The fiberglass segment of the pool and spa industry has made significant inroads in markets traditionally dominated by concrete and/or vinyl-liner pools. This boom in popularity boils down to a familiar and compelling set of customer-friendly features — such as a quick installation, durability and easy maintenance.
The pre-packaged nature of fiberglass pools makes them quick and easy to install. Gel coating on the surface gives these pools a smooth finish that is also resistant to staining and offers little purchase for algae. Being a non-soluble material, fiberglass is said to be more resistant to the effects of sanitizers and acidic water conditions. Of course, there is no such thing as a completely maintenance-free pool, but fiberglass pools come pretty close to it.
While these advantages are compelling, limitations in size and off-the-shelf shapes left fiberglass pools somewhat wanting when it comes to using them in customized settings. This barrier seems to be eroding, as evidenced by the pools shown in this pictorial. The growth in design creativity enabled builder dealers and manufacturers to position their wares alongside the work of companies that command six figures for their projects. Whether these fancy fiberglass installations rise to the level of custom concrete work is best left to the eye of the beholder.
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Both organic and formal, this Trilogy fiberglass pool blends into the environment with boulder walls and lush plantings, while maintaining the woodland views these Sunset Hills homeowners wished to preserve. A decorative coating was applied over the concrete to create just the right formal touch.
This lovely vessel is a Leisure Pool, Riviera model with a Sapphire Blue finish. The coping is made by Eagle Bay in a Sahara Blue color. The Pennsylvania Bluestone deck serves as a perfect complement.
Located in Nantucket, Mass., this medium-sized Viking Pools St. Thomas model is finished in Viking Blue. The pool is surrounded by contemporary modular decking in this beautiful ocean side setting.
Aloha Fiberglass Pools' Tranquility 9-foot spa shell graces this beautiful setting with a PebbleBeach Sapphire Sky finish, accent tile and spa jets. All this is nestled in textured flagstone decking.
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This Dolphin Pools creation sports a custom-designed, multi-tier 12-foot Rico Rock waterfall with an inlayed remote fire feature at the falls peak. The fiberglass saltwater pool and spa are encased in more Rico Rock formations. Everything is completely automated, allowing all waterfalls, pool, spa, lighting and fire features to be controlled remotely.
This homeowner chose the Barrier Reef Pools’ 16-foot-by-40-foot Whitsunday 40 model in Ocean Shimmer blue. The classic shape is designed for maximum swimming room with side entry steps providing access to the full pool length for exercise and swimming laps. Deep-end benches and steps make the most of the space for relaxing and entertaining after your workout.
This pool shell, a 35-by-16-foot Isabella model with a Sapphire Sky finish, was manufactured by Aloha Fiberglass Pools. The surrounding deck is comprised of concrete pavers by Belgard, complemented by walls made of weathered fieldstone.
