You can t find a fiberglass pool to suit your needs.
What is the difference between a gunite and vinyl pool.
The surface of vinyl is not as porous as a plaster finish on a gunite pool which means vinyl liner pools use less sanitizer than a gunite pool roughly around 25 less on average the non porous surface leads to less chemical usage during the season and therefore less money spent on chemicals.
You re prepared to spend a lot of time and money maintaining your investment.
Your budget is 50 000 or more.
You want a custom shape or depth.
So an inexpensive vinyl pool does look cheaper than a gunite pool but a nice vinyl pool can look just like a gunite pool.
Biggest bang for your buck.
Usually what ends up happening is the water pools up behind the liner and forms a bubble.
Vinyl now offers the same selection.
Underneath the liner is a sand or cement like floor.
A gunite pool is a good fit if.
Vinyl liner pools have the lowest initial cost of any of the three types of in ground pools.
Again most of this can be easily combated with regular pool cleanings and water maintenance.
Customizable shape and size.
Vinyl liner pools are not immune to ground water issues either the difference is that with a vinyl liner the problem is not only fixable it s generally not an expensive fix.
In comparison you get more swim space with a vinyl liner pool for the same investment.
A vinyl liner pool has a custom made sheet of vinyl between the water and the pool structure.
Ready made gunite pool projects typically cost between 50 000 and 100 000 upfront.
Gunite pools will require replastering and there is never a warranty on plaster.
While the building process takes longer than a fiberglass pool installation this allows for more flexibility in shape and size.
Your budget is in the 25 000 to 35 000 range.
For most people there is no diy option for concrete pools.
Cost initial and lifetime concrete.
Except the vinyl will be printed with photographs of tile or rocks instead of the real thing.
Gunite pros and cons.
Gunite pools are built on site.
The smoothest concrete pool surface is a cheese grader compared to vinyl.
If you are looking for a specific shape an extra large or extra deep pool gunite is great for this.
Now that you know the differences between vinyl and gunite pools you can make an informed choice on which.
Surface is rough all you need to do is stick your hand in a concrete pool then a vinyl pool to feel the difference yourself.
A vinyl liner pool is a good fit if.
The small bumps and cracks are prone to algae growth and if the growth gets out of hand your pool will need an acid bath or a re plastering job.
A concrete pool would take your entire summer to install and a vinyl liner pool only a month.
Vinyl liner pools do come with a warranty.
There are no limitations to the length width and depth of vinyl liner pools.