Swimming pools have become very common and there is no better addition to your backyard than having a swimming pool. This swimming pool can completely change the look of the house and you can use the spool for swimming, hosting parties and even relaxing by the pool. Getting a swimming pool is costly and before you go forward with such a huge investment, you should know about the different types of pools and their features.
There are three types of pools and they are concrete, vinyl liner, and fiberglass. You can get vinyl liner and fiberglass pools predeveloped and get them installed in your backyard but concrete pools are entirely different. We are going to discuss more about these concrete pools.
What are these concrete swimming pools?
To make it really simple, concrete pools are swimming pools that are made with the help of concrete. Concrete is a mix of water, cement, sand, and a coarse aggregate (stone or gravel). The process of making a concrete swimming pool starts with digging up layers of soil and creating the pit and this pit is then cleaned and is formed into the shape of the pool.
Then this cement is tuned into gunite or shotcrete, Gunite is the dry form of cement and shotcrete is the wet form of the cement. Each type of cement is then sprayed onto the surface and there are various layers of this cement. Cement takes about 20-25 days to harden completely and get its true form and this process is called curling.
This cement is very strong and can withhold water pressure efficiently but cement is very brittle. It is strong but it cannot be bent, if bent, cement develops cracks and cracks are not good for a swimming pool. To get the required shape and structure, the builder uses metal sheets and pour in cement with these sheets.
Now that we know what concrete swimming pools are, we can know the advantages and disadvantages of them.
Advantages of Concrete Pools -
One of the best features of concrete pools is that they are customizable. Not all houses are the same and the size of the backyard also differs from house to house. These concrete pools can be designed and can be built to complement the property and these concrete pools come in all shapes and sizes. You can also include a bunch of features and add your preferred filtration technique. It is possible to build a place shaped concrete pool too but it would just cost a lot.
Concrete poles are the strongest among vinyl and fiberglass pools and this makes them very much durable. These concrete pools have a very long life and can last up to 10-12 years without developing cracks if well maintained. There is no issue with restricting sharp or heavy objects because they would do no damage to the pool. You should be careful about sharp objects like the fingernails of pets while dealing with other types of pools.
It must be noted that the cement has a long life and not the pastor that is on the inside. Plaster is used to smoothing the surface and this plaster can gradually start chipping and coming off. It is very easy to get a new layer of plaster and it is affordable too.
These concrete pools come in all shapes and sizes and this allows you to have a pretty looking design. You might be having a tree or a poller in the middle of a backyard but this is not a problem while you are dealing with concrete pools. You can design the pool in such a way that it runs around the tree or pillar and you also have a waterfall or a fountain around the obstruction to make it look natural and attractive.
Disadvantages or drawbacks of Concrete Pools -
As we discussed earlier, concrete pools are made by coating layers of cement on each other and the cement takes too much time to harden. The cement forms the base of the pool so there is not much that can be done either. Once the cement is set, the cement should be polished and it is coated with layers of plaster. This plaster should be polished and treated as well. It takes about 6-7 months to finish a concrete pool and maybe even longer.
The cement is really strong and rough and the plaster starts corroding and becomes rough over time. This will make the interior very dangerous as it can scrape or cut the skin. Diving into the pool or hitting the surface can cause a lot of pain as the surface is strong and the surface is strong that if you hit the surface with enough force, you can break a few bones.
The maintenance costs for these cement pools are higher than the two other varieties of pools. Since these pools have a long life, they have to be maintained properly. This cement is porous and it attracts algae and this algae is slippery and soft which makes it dangerous. Algae is also hard to remove and you have to polish the poo with a steel brush and this steel brush can in turn harm the surface. You should be very careful and should do regular maintenance checks for these concrete pools.
Conclusion -
Swimming pools cost a lot and are a huge investment and the Maintenance costs also add up to the expenses. This is still worth the investment because you can see your kids play in the pool, relax by the side and even host parties and the memories created by the pool will always be memorable.
Swimming pool Builders offer overall pool services and they are completely focused on offering quality services. Their team of experienced builders and architects can help you with the designs and estimates.
