We LOVE our fiberglass pool

[Guest Kenneth Vargas]

I thought I'd chime in as a third fiberglass pool owner, and as a member of the California state bar association. I grew up in a fiberglass pool, and have installed two in my homes over the past 15 years. Not to discount their frusteration, because I am sure their problems are real, but I am sad to see how shallow minded some of these entries are... I for one, will step up and shout how great our fiberglass poolS have been and will speak to the libility issue as it relates to warranties.

We sold our home with a fiberglass pool we had installed 7 years prior. The new home we bought had a gunite pool in it when we bought it. Not realizing the difference, my wife and I were just happy to have a pool. All I can say is WHAT A DIFFERENCE! That gunite pool was a money pit! Besides using an arm and leg in chemicals and 24 hours a day of circulating (something I am not used to)

All the problems people are griping about on this forum with respect to their fiberglass pool, happened in my gunite pool too. I think people get things out of perspective and the start blaming and focusing on the material the pool is made of instead of the guy who put it in wrong. Problems can happen on any pool folks. The guy that built our gunite pool wasn't worth the shovel to bury him with, and the plaster company who did the surface wouldn't warranty the surface either... it comes down to the contractor, regardless of what kind of pool you buy. People~ Do your homework! Dont blame the pool shell for the error of the moron you didn't qualify or check references on. Most states offer a booklet about how to find and qualify a contractor BEFORE YOU HIRE THEM. I know that California does, and it is free on the California State Contractors License website: "Before you Dive Into Pool Construction." The information is out there... we just have to be diligent to find it, which cannot be done on the spur of the moment.

The average 3 bid cost to fix my gunite pool was going to be $17,000! We popped holes in the bottom and hired someone to install an Aloha fiberglass pool in its place. That was 2 years ago, and we haven't looked back. It has been a lifetime of fiberglass success, and there are plenty more out there just like me.

As to who to point fingers at... manufacturers never warranty someone elses workmanship. Whether it is a pool or a sofa you had recovered. Like ANY OTHER construction material used on your home (shingles, for example) if they are installed wrong, they may break. If the materials degrade, call the manufacturer, if damage (a crack) occurs, you should be looking ot your contractor.

[Guest Angela]

Thank you, Kenneth. I am glad to hear that someone else has had such a great experience and is willing to share good news, and not just bad news. My husband and I are on our second fiberglass pool, and we would NEVER ever buy any other type of pool, and we have had a vinyl liner pool in the past.

Our fiberglass pool is so much easier to keep clean, and when it turns green (everyone's pool turns green at some time) that algae just wipes right off and is gone in less than a day. With our salt system, it is pretty much a zero maintenance pool and what they say about only having to turn your pump on for a few hours is correct. We run our filter for only 3 hours a day, and the pool is spotless. We are a busy family - kids in soccer and dance and I work, so there isn't much free time. When we do have free time, we swim in, not clean our fiberglass pool!

I found this website because my friend who is looking into a pool read all the bad things written here, I thought I would chime in as one who knows how great fiberglass pools are! Glad to see someone else chimed in too!

Angela Green, Traverse City, Michigan

[midwestpoolsmichigan]

It's nice to read posts like yours.

[slhalufska]

Kenneth,

I'm interested in your take on my issue since you're a member of the bar.

I contracted a reputable, license pool builder/installer to install a fiberglass pool in FL. My contract states that they are to "set, level, fill, backfill, plumb, electric connect & pressure test".

Payment was due in 3 installments:

$ 4,000 to order pool

$10,000 when delivery date was set

$ 4,931 balance due on delivery.

The pool company owner stated that he and another installer would perform the actual install. Instead, the other installer and a new installer arrived. No backfill was done until the second day, when the pool water level was 3' or more. When they returned the second day, I mentioned that the pool did not look level. They began backfill, plumbing, etc. Pool level did not improve. At my insistence, the installers measured and determined there was a 3.5" difference from the shallow end to the deep end. Last day (Day 3), I told the installers I was not comfortable paying the final payment until speaking with the owner about the level of the pool. After speaking with him, he persuaded me that by "stack-tiling" the lower end (affixing a series of tiles one on top of the other to make up for the shortage to create a false "wall" on which to affix the waterline tile) the pool would be wonderful .

Day 4 (a Sunday) my deck contractor came over, looked the job over and told me that the unlevelness was unreasonable and that they should fix it before proceeding with the deck. The pool co. owner called on Day 4, I expressed my concerns that the pool be leveled; he promised to come back later that week to fix it. He confirmed his promise in a subsequent email the same day. I replied to his email that I wanted him to VOID the final payment and we would settle up once the pool was leveled and completed. I requested that he fax the VOIDED check the next morning. The day went by with no fax, so I called the bank to cancel the check. Day 5 the owner called to again confirm that he would be down in the end of the week to level the pool. At that time, I let him know that since I hadn't received the fax of the VOIDED check, I cancelled it. He refused to come back to level the pool until he was paid in f ull. I did not feel that I could the job would be completed unless I held back the last payment.

The pool owner says that I am in breach of our contract, that he will place a lien on my home as well as sue for unnecessary expenses to collect & that, should I pay him before he comes back, he will not pay for a crane if it is necessary to fix the pool because of the time delay.

I offered the following solutions:

Have an attorney hold a certified check ensuring his final payment on completion

Pay him cash upon completion

Have him come earlier to complete the job & get paid

My contract says nothing about my rights if the job is not done correctly, or at all. It does state that I waive my right to private counsel and must choose arbitration through the NSPI, or else I will have to pay a minimum of $100/hr for the owner to defend himself.

Does this sound right to you?

I am a fair person; I am not interested in taking advantage of the owner; I simply want to ensure that the project is done correctly before paying out everything. What position should I take?

I thought I'd chime in as a third fiberglass pool owner, and as a member of the California state bar association. I grew up in a fiberglass pool, and have installed two in my homes over the past 15 years. Not to discount their frusteration, because I am sure their problems are real, but I am sad to see how shallow minded some of these entries are... I for one, will step up and shout how great our fiberglass poolS have been and will speak to the libility issue as it relates to warranties.

We sold our home with a fiberglass pool we had installed 7 years prior. The new home we bought had a gunite pool in it when we bought it. Not realizing the difference, my wife and I were just happy to have a pool. All I can say is WHAT A DIFFERENCE! That gunite pool was a money pit! Besides using an arm and leg in chemicals and 24 hours a day of circulating (something I am not used to)

All the problems people are griping about on this forum with respect to their fiberglass pool, happened in my gunite pool too. I think people get things out of perspective and the start blaming and focusing on the material the pool is made of instead of the guy who put it in wrong. Problems can happen on any pool folks. The guy that built our gunite pool wasn't worth the shovel to bury him with, and the plaster company who did the surface wouldn't warranty the surface either... it comes down to the contractor, regardless of what kind of pool you buy. People~ Do your homework! Dont blame the pool shell for the error of the moron you didn't qualify or check references on. Most states offer a booklet about how to find and qualify a contractor BEFORE YOU HIRE THEM. I know that California does, and it is free on the California State Contractors License website: "Before you Dive Into Pool Construction." The information is out there... we just have to be diligent to find it, which cannot be done on the spur of the moment.

The average 3 bid cost to fix my gunite pool was going to be $17,000! We popped holes in the bottom and hired someone to install an Aloha fiberglass pool in its place. That was 2 years ago, and we haven't looked back. It has been a lifetime of fiberglass success, and there are plenty more out there just like me.

As to who to point fingers at... manufacturers never warranty someone elses workmanship. Whether it is a pool or a sofa you had recovered. Like ANY OTHER construction material used on your home (shingles, for example) if they are installed wrong, they may break. If the materials degrade, call the manufacturer, if damage (a crack) occurs, you should be looking ot your contractor.