Hire contractors that have experience making liners for pool conversions and contractors that can give you references for prior pool conversion jobs.
Gunite vinyl liner pool.
Cost initial and lifetime concrete.
You can t find a fiberglass pool to suit your needs.
A gunite pool is a good fit if.
You re prepared to spend a lot of time and money maintaining your investment.
Surface is rough all you need to do is stick your hand in a concrete pool then a vinyl pool to feel the difference yourself.
Vinyl liner pools do come with a warranty.
Vinyl now offers the same selection.
Your budget is in the 25 000 to 35 000 range.
A concrete pool would take your entire summer to install and a vinyl liner pool only a month.
Another yet small advancement as of late is the addition of matching color faceplates for skimmer main drains and return fittings although simple in idea this now allows builders to completely hide any evidence of plastics in a vinyl liner pool so like a gunite pool the interior is seamless and continuous in color.
Gunite pools will require replastering and there is never a warranty on plaster.
Advantages of vinyl liner pools.
The industry named this type of construction a package pool most families found the vinyl liner package pool to be the best value over the more expensive custom concrete gunite swimming pools that were also available and fiberglass swimming pools were not accepted or readily available in most of the country.
Except the vinyl will be printed with photographs of tile or rocks instead of the real thing.
The biggest expense for a pool conversion from gunite to a vinyl liner pool is going to be the labor.
So an inexpensive vinyl pool does look cheaper than a gunite pool but a nice vinyl pool can look just like a gunite pool.
A vinyl liner pool has a custom made sheet of vinyl between the water and the pool structure.
You want a custom shape or depth.
Vinyl liners typically lock their top edge called a bead into a track located on the bottom of the coping which is at deck level.
Underneath the liner is a sand or cement like floor.
Your budget is 50 000 or more.
For most people there is no diy option for concrete pools.
The smoothest concrete pool surface is a cheese grader compared to vinyl.
Ready made gunite pool projects typically cost between 50 000 and 100 000 upfront.