Choosing The Right Pool For Your Family

The decision to install a pool at your home involves many factors, including cost, time to install, maintenance, location of your home, and what you plan to use it for. Once you have made the decision to install a pool the next step is to address the budget for both time and cost of the installation, and the time and cost of maintenance. This way you can narrow down your search to appropriate choices quickly and easily.

The pool choices are narrowed into two main styles, above ground and in-ground. From there the choices widen within the in-ground pool to concrete, fiberglass, a vinyl liner, and natural swimming pond. These choices vary widely in installation and maintenance costs, as well as the time it will take to maintain them monthly and yearly.

Above ground pools are the least upfront investment at a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars for the pool itself and are the easiest to install. They require no digging in the yard and many can be installed by the home owner. If you’re looking for a fast and easy install and low budget this might be the choice for you. Maintenance will still be required, either salt water or regular, with removing debris, cleaning filters, balancing chemicals, and winterizing each year.

Below ground pools require more work for install, including digging the appropriate hole, which is likely to also involve a building permit from your City hall. They require regular maintenance as well, though some of the maintenance may vary by pool chosen they will all need to be cleaned, debris removed,  filters cleaned and maintained, and chemicals balanced. A concrete pool is likely to run between $80,000-$150,000 for installation and in addition to regular maintenance will also require resurfacing approximately every 7-10 years. In contrast a fiberglass pool will be $55,000-$85,000 and the improvements mean it may

last several years, sometimes the entire use of the pool, without needing to be resurfaced. The other option is a vinyl liner pool, which can start at $50,000-$70,000 and will need replacing after every 5-7 years after install for $4,000 – $6,500. In contrast a natural swimming pool is dug into the ground much like a pond and may be designed to suit the homeowner, with the cost being associated to the design of the pool. These pools are often lined with a rubber or plastic insert and use plants and natural bacteria to maintain balance within the pool. They will still require debris removal and filter cleaning, but will not need to be chlorinated. These are popular with people looking for more natural solutions and fewer chemicals.

When deciding to install a pool it is important to consider location, size, style, use, and cost. It is important to find the correct fit for your lifestyle and budget, both on installation and ongoing maintenance.