The key ingredient to surviving the summertime heat is access to crisp, cool water. If you’re thinking about buying a swimming pool, it’s important to consider the pros and cons of above ground and in-ground swimming pools before making your decision because let’s face it, it’s not a small purchase!
To help you decide what the best swimming pool for your space, needs and budget is, we have compiled a list of things you should consider when deciding what type of pool you should buy.
Above Ground Swimming Pools
Pre-manufactured in kit form, these pools are simply large containers filled with water.
Advantages
- This is the best option for those working with a smaller budget. Approximately 1/10th to 1/5th of the total cost of in-ground swimming pools, they are the cheaper, more economical option.
- Because they are considered temporary structures, in most cases, your property taxes will be unaffected.
- Arriving in kit form, installation only takes a few days and is fairly easy.
- Generally, above ground swimming pools with walls that are at least 48” are not required to have a fence around the entire pool. At minimum, they are required to have a fence around the ladder area or have a ladder with a built in self-closing gate.
- Great for homes with small yards or for people who don’t want to lose the majority of their yard space to a pool.
Disadvantages
- Because they are considered temporary structures, they do not add any real value to your house and may even take away from the overall aesthetic quality of your backyard.
- They are not ideal for homes in the South or places with much warmer climates. For example, temperatures can rise to well over 100 degrees for days on end in Texas and a smaller body of water is going to heat up faster and hotter than a larger body of water. This extreme heat promotes much faster chlorine breakdown and algae growth, which in turn causes the owner to buy more chemicals and pay higher utility bills to run the pool pump for longer periods of time.
- They don’t have many customizable options; shapes are generally limited to round or oval. Still, you can add decking or railing around the pool to give it a more finished look.
In-Ground Swimming Pools
Made of either concrete, vinyl or fiberglass, these swimming pools are built by digging out and excavating a large site.
Advantages
- Because they are considered permanent structures, they add value to your home.
- Great for warmer climates.
- They have countless customizable options - with concrete/gunite pools offering the most, vinyl liner in ground pools with the second most, and fiberglass pools coming in third. Endless varieties of shapes, liners, walls, decking, paving and even entertainment add-ons – like diving boards, waterfalls and slides – are available to give your pool a unique personality and look to set it apart from the rest. They can be built according to almost anything you could possibly imagine or in any way your heart may desire.
- They can be made to be up to 10 feet deep or more, whereas above ground pools average around only 4 feet deep.
Disadvantages
- The cost may be the biggest, if not only, disadvantage when it comes to in-ground pools. Simply getting one built in the first place is a major investment on its own. The initial cost to build and install it is already high but add the yearly maintenance and upkeep on top of that, and you’ll see why it takes a lot of forethought before purchasing an in-ground pool.
- All in-ground pools are required by law to be completely enclosed by a fence to prevent small children from accidentally falling into the pool and to protect yourself from being held responsible for any injuries that occur in your pool – even if you are not present at the time.
Although purchasing a swimming pool may be a large commitment, it does not have to be a nerve wracking decision – it should be a fun and exciting time for you and your family. When it comes down to it, an above ground pool is going to be more economical initially and a more temporary structure overall, whereas an in-ground pool will require more of an initial investment but, when properly cared for, can be enjoyed for years to come and can add market value to your home.
About the Author: The Pool Guy Store provides discount pool supplies for above ground, in ground, and commercial swimming pools. For more information on products and services, please visit www.thepoolguystore.com.
