At the 10 year mark it's possible that brushed nickel will be horribly dated like brass (I don't mind dated finishes but some folks sure do). Chrome really is durable. Unbeatably so. Look at old Buicks! I do have some 80 year old nickel faucets (hot and cold) that look a bit weathered but the nickel is still good. Of course, it started off shiny and is probably not what they are currently using for "nickel". I think for nickel, you need to compare specific manufacturers--the colors of the finish vary and the composition must as well. I had brushed nickel hardware (door handles and cabinet pulls) installed my the PO in my last house and after less than 5 years, the more used ones were worn smooth. I didn't mind, but you could sure see which cabinet had the good towels and which one had the cleaning supplies (insert blushing face here). For durability (and for not being in fashion enough to go out of fashion), I think chrome is the way to go unless you dislike it.

I've been painting for 15 years I really like the purdy "moose" brush I also like the corona slant "stubbys" such as the "cool and "red" brushes simply due to the comfort compaired to the longer skinny handles of other slant brushes out there. But haven't tried a "regular" corona I've had a person say to try 1 says he likes the stiffness of the corona better the the flexiblity of purdy. I guess it just comes down to personal perfence, how one likes the way the brush sits in their hand, and their skill in manipulating their brush. Perhaps I ll explore the other corona brushes unfortunately there r only a couple of shops in nothern Delaware that carry em

And extending on what Lindsey said, buy a small round corner brush to attach to your pole, to get the plaster dust out of the crevices around benches, steps, etc, where the large brush can't reach. It makes a huge difference. I had one for my spa (when it was curing for the 2nd and third time) but not one for the pool. In those crevices by the pool steps that the big brush couldn't get to very well there is white buildup that does not come off now. It's plaster dust that's cured into the finish. All of the crevices in the spa are dust-free and super-smooth thanks to that little corner brush. The first week or so (while the water is clearing) it's critical to brush every time you think about it. After that, once a week is fine. Those first few days, the more you brush, the nicer your plaster will be for the long-term.

We've done a ton of research on fiberglass as we are really leaning that way. I would encourage you to read through this blog: http://blog.riverpoolsandspas.com/ Yes, it may be a bit biased as he is a fiberglass pool installer but I think it's full of good information. Also this forum: http://www.troublefreepool.com/index.php has quite a few fiberglass pool owners. If you search in under construction you will find some interesting stories. In particular the repair of cracks in the gel coats of new pools swayed me a bit in my research. If we end up with fiberglass we will go with barrier reef, leisure pools or trilogy. I say if as our biggest issue has been finding some one with experience in our area to install one. That is a VERY important issue and should not be overlooked! Good luck!