Curious About All of the Different Types of Swimming Pools?
26 Sep Curious About All of the Different Types of Swimming Pools?
How Swimming Pools Work
Taking the plunge, so to speak, and installing a swimming pool in your backyard can be a daunting adventure. The first step, once you have decided that a swimming pool is the right decision for your family, is to educate yourself about the different types of swimming pools available. These disparate pool types can be restrictive in their shape, size, material, (and in the case of an above ground pool, banned by a community association or village code), or can be as custom as one’s imagination. This post from How Stuff Works gives a great background on the different types of swimming pools that are available in every marketplace, the pros and cons, and some interesting facts about swimming pools in general.
Here is an excerpt from the post:
The main difference between different types of pools is how the basin is constructed. There are several different pool styles, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
Vinyl-lined in-ground pools are a lot like above-ground pools, structurally, but they look more like conventional in-ground designs. The construction crew digs a hole and assembles a metal, plastic or wood frame wall around the hole’s perimeter. As in an above-ground pool, the crew lays sand along the bottom of the hole and secures the vinyl lining to the structural wall. These pools are a lot cheaper than other in-ground designs, but not as durable. Typically, the liner needs to be replaced every 10 years or so.
Gunite pools are the most popular design in much of the United States. To build one of these pools, the construction crew digs a hole, puts the plumbing in place and assembles a framework grid with 3/8-inch steel reinforcing rods (rebar). The rebar rods are spaced about 10 inches apart, and secured together with wire. When the grid is in place, the crew sprays a heavy coating of gunite, a mixture of cement and sand, around the rebar. The sprayer unit combines dry gunite mix with water just before spraying — this produces the wet concrete material. The crew trowels the gunite smooth and lets it sit for a week or so before applying a smooth finish to the rough surface. The most popular finish is called plaster (actually a mixture of cement and marble sand), but a lot of people finish their pools with special concrete paint. Gunite pools can also have tile, exposed aggregate or even fiberglass finishes. Gunite pools (and their cousins, shotcrete pools) are highly durable, and they can be built in any shape or size.
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