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Fiberglass
Pools
Fiberglass pools are not new, in fact
these types of pools have been around
for nearly 50 years. Fiberglass
pools are one piece, factory built
shells made with fiberglass, resins, and
finished with a gel coating, a non-porous surface similar to modern day
boats and pool slides.
Fiberglass pools are available in a wide
variety of shapes and sizes with various tile patterns, fiber optic
lighting, and in-floor cleaning systems,
possible. Some forms of
maintenance like acid washing,
resurfacing, and liner replacements
don't exist with with fiberglass pools,
but proper weekly chemical and cleaning
maintenance are still needed to protect
the gelcoat finish.
Fiberglass Pool Installation
Procedure:
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You or your dealer will mark the site
for the new Fiberglass pool. You should
think about sun exposure, access to a
bathroom, areas for guest to gather (and
to retreat from the afternoon sun), and
access to the site. In general, people
will gather on the side closest to the
house at the shallow end of the pool.
Pour your deck accordingly. Once the
outline of the pool is marked with chalk
or spray paint you are ready to dig the
hole. See an Image Example of Step 1.
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The next step will be to dig the hole
according to the fiberglass pool's dig
specs. This step will take 3 - 6 hours and
varies in complexity with the size and
shape of the pool. Sport Pools with flat
bottoms are the easiest to dig. Deep
well pools are more difficult. The key
to a good hole is to measure frequently.
You will use a builders level (transit)
to measure as you go. Today, laser
levels can be rented, that take the
guesswork out of measurement. Once the
hole is complete, string will be used to
set the exact grade for the pool. This
string will act as a guide when you line
the hole with sand or gravel.
See an Image Example of Step 2.
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The Fiberglass pool will arrive on a
truck at your home, ready to install.
Now is this is where the real fun
begins! The pool will be lifted off of
the truck using a boom truck or, in the
case of smaller pools, the trackhoe
itself. You or your dealer will now need
to level the pool to less than an inch.
This can become a little monotonous for
a first time installer. Raise that end
up, now this end is too low, you get the
drill. You should get this done in well
under the typical 3 hour minimum
for the crane. The water will seek its
own level once the pool is filled. For
this reason, you need to pay close
attention now. See an Image Example of Step 3.
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Ok, it is now time to plumb the
Fiberglass pool and ready it for
back-filling the hole around it. You
or your dealer will drill two to
four 2 in. holes
for the returns, and optional light or
automatic cleaner. If you ever plan on
installing an automatic cleaner, go
ahead and plumb for it now. It can
always be added later. Plumbing is as
simple as gluing any PVC pipe. Connect
the pool and power to the filter for
both the electrical and plumbing.. This
can take 3 - 5 hours. See an Image Example of Step 4.
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You will also start filling the
Fiberglass pool. Each pool has a level
to which it can be filled with water
with no backfill around it. If you use a
fire hydrant or a water truck, filling
is fast. The water must remain about 12"
higher than the surrounding backfill.
This helps maintain the shape of the
pool. See an Image Example of Step 5.
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Rough grade is easily done with the
right tools. You can either rent a small
Bobcat with a landscape box, or hire
someone to prepare your yard. In either
case, you will want to be sure that the
pool is at a local high point in the
yard. Be sure that all of the ground
around your Fiberglass pool slopes away
from the pool. Typically you want 2" - 6"
of rise at the pool edge, relative to
the surrounding area. This allows rain
water to drain away from the pool. See an Image Example of Step 6.
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There are two options for pouring the
deck: standard and cantilever. In a
standard deck, the concrete come up to
the edge of the Fiberglass pool, leaving
an exposed band of fiberglass around the
pool. In the cantilever deck, the
concrete is poured up to and over the
edge of the pool. When combined with
tile, this is a very striking finish.
There are many other choices: stamped
concrete, slate, rock, washed aggregate,
brick pavers, cool deck, and the list
goes on... See an Image Example of Step 7.
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One final note before we wrap up. It is
often better to wait a few weeks before
actually pouring the pool deck. The
reason is that the area around the
Fiberglass pool will settle over time.
This is highly variable due to various
soil conditions, rain levels, and
backfill material. During that wait,
your pool is completely ready to swim.
See an Image Example of Step 8.
Other Important Fiberglass Pool
Considerations....
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Do Not Drain Your Pool!!!!!!
Your fiberglass
pool is designed to remain full of water at all times. If the pool is drained without
proper directions, hydrostatic or ground pressure outside the pool could cause the
structure to buckle or crack. All damage to the pool shell resulting from improper pool
drainage is the owners responsibility.
If it becomes necessary to drain the pool, contact
your fiberglass pool installer or the the fiberglass pool manufacturer.
For best operation, keep the water level in the
center of the rectangular skimmer plate on the pool wall. Low water level may cause the
circulating pump to loose prime resulting in pump damage, high water level reduces or
eliminates the skimmer effectiveness.
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The "bathtub"
ring which forms on the pool wall or tile caused by body oils,
suntan lotions and air borne contaminants can easily be removed with
swimming pool tile cleaner
or other non abrasive commercial
tile or vinyl cleaners. Do not use
abrasive cleaners, steel wool, metal
scrapers, brushes or tools as these
may cause permanent damage to the
gel coat finish. Dulled gel coat
above the water line may be restored
with a heavy cut automotive
polishing compound either power
or hand applied followed by a coat of wax. The gel-coat finish of
your fiberglass pool can be scratched like any other gloss surface.
The gelcoat is seven to eight times thicker than a normal coat of
paint so it is not likely that scratches will be more than
superficial. (continued.....)
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