inground fiberglass pools Archives

Six Money-Saving Tips to Lower Your Pool Installation Costs

You have decided to purchase a fiberglass inground pool—congratulations! As you’re narrowing your choices and making plans for your backyard’s new addition, you may want to consider a few ways to save money on your pool installation cost. What you pay for a fiberglass pool can vary greatly depending on numerous factors, but a few options can help lower the overall price. Getting the right fiberglass inground pool is a big decision, and homeowners need information on their options. This blog post explores advice and ways to help lower your initial construction costs. Choosing the Right Pool Pros Everyone has their specialties and things at which they excel. As a homeowner, there’s no expectation that you’re an expert in pool installation. Trusting a fiberglass pool dealer you’ve researched and feel comfortable working with can help you save money in the long run. If the pool dealer is established, highly experienced, and comes personally recommended, that can help save you from many potential headaches (or even swimming pool buyer’s remorse). Trying to save a few bucks on your inground pool cost upfront can result in significant repairs and maintenance expenses in the long run. Buy Your Pool in Winter The winter […]

How Much More Does a Beach Entry Pool Design Cost?

Is your family full of beach lovers? Have you ever sprung for a vacation destination just a few short steps from the coast? What if you could bring that beach vacation experience to your very own backyard? Now you can with patented (US Patent 10,472,839) zero entry, or beach entry, fiberglass pools. A beach entry pool costs more than some alternatives, but unlike an expensive beach vacation, it can be enjoyed for years to come. Once only an option in high-end resorts or custom gunite pools, inground fiberglass beach entry pools are now available for residential installations. And while they might seem like an expensive luxury, they may be more affordable than you think—and much cheaper than buying a house on the beach! Here are some helpful facts about just how affordable it can be to turn your backyard into a truly unique oasis with a beach entry pool that brings the shore to your door every day this summer. Select your pool size and design. It’s simply a question of time and material costs. Costs can vary considerably based on several site factors and specifications for each pool installation, but homeowners can expect the final costs of a […]

What Can I Expect for Fiberglass Pool Maintenance Cost?

Fiberglass pools bring hours of relaxation, family togetherness, social activity and exercise. What’s more, fiberglass pool owners find that maintaining a fiberglass pool is less expensive than other pool styles. So how much does it cost to maintain a fiberglass pool? It depends on several factors, but the cost of maintaining your fiberglass pool will largely be determined by your pool equipment, size, and usage. In all cases, there is a cost to maintaining healthy and balanced water with chemical treatments, as well as a cost of technically maintaining your pool equipment so that it runs properly and efficiently. This blog focuses mainly on the cost of maintaining healthy and balanced water. The cost of maintaining healthy and balanced pool water can vary considerably with sanitizing options, the addition of alternative sanitizing equipment, the amount of water volume, and swimmer load. Your perfect score is zero! The Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) is a formula for analyzing water balance. A negative LSI means your water is corrosive. A positive LSI means your water is scale-forming. A neutral LSI is ideal. The LSI formula analyzes the ratios of the following variables: Temperature pH Calcium Hardness Alkalinity Cyanuric Acid Total Dissolved Solids Ideally […]

Ledge Lounger® Introduces New Options for Even Better Fiberglass Pool Outdoor Living

It’s a great time to be a fiberglass pool owner. The options just keep getting better all the time. Outdoor living and entertaining is now as cozy and easy as it is indoors. With a stunning array of furnishings and sophisticated outdoor kitchen options as well as fire pits and other outdoor heating elements, you and your guests can be as comfortable spending the evening outside on your ledge lounger as you would be around the dining room table. Ledge Lounger® is one of the leaders in the outdoor furnishings industry. Long known for their signature tanning ledge chaise, they’re on the cutting edge of innovation in terms of design and convenience–adding features that make poolside living a breeze. They’ve recently launched some new products, like poolside games and luxurious daybeds and cabanas to enhance your outdoor living experience even more. We had a chance to catch up with Ledge Lounger’s marketing director, Jacy Walkup, at the 2018 International Pool, Spa and Patio Expo in Las Vegas last month. And according to Walkup, Ledge Lounger has continued to expand its focus from in-pool tanning ledge loungers and furnishings to everything a pool owner could want to outfit their backyard fiberglass […]

November Fiberglass Pool Dealer Spotlight: Easy Living Pools, Plain City, Ohio

Each month, we enjoy learning more about a member of the Thursday Pools dealer family for our dealer spotlight. In November, we chatted with Chris Matthews, president of Easy Living Pools, which sells and installs both vinyl liner pools and inground fiberglass pools in Plain City, Ohio. Easy Living Pools is located in Union County, Ohio and serves the central Ohio region, including the areas in and around: Columbus, Bellefontaine, Springfield, Marysville, Delaware, Granville and Marion, Ohio. Tell us a little about yourself and your business. Our company, Builderscape was founded by my father Ron Matthews in 2003. We built our business on design/build commercial construction. I joined the company full-time when I graduated from college. My dad dabbled in the pool business on and off over the years but was frustrated by the unreliability of suppliers. But the pool business has changed a lot over the last 20 to 30 years. We dipped our toes in the water again about ten years ago. We were selling just a couple of pools per year. Pretty soon, we realized we needed to have the word “pools” in our name if we wanted to really penetrate the market. So we created a […]

Ask the General: New Pool Owner FAQs

Dear General- I think our family is finally ready to take the plunge and get an inground fiberglass pool. We’re excited! But we have so many questions. When should we buy? How should we finance? What should we be thinking about when we’re choosing the features for our pool? What do we need to learn in terms of pool safety and maintenance? Help us be a new pool owner, dear General! Signed- Excited in East Chicago Dear Excited- Yes, getting a pool IS a very exciting time and yes, there is a lot to think about. I could go on for hours about all the fun you’ll have as a new pool owner. I could also go on about the responsibilities of owning a pool, like assigning pool maintenance chores, pool safety and common pool maintenance mistakes to avoid. But let’s just dip our toes in the water for now… I’ll try to tackle some new pool owner FAQs. You should definitely tune in to my regular posts to learn as much as you can about pool ownership. When is the best time to buy a pool? Well, I was a pool salesman for years, so I’m tempted to […]

Ask the General: Will a Pool Fit in my Yard?

Looking for high-class, very nice pools? See what the General has to say about making your pool dreams a reality! Dear General; My family has been begging for a new inground fiberglass pool (and I want one too!), but our yard is pretty small and I’m worried we can’t fit one. It is also hard to find very nice pools that are a smaller size. How can I find out if a pool will fit in my yard and what it might look like, so we can decide on a pool and get in the swim? Signed– Wondering in Winnetka Dear Wondering; Will an inground fiberglass pool fit in your backyard? The short answer is: probably! Fiberglass pools come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors. While your yard might not be large enough to accommodate a pool with features such as built-in tanning ledges, open swim lanes or beach entry, there are still awesome fiberglass pool designs that are as small as 19.5 feet long and 9.5 feet wide that can give you the relaxing oasis you’re dreaming of. The first step is to consult with a professional pool builder. They’ll send an estimator to your house […]

Our Fiberglass Pool Dealer Spotlight; Signature Pools in Chicago

Every month, we chat with a Thursday Pools dealer to learn more about their business and what’s trending in their area. This month, we talked to Todd Emmerson, regional sales manager and lead designer at Signature Pools in Sandwich, Illinois. One-and-a-half hours from downtown Chicago, they install pools throughout the Chicagoland area. Tell us a little about Signature Pools: Signature Pools has been in the fiberglass pool business in the Chicago area since 2003, but we all have a long history in the pool business. We have a full-time staff of about ten people. Tom McNelis is our president. Both he and I are very hands-on. We’re all obviously working pretty hard at this time of year, but we all of us also really value spending time with our families. What do you love about being in the pool business? I love seeing a dream become a reality. People come to us with an idea, but they’re not 100% sure what they want. I get really excited about taking their idea and turning it into a design and then seeing that design come to life. I never get tired of seeing the joy that a new fiberglass pool brings […]

Ask the General: How Do I Control Heating Costs in My Pool?

Dear General; I absolutely LOVE my new inground fiberglass swimming pool. What I’m not sure I’m going to love is my pool heating bill. Do you have any tips and tricks for controlling swimming pool heating costs? Signed– Don’t Want My Dollars Going Down the Pool Drain. Dear Dollars; I hear you. No one wants to see their hard-earned money going down the swimming pool drain. Let’s take a look at the various kinds of heaters and ways you can save your money for more fun things. ______________________________________________________________________ Four types of heaters First of all, pool heaters are NOT the most energy efficient appliances you’ll ever run across. The most popular options are electric and gas. Some folks also use solar or, in rare cases, wood burning. Which is best? That depends on who you ask. Let’s break it down. Electric Electric heat pumps use electricity to capture heat and move it from one place to another. In other words, they take the ambient heat surrounding your pool and transfer it into the pool. The electric heat pump manufacturers report that they are the most efficient. Gas Gas pool heaters use either natural gas or propane. As the pump circulates […]

Ask The General: How Do You Prime the Pool Pump?

Dear General; Everyone keeps telling me I have to prime the pump for my fiberglass pool. That’s all well and good. My question to you is, how in the heck am I supposed to do it? And how do I know when it’s done? Signed– In a Perplexed Pool Pump Priming Pickle in Peru. Dear Perplexed; No need to be in a pool priming pickle. Honestly, I get this question all the time. You’re not alone. Let’s break this down together. First of all… Let’s take a look at how water circulation systems work. The key, believe it or not, is atmospheric pressure. There are approximately 14 pounds of air pushing down on all of us all the time. That means there’s the same amount of pressure pushing down on the surface of your fiberglass pool water. Your pool pump has a something called an “impeller” that creates a low pressure area by spinning. It pulls water into it, and pumps it back into the pool. A “closed system” means NO AIR Here’s the secret that explains it all. Your pool needs to be a CLOSED system to operate. Your pump, all your piping and everything that’s involved with the […]

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