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Frequently asked questions
Whats the difference between a
fibreglass swimming pool and a gunnite swimming
pool?
What are the advantages of a
fibreglass swimming pool vs a gunnite swimming
pool?
What are the dis-advantages of a
gunnite swimming pool vs a fibreglass swimming
pool?
How do you make a fibreglass
swimming pool?
Where should I position my
swimming pool in my garden?
How long does it take to install
a fibreglass swimming pool?
What colour swimming pools are
best?
Which company should I chose to
install my swimming pool?
Why are some quotes for
fibreglass swimming pools so cheap and others
more expensive?
Is it easy to maintain a
fibreglass swimming pool?
Is it expensive to run a
fibreglass swimming pool?
What are the safety requirements
around a swimming pool?
What types of paving are
there?
Are there any hidden costs when
installing a fibreglass swimming pool?
What are the guarantees and what
do they cover?
Whats the difference
between a fibreglass swimming pool and a gunnite
swimming pool?
A fibreglass swimming pool is manufactured in a
factory using a mould. The fibreglass swimming is
delivered to the site on a truck or trailer in
one piece and put in the hole ready for the
installation process to start. A gunnite swimming
pool is made out of concrete and steel and is
constructed on site, in the hole.
back to top What are the advantages of a
fibreglass swimming pool vs a gunnite swimming
pool?
A gunnite swimming pool can be built to any size,
shape and depth. There are some building
requirements that will only allow for a gunnite
swimming pool to be constructed due to its
structural strength i.e. large hotel pools,
public pools and some engineered designed
domestic pools.
Fibreglass swimming pools are quick, easy and
neat to install. The water is approx 3-4 degrees
warmer, the interior finish is smooth which
prevents algae from adhering to the sides so is
much easier to maintain. You use fewer chemicals
in a fibreglass swimming pool which saves time
and money. Cosmetically, fibreglass swimming
pools look better for longer, they dont get the
ugly black algae stains, hairline cracks and
ceramic mosaics that keep fall off. Fibreglass
swimming pools are also slightly cheaper.
back to top
What are the
dis-advantages of a gunnite swimming pool vs a
fibreglass swimming pool?
A gunnite swimming pool gets very rough sides
after a few years. This scratches the swimmers
skin. Algae also gets a good grip in the rough
surface making maintance a nightmare. The
construction process is very messy and disruptive
to the garden. The construction takes much longer
than a fibreglass swimming pool. A gunnite
swimming pool is more expensive than a fibreglass
swimming pool to build. Because of the concrete
the pool does no warm up as much as a fibreglass
swimming pool.
The disadvantage of a fibreglass swimming pool is
that you are restricted to the shapes and sizes
the manufacturer can make. Horizon Pools has
overcome this problem to a degree and can
manufacture custom shapes up to 11.5m x 4,5m.
back to top How do you make a fibreglass
swimming pool?
We have a mould the shape of the pool you want in
our factory. It is up side down so the floor of
the pool is now the roof of the mould. We work on
the shiny outside of the mould. The mould is
polished with wax which makes it easy to release
the pool off the mould once it has been made. The
wax separates the pool from the mould and
prevents them sticking together. The mosaic
pattern is the first thing that is applied to the
mould with a clear resin called gelcoat by
laminators (workers) using brushes. The pool
colour (gelcoat) is then painted over the entire
mould including over the recently applied
mosaics. Once that dries or becomes tacy a layer
of fibreglass tissue is applied with resin over
the entire mould on top of the colour. This is a
resin rich layer that is very important and acts
as a barrier between the structure (fibreglass
layers) and the chemicals in the swimming pool
water. Layers of fibreglass sheets called chop
strand mat are put on top of the fibreglass
tissue and wet out with resin. This is applied
with a roller much like painting a wall. Once the
correct amount of layers of chop strand mat are
applied a reinforcing beam is attached to the top
of the pool (bottom of the mould), this helps
stiffen the pool. The pool is then left over
night to harden. The next morning the pool is
released off the mould and turned over so it is
the right way up and Hey Presto, you have a
fibreglass swimming pool.
back to top Where should I position my
swimming pool in my garden?
The things to take into consideration are:
privacy, getting maximum sun on the swimming pool
so as to get the water as warm as possible,
keeping your eyes on the kids from inside the
house for safety reasons and wind protection. A
balance of these factors will be taken into
account. Making the swimming pool a part of the
outside entertainment area which enhances the
outdoors lifestyle is popular and practical.
back to top How long does it take to install a
fibreglass swimming pool?
Depending on the size of the fibreglass swimming
pool you chose it will take between 5-12 working
days to carry out a basic installation which
involves the excavation and removal of soil, the
installation of the fibreglass shell, the pump
and filter installation, the electrical
connection, 1m surround paving and the cleaning
of the pool and site.
back to top What colour swimming pools are
best?
Fibreglass swimming pools can come in any colour.
There are basic chart colours that are given by
the resin suppliers. Most fibreglass swimming
pool companies will recommend pool blue as any
colour darker than that can potentially
dis-colour. There is a 30%-40% chance of
dis-colouration in a fibreglass swimming pool if
a dark colour is chosen.10%-15% of fibreglass
pools are darker i.e. shades of grey/charcoal or
the darker shades of blue. The discolouration is
a milky white, mottled, patchy look.
All (100%) of darker gunnite swimming pools
dis-colour in the same way.
back to top Which company should I chose to
install my swimming pool?
Your safest route is to choose a pool builder who
belongs to the NSPI (National Spa and Pool
Institute) This way you are assured of a company
who manufactures fibreglass swimming pools to the
correct standards required by the institute. The
company has to have been in business for a few
years, a back ground check is carried out and
their factory inspected before they are allowed
to be members. Many companies apply to be part of
the NSPI but are turned down if their product
does not comply. Some members have been expelled
due to the dropping of their standards. The NSPI
has offices in every province and are easily
contactable for information. They are there to
help the customer if need be regarding standards,
problems with installations and after sales
service.
Do a thorough check before you commit to a
swimming pool contractor. Take the time to visit
their factory, see how thick the pool are, the
neatness of the factory tells a storey about the
attitude of the company and its staff, ask for at
least 10 reverences ( you dont have to
phone/visit them all) over a 2 year period. Ask
if they manufacture their own fibreglass swimming
pools or if they buy from a supplier (not
recommended as the supplier and builder often
blame each other when problems arise leaving the
client in the middle with no recourse). Ask if
the fibreglass swimming pool is manufactured in
your city (some are transported long distances on
trucks sometimes resulting in damage.)
back to top Why are some quotes for
fibreglass swimming pools so cheap and others
more expensive?
You will find that the NSPI member pools are
likely to be at the higher end of the price scale
due to the fact they have to manufacture and
install their pools to certain standards set by
the NSPI. These factors are for instance
fibreglass swimming pool wall thickness and
materials used in manufacture and installation.
Non NSPI members are free to manufacture thinner
pools with cheaper materials from less credible
suppliers, hence they can manufacture the pool
for a lower cost, hence the price
differences.
back to top Is it easy to maintain a
fibreglass swimming pool?
It is extremely easy to maintain a fibreglass swimming pool these days. With salt water
chlorinators and other products available these
days the pool only needs to be worked on for 5-10
mins twice a month depending on leaves etc around
the pool.
back to top Is it expensive to run a
fibreglass swimming pool?
No, chemically if you have a salt water
chlorinator, which most people do have these
days; it will cost you approx R400 per year for
salt and acid. Every two to three years you may
need to spend approx R2000-R3000 replacing
chlorinator cells, a broken pump or filter or an
automatic pool cleaner that gets worn through
wear and tear. A pool shop will charge you
R250-R400 a month for a service that has them
maintain your swimming pool twice a month.
Regarding electricity costs to run your swimming
pool pump it cost approx R200 R250 per month at
the current rate depending on weather you have
pool heating in which case the swimming pool pump
runs for longer. A solar blanket will help bring
the cost down so as to not have to have the
swimming pool pump run for as long periods and
the solar blanket stops the warmth dissipating
into the cooler air above, plus there is less
evaporation.
Many people these days switch their pumps off in
winter completely to save money as fewer
chemicals are needed due to less evaporation
hence less topping up of the water levels which
keeps diluting the chemical balance.
back to top What are the safety requirements
around a swimming pool?
The law states that the property has to have a
fence around it no lower than 1.2m and with no
gaps wider that 100mm. The gate must have a
spring that closes it behind you. A remote gate
must have a timer that allows it to close after
you have left the property. This is to prevent
kids entering your property from the road when
you are not home and accidentally drowning in
your pool.
Internal pool fencing is up to the client. The
safety companies talk about layers of safely.
This means that one safety option i.e. fencing,
safety net or swimming pool alarm, does not
guarantee prevention of an accident happening.
More than one safety option around a swimming
pool where young children live is
recommended.
back to top What types of paving are
there?
These days, simulated clay paving is very popular
as apposed to clay bricks as a surround around
for a swimming pool. It looks very nice and
blends in with most finishers around the rest of
the house. The simulated clay is cost affective.
The disadvantage of simulated clay paving is that
it is a bit more slippery than brick pavers
(sealing it makes it worse), tends to get
hairline cracks in the wider grout joints due to
different expansion rates between the paver and
grout and if the quality is not good the salt in
the swimming pool water can damage the product.
Because the paver is pourus salt in the swimming
pool water soaks into the pours when splashing
occurs and when it dries the salt crystallizes
and expands. Over time this wears through the top
layer of the paver exposing the stone. The stone
is sharp and sore when walking on barefoot, which
you tend to do around a pool. Brick seems to be
out of fashion at the moment but is harder so is
less affected by salt attack, it has more grip
and has thinner grout joints so is not as
affected with hair line cracks due to
expansion.
We often use a combination of both products which
gives the client the best of both worlds. There
are many options regarding paving/tiling such as
clay tiles, sand stone and ceramic tiles. Timber
decking is also popular but is very expensive to
install, which puts many people off that
option.
back to top Are there any hidden costs when
installing a fibreglass swimming
pool?
Most companys sales staff will point out the
hidden costs involved with a fibreglass swimming
pool installation up front and will make it clear
on the quote and contract. The most common hidden
costs are if hard ground is found during the
excavation. All quotes are done assuming the
ground conditions are standard (sand) that is
what has been costed into the price of the job.
The sales staff should know the different areas
and the ground conditions to expect from
previously installing fibreglass swimming pools
in the area close to your property. Anything
other than clean sand/soil is classified as a
hard dig. This includes clay, koffie klip,
builders rubble, gravel, small stone/rock, old
forgotten concrete foundations or pools etc( we
have encountered many old building works and
pools while excavating that clients were unaware
existed on their own property that were not on
the plans). The moment a pick or jack hammer is
required the hole will take longer to dig and
time is money. Make sure you get a flat rate and
be aware of what the hard excavation will cost
you up front. From time to time rock is struck. A
blasting contractor will be called and will
provide a quote which will be for the clients
expense. Other hidden costs could be if
underground sewer, drainage or irrigation pipes
that are exposed during the excavation. These
pipes will need to be diverted. Very often the
client is unaware pipes are running through the
area that the swimming pool is going; often it is
not shown on the plans. Electrical and phone
cables are often exposed and these too must be
diverted at the clients expense as the swimming
pool contractor was obviously unaware they
existed. If the client is aware pipes and cables
run through the swimming pool area most swimming
pool companies will be able to give the client a
quote or estimate regarding the costs involved up
front.
back to top What are the guarantees and what
do they cover?
At Horizon Pools we offer a two year guarantee on
all the filtration equipment. This is a guarantee
carried over from our suppliers. This is
manufactures guarantee that covers replacing
bearings, capacitors, chlorinator parts etc. We
generally get excellent back up service from
Speck Pumps and Zodiac. There is a 2 year
installation guarantee that covers any hollow
steps, bulges etcthat may occur in that time,
especially over winter when there is a lot of
ground water that could potentially cause
problems.
The fibreglass swimming pool shell has a 10 year
structural guarantee. This guarantee is for
manufacturing default of the product.
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