How to Avoid Fiberglass Pool Installations Gone Wrong

Posted on November 24, 2021June 15, 2026 by krista

When you’re considering a significant investment, such as a fiberglass pool, you may be wondering how to avoid potential problems with installation. With decades of experience in the swimming pool industry, we’ve pretty much seen it all. Many horror stories have stemmed from DIY installations. While our pool shells aren’t available for DIY installation, things can still go awry with professionals if the process isn’t handled with care and expertise. We want to help you be well-informed and proactive when selecting a dealer to help you avoid any regrets or horror stories associated with fiberglass pool installations. Here are six key ways to ensure your installation is successful and not a nightmare.

Vet the Pool Installer

Do your research and ensure the dealer has good reviews from other installations they’ve done. Ensure you and the dealer are on the same page regarding the process, budgeted costs, timeline, and resources required for your fiberglass pool installation. Set up a pre-construction meeting with the dealer to get off on the right foot. Discuss all potential issues and how the responsible parties will handle them during this meeting. Clear communication can prevent misunderstandings and ensure everyone meets the project’s expectations and outcomes.

Ensure the Installer Has the Proper Tools

The complex fiberglass pool installation process requires heavy equipment, specialized machinery, underground electrical work, moving utilities, and more. Too many accidents happen when homeowners or amateur installers try to make do with equipment unsuitable for the job. It’s best to contact a professional and find a great pool builder near you. Professionals have access to the right tools and the expertise to use them correctly, significantly reducing the risk of installation errors or accidents.

Understand the Importance of Precise Placement and Alignment

Pool shell placement and depth can be multifaceted issues. To avoid having a pool pop out of the ground or develop cracks, installers must place your fiberglass pool shell in the ground with thorough knowledge of drainage, easements, home location, and soil conditions. Hydrostatic pressure is an issue every dealer and pool owner must be aware of during installation and throughout the pool’s lifetime, especially in low-lying areas. Survey your yard with your dealer and ask about solutions to prevent wall bulges, such as the Thursday Pools Geo-Anchor Pool Wall. Proper placement ensures the longevity and safety of your fiberglass pool.

Confirm the Installer Chooses the Right Materials

Ask your prospective dealer what they use to fill under and around the pool and why they chose that material. When you see a fiberglass pool that has shifted or is settling, it could happen because the installer uses sand instead of crushed stone or other more suitable backfill materials. See if the dealer uses innovations crafted for fiberglass pools, such as Thursday Pools’ Backfill Eliminator or specialty skimmers. The right materials can prevent issues like shifting, cracking, and settling, or skimmer water level issues, common symptoms of a poorly installed pool.

Find Concrete Contractors with Past Pool Experience

The concrete around your pool should complement the fiberglass in a way that looks like they were designed together. Sounds simple, right? In reality, the coping and cantilevered design of pool decking isn’t an art every concrete contractor understands. Get a tight, clean concrete edge by finding a contractor with experience laying concrete around a fiberglass pool. This attention to detail ensures the pool area is functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Get a Written Warranty

One of the unfortunate laments of DIY pool installers is the lack of recourse when something goes wrong. Ultimately, it’s easier not to worry about finding someone to repair your fiberglass pool if something goes awry. Installations by a bonded, experienced professional have two benefits:

Work should be done right the first time.
If work is not performed correctly initially, homeowners have the right to make a claim on repair work for potential issues like spider cracks in the fiberglass pool.

A written and guaranteed warranty provides peace of mind and a clear path to resolving any issues arising after installation.

Don’t rely on good luck for your fiberglass pool installation. Finding a DIY workaround to save on fiberglass pool install costs may be tempting, but you should do what you can to avoid becoming an example of a fiberglass pool installation gone wrong. Remember that the first rule of fiberglass pools is to find a dealer and installer you can trust.

If you work with knowledgeable and honest professionals, you’ll discover great value from good people, quality products, and a process you can trust. Connect with a Thursday Pools independent dealer to take the next step in ensuring your fiberglass pool installation goes right.

Fiberglass Pools: Everything You Need To Know Before You Buy

Pool Cost Checklist

The Cost Plan eBook

How Much Does an Inground Pool Cost?

Vinyl Gunite Fiberglass Comparison ebook

Get the facts before you buy!

Investing in an inground swimming pool is a big decision. It’s important to understand which type of pool best meets your family’s unique needs. Check out our comprehensive pool comparison and arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make the best choice for you!

In this eBook, we compare all three pool types based on the following characteristics:

Speed of Installation
Surface Comfort
Surface Durability
Maintenance Time and Cost
Customizable
High-End Features
Upfront Cost
Competitive Warranty
Environmentally-Friendly
Overall Investment

Download

What to Expect When You’re Expecting (a Fiberglass Pool, That Is!)

Posted on November 21, 2019June 24, 2026 by cargo

Congratulations! You’ve taken the plunge, and your growing family excitedly awaits its forthcoming bundle of joy: an inground fiberglass pool! That’s amazing, and it will be a fabulous addition to your family—maybe even with lower

maintenance and less cost than raising a child over time. A proactive and customer-focused pool builder typically shares their projected schedule with how long you can expect your fiberglass pool installation process to take. There are things you should know and ways to get ready before the work begins. Knowing what to expect when expecting your fiberglass pool can help everyone prepare for your pool’s big opening day.

Expect a Mess.

There’s no way of getting around it. A construction crew will bring heavy equipment and dig a giant, pool-sized hole in your backyard.

An experienced, trusted pool builder will work to ensure there is as little mess and disruption as possible during the excavation process. However, you’ll still have piles of dirt, mud, gravel, boxes, and equipment in your yard.

Heavy machinery, trucks, and other equipment will move around your project site. Protect children, neighbors, and pets during the pool installation by entirely keeping them out of the construction area. You might also want to give your neighbors a courtesy “heads-up” that you are getting a pool. They may hear loud noises or construction commotion, but inviting them to make some noise with you at your opening pool party should compensate for the inconvenience.

Expect Delays.

Under ideal conditions, experienced builders can install a fiberglass pool in as few as three weeks. However, every pool project is different; issues can crop up beyond the pool builder’s control.

Deliveries, permits, or inspections may experience delays. Essential equipment can break down. The builder could unearth unexpected soil conditions, or Mother Nature might decide to wreak havoc with your schedule.

Take an open-minded approach to your pool’s schedule. Proactively preparing yourself for the possibility of some delays can help you feel much more relaxed throughout the process.

Expect Communication From The Builder.

The pool builder should consistently communicate with you during each phase of the installation process. They should inform you of projected start, delivery, inspection, and completion dates. The pool installer may coordinate subcontractors for portions of the project, like plumbing, electrical, concrete, and automatic pool cover installation. They should keep you informed and updated throughout.

Let the pool installer know how much communication you expect from them during the installation. For example, some homeowners want to know ahead of time every time someone is going to be in their backyard, while others just want to know if there are any significant delays or when the builder expects the job to conclude.

Expect to Do a Little Work, Too.

Every pool builder includes various “standard” options with an inground pool installation, but most won’t offer an altogether “turn-key” package. Chances are you will have some work to take care of after the installers have done their part.

Most pool builders’ standard installations take projects through a “rough grade” stage. The finishing touches of the pool area, such as surrounding grass and landscaping, are your responsibility. While every pool builder should perform a final cleanup of your yard and pool area before they leave, you’ll likely continue to deal some with dirt, dust, or debris collecting in the pool until your grass and landscaping begin to take hold.

Expect Great Things to Look Forward To!

Now that you know what to expect throughout your pool installation process, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy watching your pool’s progress. You could use this time to review pool safety rules with your children, plan for that first big pool party, or research the best toys and most comfortable floats you can find.

For some fun for the whole family, create a countdown calendar and celebrate the milestones along the way, like Dig Day, Pool Delivery Day, and Concrete Day, until you can finally check off the biggest one: Pool Opening Day!

The first milestone is meeting with a local pool dealer in your area. Reach out to book a design consultation with an independent Thursday Pools dealer near you to begin discussing designs and other options for your backyard pool paradise.

What’s the Best Time to Buy a Pool?

Posted on October 23, 2019July 13, 2026 by cargo

The best time to buy a pool is NOW! Planning of your new fiberglass pool oasis should begin well in advance of when you want your swimming pool installation to begin. You’ll want to start reaching out to inground pool builders a minimum of six months prior to your anticipated installation time. Some builders are booked a year in advance! So, the earlier you start planning, the better.

Obviously, summer is the time when we think about pools the most (especially when we don’t have one). But if you shop in the summer, you’ll likely have to wait until the following summer to enjoy your new pool. Starting in the spring will at least give you a headstart on pool installation season, but it still might be too late to get on your builder’s calendar for that year. So, fall and winter are great times to think about getting a new fiberglass inground pool. However, no matter when you start shopping, the only thing that really matters is finding the perfect pool for your family. And, as they say, there’s no time like the present. There are reasons to shop for a new fiberglass pool in every season, so let’s take a deeper dive!

Fall

Fall is a great time of year to plan your fiberglass pool project. First of all, pool installers are just wrapping up their summer installation schedules. They’ll take a moment to catch their breath, and then they’ll be ready to dive into the spring installation schedule for next year. If you move quickly, and it’s a warm fall, you might even be able to get started on installation before the snow flies! Fall is also a great time to plant trees and flowers, so if your pool is installed in the fall, you can finish the landscaping around your new backyard swimming pool oasis as well.

Winter

Winter is the best time to shop for your new fiberglass pool. Imagine the looks on the kids’ faces if you wrapped up a picture of a beautiful new pool and put it under the tree, or if you showed them a video of a new fiberglass swimming pool on Christmas morning.

If you get all of your pool project’s details nailed down before the ground is covered in snow, you might be first on the list for spring installations, and you’ll be enjoying your new fiberglass pool the minute it’s warm enough to do so.

And here are a few more reasons why the best time to buy a pool is winter: Some (not all) pool builders offer discounts for winter purchases. Also, new fiberglass pool designs typically become available around the first of the year.

Spring

Spring seems like an obvious time to start thinking about spending the upcoming summer lounging by your new pool. And what better way to spend that tax refund than to help finance your new fiberglass swimming pool? However, if you wait until April or later to begin planning your pool project, you might find that your pool builder of choice is already booked through the end of summer. At the same time, it’s never too late to begin planning. If you start in the spring and plan your pool project quickly, you might still be able to get in the swim before the summer starts to cool down, or at least get on the waitlist before someone else.

Summer

To summer pool shoppers, we say, “Welcome! Better late than never!” Feel free to call your local pool builder, but don’t be disappointed if they don’t get back to you immediately. Trying to order a pool in July is like waiting until noon on Valentine’s Day to order flowers. It’s not impossible, but a lot of other people have already had the same idea, and you’ll most likely have to try harder. Still, it’s worth the effort!

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to take the plunge.

#fiberglasspools #beachentrypools #zeroentrypools #ingroundfiberglasspools #poolcost #fiberglasspoolcost #beachentrypoolcost

What Kind of Swimming Pool is Best for Dogs?

Posted on September 27, 2019July 13, 2026 by krista

Four reasons why fiberglass pools are the best inground pools for dogs

You love your dog. Not just like, “He’s a good boy,” kind of love. It’s more like, “He is my baby” kind of love. Your dog is a member of your family. So, if you’re thinking of getting an inground pool, among the other factors you’re considering, you might be wondering what type of pool is best for dogs. You’ll be choosing among three types of inground pools; vinyl, gunite and fiberglass.

Spoiler alert. The answer is a fiberglass pool, and here are four solid reasons why:

The smooth gelcoat surface of a fiberglass pool is pawsitively perfect for pets. Gunite (concrete) inground pools can scratch your pet’s paws, preventing him/her from really enjoying the pool. But with the smooth, durable interior of fiberglass pools, your entire family can enjoy smooth, scratch-free fun in the pool. You’ll never have to worry about snags on your swimsuits or sore feet from rough surfaces.
Fiberglass pools help you avoid claw catastrophes.If you have a vinyl pool, your dog’s claws can penetrate your vinyl liner. And that kind of damage WILL NOT be covered by your warranty. With a fiberglass pool, you can play games with your pet in the pool without worrying about damaging the surface or causing scratches or tears.
Wide-open steps and beach entries on fiberglass pools mean easy in and out for pets. While some dogs seem to get a kick out of splashing everyone who’s in the pool, many pets, especially puppies and older dogs, need a way to ease into the water. The best fiberglass pools have nice, wide-open steps, and many designs have tanning ledges, which make a perfect perch for pets. And now, there are true beach entry fiberglass pool designs (Patent US 10,358,837 and 10,472,839) that allow for the ultimate way to walk into the water on the non-skid surface.
You’ll enjoy lower overall maintenance with fiberglass. If you’re planning to let your pet swim, you’re automatically committing to a lot more skimming, no matter what type of pool you have. But in addition to hair, dogs’ coats and mouths can carry bacteria into your pool. However, the impervious surface of fiberglass means it’s easier to keep your water balanced and spend less time on pool maintenance.

Fetch yourself a fiberglass pool!

So, here’s the takeaway … If you want the best pool for every member of your family, including your furry kids, your number one choice is fiberglass. Get a free estimate on a new fiberglass pool today.

Water Safety

Some Cool Pool Rules for Kids!

May is designated Water Safety Month, but we think it’s important to be aware of every month.

Water safety for kids is a serious matter. Kids love to be in the water, and making sure they know how to do so safely is paramount. At Thursday Pools, we’re committed to water safety, so we’ve created a fun, interactive video, along with a coloring book called Some Cool Pool Rules for Kids.