So you’ve made the decision. It’s time to invest in a slice of luxury which, let’s face it, these days is becoming more and more an Australian home staple.
But when it comes to choosing the right swimming pool for your home, the options can become quickly overwhelming! Do you want a rectangular or more organic shape? Salt-water or chlorine? Step-ups or swim outs? And oh so much more.
The good news? Starting with a decision on your pool type will automatically answer a lot of these questions for you. So the next question becomes, fibreglass or concrete? Here are a few pointers to help you decide whether fibreglass or concrete is the better choice for you.
Cost:
When it comes to initial build and installation, fibreglass and concrete pools aren’t too far apart in cost. Both have a spectrum of pricing from budget to luxury, with concrete usually sitting a fraction higher than fibreglass overall (more so if complex design is chosen). But what’s often overlooked in the budget debate between these two pool types are the ongoing maintenance costs. Concrete pools require a lot more love and care to stay in tip-top shape. They’ll generally require more regular cleaning with stronger chemicals, as they’re more prone to algae and bacteria build-up. You’ll also likely need to resurface around every 10 years. So, while upfront costs will only differ by around 10-20%, a concrete pool across its lifetime can be more than triple the cost of a fibreglass pool.
Design:
When it comes to design flexibility, concrete pools allow complete freedom to design alive any customisation you can dream up. Fibreglass pools, on the other hand, are pre-designed and therefore not as customisable. That said, fibreglass options are far greater than they used to be, allowing for more aesthetic choice than ever before.
So, if you’re after a truly unique pool design and expense is no object, then concrete may be the way to go. But, if you’re keen to stick to a budget and want to be splashing sooner rather than later, we recommend checking out our pool designs page to see the wide range of fibreglass options available to you. When combined with various options for pool decking and endless landscaping possibilities, it’s possible to achieve almost any pool design dream with a Masterbuilt Pools fibreglass pool.
Installation:
As much as concrete pools have an advantage on the design front, fibreglass pools win on an installation level. Concrete pools are built from scratch on-site, including earthworks, framework, concrete spray and finishing. Because fibreglass pools are pre-made, they are faster to install – we’re talking weeks or sometimes even days (dependent on stock availability) compared with a possible 3-6 month timeframe of a concrete pool.
Durability:
Whether fibreglass or concrete is more durable is a fairly contentious question. Both are highly durable, hence being the two most common pool types. Concrete can be a little more susceptible to cracking, but splits are still possible in fibreglass pools due to poor earthworks or ground movement (a risk considerably reduced when your pool installer also happens to be your highly experienced excavator…a.k.a the Dream Team at Port Pools by Design!). Concrete also doesn’t handle salt well (unless you invest in a tile surface), so if you’re planning to soak up the lower-maintenance and silkier-swimming benefits of a saltwater pool, either plan for more regular resurfacing of your concrete pool, or opt for a fibreglass pool which is unaffected by salt.
Conclusion?
There’s really no right or wrong in this decision – it’s a personal choice, and a case of weighing up the pros and cons against your budget, design dreams, and the amount of effort you want to expend in maintenance. A concrete pool offers greater flexibility in design, but with the compromise of longer install time and higher ongoing costs. A fibreglass pool means some limitations in pool design, but in exchange offers lower maintenance costs and a much faster dream-to-swim timeframe.
Call Us Today
We’ve had experience working with almost any space and design request you could imagine and are proud of our reputation for designing and delivering beautiful pool spaces with the Masterbuilt Pools fibreglass range, so if you’re still unsure, give us a call and we’ll happily share our expert advice to help bring your dream swimming pool to life!