4)Chipster, I have a real problem with the tax credit. It is not nearly big enough. The project is likely to be 25K (or more) and the materials alone 15K plus. They should be giving much bigger incentive to reduce carbon footprint/energy use. Barley a drop in the bucket and lack of $$ support makes very hard to commit to the best choice for the planet. Please go ahead and do the "contact" sheet for these guys (Serious) and see who they send out. Please post back. Be sure to ask about cheaper to manufacture but cost more. The accountant/auditor in me would be all over them for that and then the saleperson would leave in a tiff, etc. One guy left because I would not touch his vinyl window and I refuse to ever speak of Long Windows after the "are you able to make a decision" yes Mr. B^&TMunch, I can make a decision. Do it every day of my life without any assistance form the hubby. It does not take two signatures for a bidning contract - it does take, offer acceptance, consideration, capcity, legality of subject matter, etc. Hate those people. I have almost entered the data on Serious twice but really hate the fact they they invite themselves into my home. Why can't they just give the data and let me do the math? Really insulted by the whole window shopping process. Makes a person feal dirty - and yet the house leaks like a sieve....See Morelorriekay
17 years agofool52
17 years agojimcufsem
17 years ago
There are a few for ya Lorrie. I will get some new ones after the landscaping is done this month. Its a rockport, and as fool52 said, it looked HUGE out of the ground, but shrunk once it got in! The size is fine for use since we didnt want our whole yard taken up, plus I had the pool guy pour a shed foundation next to the pool. The shell sat in my front yard for a week upside down, and the neighbors guesses as to what it was ranged from a bomb shelter to a pre fab skateboard park!
fool52
17 years agokekoa
17 years agokekoa
17 years agoharryc
17 years agofool52
17 years agoharryc
17 years agokekoa
17 years agokeithw
17 years agoKekoa,
I did my own fiberglass pool install including excavation. I had to rent the excavator, wish I had a neighbor who had one because that was $1,000.00! All in I probably have about 13K in the total job. I have a CPC Marco, 25 x 12 pool. The shell itself was $8,500.00 + delivery.
Here is a link that might be useful: Keith's Pool build
harryc
17 years agokeithw
17 years agojimcufsem
17 years agokeithw
17 years agokekoa
17 years agodas1056
17 years agokekoa
17 years agodonaldv
16 years ago
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