| There are several different pool styles, each with its | | | | cement and sand, around the rebar. The sprayer unit |
| own advantages and disadvantages and uses. | | | | combines dry gunite mix with water just before |
| Above-ground pools -These are the cheapest | | | | spraying -- this produces the wet concrete material. |
| construction option, as well as the easiest to build. | | | | The crew trowels the gunite smooth and lets it sit |
| Most above-ground pools are made from | | | | for a week or so before applying a smooth finish to |
| prefabricated kits, which even an amateur can put. | | | | the rough surface. The most popular finish is called |
| First, the installers level off the ground to form a flat | | | | plaster but a lot of people finish their pools with |
| building surface. Then they assemble a perimeter | | | | special concrete paint. |
| track, which supports the outer wall made of metal, | | | | Gunite pools can also have tile, exposed aggregate |
| plastic or wood. Next, they spread sand in the pool | | | | or even fiberglass finishes. Gunite pools (and their |
| area and lay the plumbing. Finally, they secure the | | | | cousins, shotcrete pools) are highly durable, and they |
| vinyl liner over the pool walls, fill the pool with water, | | | | can be built in any shape or size. |
| smooth the liner and fasten it into place. As soon as | | | | Poured-concrete pools - |
| they hook up the pump and filtering system, the pool | | | | These are similar to gunite pools, but they're a lot |
| is ready to go. | | | | harder to build. Instead of spraying concrete material |
| The main disadvantage of this sort of pool is that | | | | around a rebar framework, concrete is actually |
| it's less durable than other designs, and generally less | | | | poured into conventional wooden forms. With the rise |
| attractive. It's also less permanent, which can be a | | | | of gunite methods, poured-concrete pool construction |
| good thing, it's relatively easy to disassemble the pool | | | | has mostly fallen by the wayside. In masonry block |
| and move it to a new location. | | | | pools, the walls are constructed with concrete blocks. |
| In ground Pools- In ground pools are built into the | | | | Pool styles |
| ground and require construction work for installation. | | | | Play pool - |
| In ground pools can be built to allow for diving or not, | | | | A play pool typically is no deeper than five feet. Play |
| depending on the depth. These are all samples of in | | | | pools generally are built for cooling off and relaxing in, |
| ground pool materials. | | | | playing volleyball, other water sports, as well as for |
| Fiberglass pools - | | | | swimming laps |
| These are made from fiberglass-reinforced plastic, | | | | Diving Pool - |
| which has been molded into a basin shape. To install | | | | Diving pools are generally about 8-1/2 feet deep with |
| the pool, a construction crew digs an appropriately | | | | a diving board or platform. Diving pools can be a real |
| sized hole, lays the necessary plumbing, adds some | | | | safety hazard, and should only be built to NSPI and |
| sand filler and lowers the preformed pool structure | | | | ANSI standards. |
| into the hole. Then they level the pool, hook up all | | | | Freeform Pool - |
| the plumbing and backfill in the area around the pool. | | | | A freeform pool is a lagoon style pool or naturalistic |
| Usually, the pool is surrounded by a concrete deck | | | | pool. It usually has have rock features and is built to |
| structure. | | | | mimic an oasis. |
| While a fiberglass pool is typically the quickest to | | | | Geometric Pool- |
| install, there are fewer choices for size, shape and | | | | Geometric pools usually have very straight lines or or |
| depth compared to other pool types. Because the | | | | a consistent radius and are typically more traditional |
| surface is non-porous, fiberglass pools are easy to | | | | looking. There seems to be a shift back to the |
| care for and long lasting. | | | | geometric pool. A geometric pool can be more formal |
| Vinyl-lined Pools- | | | | and upscale looking. |
| Compared to other in ground pools, vinyl-liner pools | | | | Lap Pool- |
| are generally the most affordable, easy to maintain | | | | Lap pools pools are typically narrow and long, usually |
| and are available in a standard set of designs. They | | | | over 50’, to facilitate exercise and swimming |
| are a lot like above-ground pools, structurally, but | | | | for health and fitness. |
| they look more like conventional in-ground designs. | | | | Negative Edge Pool- |
| The construction crew digs a hole and assembles a | | | | Negative edge pools require an expert to build. They |
| metal, plastic or wood frame wall around the hole's | | | | are also referred to as infinity swimming pools or |
| perimeter. As in an above-ground pool, the crew lays | | | | infinity edge pools. These are designed to look like |
| sand along the bottom of the hole and secures the | | | | the pool extends all the way out to the horizon. The |
| vinyl lining to the structural wall. | | | | mechanics and engineering of infinity pools cannot be |
| These types of pools are popular in cold-weather | | | | compromised. |
| states, since the panels have some degree of flex | | | | Spool- |
| and hold up well under freeze/thaw conditions. | | | | The word spool is a combination of a spa and a pool. |
| Vinyl-liners are available in many colors, patterns and | | | | Spools are typically oversized spas somewhere |
| designs and will last an average of 8 to 10 years, | | | | around 12’ X 14’. Unfortunately, due to |
| after which time a new liner can be installed. | | | | construction issues, spools are not necessarily less |
| Gunite pools - | | | | expensive than an average swimming pool. They |
| Gunite or a variation called Shotcrete is a type of | | | | might be easier to maintain due to the smaller size, |
| reinforced concrete; it is strong and adaptable to | | | | and a spool certainly might be an option for someone |
| unusual shapes. There are also a variety of color / | | | | with a very small yard. |
| speckle finishes available. To build one of these pools, | | | | Perimeter Overflow Pool- |
| the construction crew digs a hole, puts the plumbing | | | | This would be a pool where the water level in the |
| in place and assembles a framework grid with 3 | | | | pool is the same as the top of the decking. Around |
| 8-inch steel reinforcing rods (rebar). The rebar rods | | | | the pool perimeter is a channel or notch that the |
| are spaced about 10 inches apart, and secured | | | | water drains into creating a visual masterpiece. It |
| together with wire. When the grid is in place, the | | | | looks like a big mirror lying on the ground. |
| crew sprays a heavy coating of gunite, a mixture of | | | | |