There was a time when the options available for a swimming pool were either a poured in place concrete in-ground pool or an above ground pool. Above ground pools are far from attractive and the decks are not ideal and a poured in place pool can be very expensive. There are now preformed swimming pools in Long Island that overcome both of these objections, the pool looks like a poured in place in-ground pool and it is probably half the price of the real concrete pool. It still means a big hole in the backyard but it is simple and quick to install.
Basically, a preformed swimming pool is like an overgrown bath tub, they are factory made, prepared and then shipped directly to the home. The factory makes sure that the surfaces are sealed against all the ravages that a pool can take with the chlorinated water and kids romping in it all day long. The installation is rather simple, once the location has been identified, the contractor digs a hole. Prepares the surface form with sand and sets the preformed pool into the hole. Once the pool is set, it is level to the ground and a deck can be built just the same as if it was a concrete pool.
The great advantage of preformed swimming pools on Long Island, over and above the cost issue, is time. From the time the contractor arrives until you are swimming in your pool often is no more than a week. This compares to a month minimum for the completion of a concrete pool. Fiberglass pools have the ability to flex so they don’t tend to crack in the same way a concrete pool does, they are also very resistant to weather.
A concrete pool looks pristine on the day its first filled with water, but after a few years the paint begins to dull and peel off, this can be caused by the pool chemicals. The net result is that the pool needs to be drained, prepared and painted. This is not the case with a fiberglass pool, the material is pre-colored; it is actually the material, not a surface coating.
The only drawback to a preformed pool is the same drawback with a poured in place pool, the terrain. Depending on the amount of soil that must be removed and whether the ground needs stabilizing or not, the preparation costs can be high.
