Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Ask aldeer. Putting in a pool.

I agree

Yep. 100%

Get a pool!

If I ever put in another pool it would be smaller and no liner and no light. There’s floating lights and stuff now, plus liners leak and lights leak. Two BIG headaches. Salt water came in as my pool was going out, but I hear good things. I never really liked chemicals anyway. I would def get a built in/dedicated polaris pump.

I've had all three types of pools over the year, starting with a liner pool in the first house we bought, building a gunite pool in our second house, and finally a fiberglass in our final build. From experience would definitely recommend the fiberglass--i love how you can get the hot tub built into the fiberglass and installation is so much easier than a gunite--the only reason i would go w gunite is if you want a particular unique shape you cannot get w fiberglass but there are quite a few options available w fiberglass now so that shouldnt be a problem. I also enjoy the feel of the fiberglass on the feet versus the gunite but to each their own I suppose.

I have never regretted a pool--it keeps my kids happy all summer and as they have aged my house has become the hangout place which is better than them being somewhere ripping the roads or being exposed to things out of my control.

My fiberglass build was a larger type pool complete w hottub and the coping around the pool so mine was more expensive but I have a friend who recently was quoted at 40K I believe for just the standard pool you are describing.

I have an old 40x20x9 salt-water concrete pool, probably made in the 80's or 90's. It requires a liner which we had to replace last year for $7500. It seems the chlorinator goes out every other year ($700) and the Hayward filter motor goes out every couple of years ($400). I'm working enough that I don't have time to maintain it (until I retire) so we pay ~$250/month for a pool maintenance crew. That includes all the chemicals, cleaning, and any simple maintenance that doesn't require parts.

My point; It's not cheap.

That said, I love the danged thing and I wouldn't get rid of it.

We’re going to meet with a couple of companies this week. Since we don’t have a lake place, beach place, or a farm, we figured we want to have something for the grands and other folks (and us) to do at the house. Thanks for the input!

We got a fiberglass pool, I believe it’s considered a wading pool 5’ deepest end, 15,000gal saltwater Earls put it in when they were still in Montgomery

Make sure that you will get your enjoyment out of it. From an appraisal standpoint, they are notorious for not even returning their cost, much less adding value, when the home is sold. Here in Birmingham, my memory is that they typically add about half of what they cost. Montgomery and points south, that ratio goes up. (warmer days, a longer usable season) There are a fair number of people who won't even consider a house with a pool, between the danger, liability, and expense.

My son installed one at his new house. At our insistence, he installed an electric cover that he opens and closes with an app on his phone. The cover is strong enough for man to walk across so we feel pretty sure it will support one of the grandkids if they were to wander out and fall in.

This will be our 4th summer with a liner pool, for me it was only between liner and gunnite. Fiberglass didn’t offer the depth we wanted to have a diving board, or at least from the installers I talked to. I haven’t had any issue thus far knock on wood. Jaredhunts put mine in and they are located down in your area.

Nobody puts in a deep end any more (literally haven't seen any newer pools with one), but I love a deep end you can dive into.

Oh the fun swimming and just floating and soaking in your own pool..relaxing on the joints... kids laughing and having a blast. Pool patio bbq's , other family and friend pool get togethers...

Cleaning that pool will be a daily weekly monthly and darn near yearly job. Of course you can place a tarp over the pool but somehow debris still manages to fins a way under a tarp.. I always left mine off it was easier to keep clean that way. Chemicals costly, even a salt pool calls for routine bags of salt to be dispersed into a pool. Vacuuming, a polaris will be a great help to you keeping the silt and such suspended to be sucked into the drain to the filter,, then just backwash as necessary . scrubbing with a brush and aluminum pole will still have to be done to the sides and bottom of the pool. It's all good exercise. I got more enjoyment watching the kids play and have fun than I ever did swimming in my pool.

A hook and pole device must stay near the pool at all times, just in case a swimmer gets into trouble ,you can scoop the person out to help them. MARCO ......POLO

I will never own a house without a pool. I love it and the wife and kids love it. Had a pool growing up. We never closed ours when I was a kid. And I still don’t till this days. Pools are not hard to take care of. Have had chlorine, ionization and salt water. Believe I like chlorine the best.
Have always had a liner pool so can’t speak for the fiber glass. Liners are tough these days and want have any problems getting 12-15 years out of one.
Make sure you get a drain put in for the water level do you don’t have to pump it out when it get to high. Do not use the cartridge filters. Cost more money in the long run. Do a sand filter. Get a Polaris cleaner. It will keep it clean of leave dirt and sand. Do 6 feet of concrete around the pool. That way you can put pool chairs anywhere. Most are priced with just 4 foot around. I would recommend an automatic cover if money allows. I have never had one. But a friend has one and are great when small kids are around our leaves start to fall. Just hit a button and it rolls up underneath the concrete.
State Farm actually covered my pool liner when my lab fell in and clawed the liner.

Love our pool. Had it installed in 2018 when we bought the house. Saltwater with liner. 10ft in the deep end with the spa overflowing into the pool. I had to replace the liner a year ago due to a misalignment on it that stressed one of the seams and it finally ripped. I made sure the new liner was installed better.

That’s a great idea! We had a cover that we took on and off once a year but it was strong enough to walk across too. Really helped with winter time/fall leaves.

Our current pool was put in last year. Our contractor dug it about 10’-11’ deep, on the deep end. Probably ended up around 9’-10’ after troweling the bottom before the liner went in.

We went gunite --- huge thing, unique shape, tanning ledge, huge area for wading too up to chest (wife can't swim, won't learn, this area is also great for playing games, smaller kids learning to swim, just general fun), then drops off to 9 feet, added a huge diving rock folks love. We don't have natural gas out where we live, so didn't do the hot tub nor heated pool thing.

Of course we went salt water, so much easier.

My wife and grand kid love it. I'm not a big pool person, I would rather swim the 1.5 acre pond back and forth to get in a workout.