Swim World Pools

Inground Pools | Gallatin | Hendersonville | Nashville | TN

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Inground Pools: The Ultimate Guide To Choosing The Pool of Your Dreams

Swim World's Ultimate Inground Pool Guide will take you from novice pool fan to educated — and happy — pool owner.

Introduction to The Ultimate Pool Guide

When we set off on this bold quest to build the Ultimate Inground Pool Guide, our mission was to answer the most important questions that thousands of people just like you have asked over the years. Building an inground pool is a large project and one that shouldn't be taken lightly.

All pool projects have hundreds of moving pieces that can either go well or fail miserably.

Go into it with your eyes wide open and, when your dream pool is finished, you'll enjoy the cool relaxing water knowing that you were well prepared along the journey. This guide will take you from novice pool fan to educated pool owner. We've indexed the sections for easy reference so you can bookmark them, or come back to this page and quickly find the information you need most.

 

So let's dive right in...

Index to the Ultimate Inground Pool Guide

What Are Pools Made Of?

If you dig a hole, you can make a pool out of any impermeable material...rubber liner anyone?

For a professional installation there are only 3 perfect substances that hold water, look great, and make for an awesome pool.

SHOW ME

Inground Pool Installation Process

The installation process is where a pool project fails or succeeds.  

Regardless of the kind of pool you're installing, knowing what to watch out for will make your dream project a reality instead of a nightmare.

WHAT IS IT?

Fiberglass Pool Problems

What kind of problems do fiberglass pools have?

WHAT ARE THEY?

Vinyl Problems

What kind of problems do vinyl pools have?

WHAT ARE THEY?

Concrete Pool Problems

What kind of problems do concrete pools have?

WHAT ARE THEY?

Inground Pool Maintenance

With so many things to care for, how do you maintain an inground pool without going batty?

BALANCE IS KEY...

What Are Pools Made Of?

You'll typically find pool liners are 1 of only 3 types used in the pool industry: Fiberglass liners, vinyl liner over a steel wall form, or concrete. Concrete pool liners are also called 'gunite' or 'shotcrete' by pool insiders.

Let's take a look at each one...

Fiberglass Pools

Fiberglass pools are pre-formed which usually makes them the fastest to install and can go in as soon as your yard is leveled and prepared.

Fiberglass pool manufacturing is thriving and there are hundreds of styles, shapes, and sizes to choose from.  A modern fiberglass pool is easy to maintain, lasts for decades if cared for properly, and looks as good as any custom pool does.

More about fiberglass pools

Vinyl Inground Pools

Vinyl inground pools offer you the most customizeable sizes and shapes of almost any style of pool.  Concrete is the only other material with a slight edge over vinyl when it comes to designing a free-form pool.

A Vinyl pool is made up of a custom designed steel wall, with a vinyl liner covering the inside of the structure.  Here's our vinyl pool image gallery, and everything you ever wanted to know about a Vinyl pool including comparisons, benefits, and options.

More about Vinyl Pools

Concrete Inground Pools

Concrete inground pools give you the most flexibility when it comes to custom shapes and sizes.  If you can image a shape, you can build it in concrete as long as it will hold water.

Concrete or 'shotcrete' as it's called in the pool business, is also durable and a bit more pet friendly than vinyl. Our customers have designed some beautiful pools in concrete, and our nozzlemen (the guys that can make or break a shotcrete installation) have more gray hair than anyone in the business.

Read more about Concrete pools...

Read about Concrete Pools
Fiberglass Pool on a crane

Inground Pool Installation Process

This section guides you through the inground pool installation process for any kind of pool.

The process is slightly different depending on the type of pool that's being installed:

  • A concrete pool would have re-bar and various other structural pieces added to the hole before the concrete is sprayed;
  • A fiberglass inground pool goes into the ground almost immediately after the site is leveled and prepped;
  • And a Vinyl Liner Pool has a custom built steel wall that's lowered into place which forms the shape of the pool.

Here are the high level steps you'll go through regardless of what your awesome pool is made of...

Step
3D Design
3D pool design pool studio

Pool Design In 3D

Once you have a general idea about what kind of pool you're interested in, the first step in building your pool is to visit your pool builder.  Any reputable pool company will have 3D design software like Pool Studio. It's very important to get to know the folks you'll be working with.  Pool construction projects have thousands of moving parts. We guarantee something won't go as planned.

Understanding exactly how your builder handles the construction project and how well they communicate with you can be more important than the physical parts of the project.

Some questions to ask are:

  • How many years have they been in business?
  • Do they specialize in a certain type of pool?
  • Who handles the permitting process for you?
  • Can they show you a portfolio of pools they've built?
  • Are they general contractors or do they hire the project out to someone else?
  • Can they maintain and service your pool once the project is complete?

Let's assume you've chosen a builder that's a good fit both professionally and personally.  It's time for the fun to begin!

Step
Onsite Visit

Onsite Visit

Phase 1: Draw the outline

The first phase of pool construction is done in your backyard. The pool that you designed on the computer is drawn on the ground in your backyard by the design consultant, construction superintendent, and you. This will help determine where the pool will be installed in relation to the house. The pool builder should contact you with start dates to make sure you'll be there.

Phase 1: Pool supplies delivered to the site

Pool construction materials
Pools require hundreds of different parts like pumps, PVC piping for plumbing, gravel, dirt, pool control electronic equipment, and a lot of dirt moving machinery.
The pool equipment will be delivered to your house and stored in the construction area. It's important to keep kids and pets out the storage area because there are sharp parts and heavy equipment that may look cool but aren't toys by any means.
Most pool builders charge replacement costs for missing pieces and lost parts, so try to keep everything together. We have found that dogs love to sneak out parts and chew them up!
doggy pool
pool layout image

Phase 1: Digging the hole for the pool

Phase 1 ends with a giant hole in your backyard. Once the pool is laid out, it will be dug to the specifications agreed to at the 3D design meeting. You'll see a lot of gravel moving around the hole and brought in for the pool floor and the backfill around the sides of the pool. Make sure you tell your pool builder about special areas you want to be protected (flower beds, shrubs, etc.). Your pool builder should make a "One Call" with the utility companies to avoid breaking any underground cables, water, or gas lines.  The One Call service will be located where the underground lines are hiding, so they can be avoided.

Phase 1: Pool Delivery

If your pool is fiberglass or vinyl, the pool shows up to your house 2 to 3 days after the hole is leveled to specification. A fiberglass pool almost looks ready to swim in when it arrives.  A vinyl liner pool won't look like a pool at all - the steel frame that becomes the walls of your pool show up in pieces and is bolted together as soon as they're in the hole.
A concrete pool needs a solid backbone first if it's going to hold the cement. A re-bar frame is assembled inside of the hole, and the plumbing for the pumps and any water features are connected before the cement truck gets to your house. Pictured are what each kind of pool will look like at this stage of construction.

Fiberglass pool arriving on site.

Vinyl liner pool steel framing

Concrete pool re-bar underpinning

Phase 2: Gravel, leveling, and backfilling the pool

Now that your pool is safely in your backyard, the crew brings in a whole lot of gravel and levels the ground with it so the pool can sit perfectly flat. You'll see a lot of measuring, adjusting, and tweaking to get the hole just right.

The type of pool you install determines the leveling requirements.  Fiberglass pools lay on a gravel bed that conforms to the slope of the pool.

A vinyl pool has a steel wall which supports and forms the overall shape.  The bottom of a vinyl pool is leveled to the design and the liner is placed over the entire structure.

A concrete pool is a different project.  The site is leveled to the 3D design specifications and then a re-bar 'backbone' is built up to give the concrete strength and flexibility.

The pool installation actually begins once the leveling process is complete.

It's usually at this point that reality sets in, and you start believing you'll actually have a pool in your backyard. Grab your camera, and take lots pictures.  A few years from now, you won't believe that your yard actually looked like it did right now.

pool hole leveled with gravel
fiberglass pool backfilled with gravel
Locking a fiberglass pool

3 very important things happen during phase 2

Electrical

Before the pool is backfilled with gravel it must be 'bonded'. Bonding is like grounding an electrical circuit to prevent static electricity from building up and shocking you. Bonding involves running copper wire around the perimeter of the pool and back to the pad where the pumps and filters are. The conduit for the pool lights is also set in place until the lighting is ready to install. When the electrical is complete, it's time for your state inspector to check everything. The state inspectors usually get to the site within 6-10 days or sooner. If you happen to see the inspector and he or she leaves a blue inspection sticker (TN), let your pool builder know it's there so they can move on to the next phase.

Plumbing

The pool plumbing is connected to the pumps and filters during phase 2 of pool construction. The plumbing is pressure tested to ensure it doesn't leak. Some cities and counties require all new plumbing lines to be inspected. Depending on your location, your pool contractor may need to schedule an inspection before the project is complete. Your builder should setup and schedule all the inspections for you. Ask your builder if they usually keep all plumbing level, both on straight lines and angles, as well as hydraulically balanced. Leveling the plumbing now avoids expensive repairs and maintenance problems in the future.

Backfill

Once all the inspections are done it's time for gravel! The pool should be backfilled with gravel instead of dirt for stability and to prevent settling over time. You can see an example of backfilling in the video above. The gravel forms a strong base around the pool, permanently locking it in place. When your pool builder is backfilling, they'll fill the pool with water at the same time to keep the inward and outward wall pressures even.

Plumbing Leaks

If your builder doesn't backfill with gravel, the plumbing lines could shift causing stress on the joints — and potential leaks!

Read More

Pop Out

Can a pool pop out of the ground? You bet.  Any kind of pool.  How do you prevent that from happening? Install a drain next to the pool to reduce hydro-static pressure.

Read More

Color Fade

Pools are exposed to sunlight all year long and live in a chlorinated environment. Fiberglass does fade over the years, but the materials outlast vinyl by a long time.

Read More

Gel Coat "Spidering"

Hairline cracks in the gel coat of a fiberglass pool happen occasionally.  Too much pressure on a section of pool can cause the surface to fracture. But these cracks only affect the surface coat and not the entire wall.

Read More

Liner Lifespan

A vinyl liner lasts 6-8 years given good maintenance. Vinyl walls hold up well, but be mindful of sharp or hard objects in the pool. Like dog nails.

Read More

Steel wall + Salt water

Most vinyl pools have a stainless steel wall that forms the pool.  Salt water and steel don't mix well if there's a small tear in the vinyl. Over time, it will rust the wall.

Read More

Floating liner

Water pressure from groundwater beneath the pool can cause bulges in the liner — and inside the pool. This is typically not a structural issue with the pool but can cause wrinkles in the liner once the water recedes.

Coping

Coping is the upper border of the pool. Some pool builders use aluminum c-track to lay concrete along the upper border. Aesthetically, c-track isn't as good looking as a cantilevered concrete edge which provides a custom finished look.

Read More

Concrete Pool Problems

Resurfacing

Most folks aren't aware that concrete pools will need re-surfacing over time. If it's a salt water pool, the need to resurface comes sooner rather than later.

 

Salt Water

Salt water isn't kind to a concrete pool.  Come to think of it, salt isn't kind to most surfaces — except a ribeye.  You will have to resurface sooner.

Longer installation time

It takes longer to install a concrete pool than a fiberglass or vinyl pool.  Re-bar, cement, and prep work add weeks to the total project.

PH levels

Concrete surfaces need brushing every so often.  Calcium levels should be maintained within range to avoid PH swings.

INGROUND POOL MAINTENANCE

30 minutes a week.  That's all you need to keep your pool water sparkling clean and ready for action. Set a regular time each week — say a bright Sunday afternoon — to check trends in your water stability. These are the most important things you'll want to look for:

  • Clean debris from the skimmers & inside the pool
  • Check your chlorinator to see if it's low on tablets
  • Look in the pump skimmer (if you have one) for debris
  • Use a water test strip to check chemical levels in the pool

Balancing the water chemistry is easy if you keep a few things in mind. Check the values for chlorine, PH, alkalinity, and cyanuric acid (CYA). Adjust as needed to keep the numbers within range. 

CHLORINE

Chlorine is the most widely used sanitizer. Why?

  • It's fast acting;
  • Comes in many forms;
  • Is sensitive to pH levels (more effective at pH less than 7.5);
  • Most pools require chlorine levels between 0.5 & 3 PPM.

Know that chlorine will break down in sunlight so tablets will usually contain some form of stabilizer to prevent this from happening.

pH

pH is the balance between acidity and alkalinity. Too low a pH and the water is acidic; too high and it becomes alkaline. pH levels affect how well other chemicals perform in the water. It's critical to ensure these levels are maintained in balance.

  • Ideal pH range is 7.2 to 7.8
  • To adjust pH, either acids or bases are needed
  • Ask your pool supply store to recommend a preferred pH up or down product that works well with your pool type.

TOTAL ALKALINITY

Alkalinity is made up of bicarbonates, hydroxides & carbonates. Maintaining correct alkalinity requires the addition of these chemicals to keep pH in a stable range.  Keep in mind that:

  • Alkalinity anchors pH;
  • As such, alkalinity should be balanced before pH levels;
  • Required chemicals are usually available in powdered form;
  • Desired range is 80-120 PPM

Cyanuric Acid

CYA is like sunscreen for chlorine — it helps prevent degradation of the chemical when exposed to sunlight. CYA is not needed for indoor pools for this reason.

  • Ideal range is 20-50 PPM
  • There's no benefit to CYA above 50 PPM
  • Do not exceed 90 PPM
  • CYA can only be removed by draining water from the pool if the levels are too high

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