Paradise Pools and Spa's
have been building custom
pools and spas for Central Mississippi
residents since 1981.
Our designers
will help you design, build, and
maintain your pool. You will be advised
of the phases from beginning to end.
Please browse our website to find out
what you can expect from us as well as
finding some answers to your questions
Types of
Pools
The main difference
between different types
of pools is how the
basin is constructed.
There are several
different pool styles,
each with its own
advantages and
disadvantages.
Above-ground pools
are the cheapest
construction option,
as well as the
easiest to build.
Most above-ground
pools are made from
prefabricated kits,
which even an
amateur can put
together (though
most people go with
professional
installers). First,
the installers level
off the ground to
form a flat building
surface. Then they
assemble a perimeter
track, which
supports the outer
wall (made of metal,
plastic or wood).
Next, they spread
sand in the pool
area and lay the
plumbing. Finally,
they secure the
vinyl liner over the
pool walls, fill the
pool with water,
smooth the liner and
fasten it into
place. As soon as
they hook up the
pump and filtering
system, the pool is
ready to go. The
main disadvantage of
this sort of pool is
that it's less
durable than other
designs, and
generally less
attractive. It's
also less permanent,
which can be a good
thing -- it's
relatively easy to
disassemble the pool
and move it to a new
location.
Fiberglass pools
are made from
fiberglass-reinforced
plastic, which has
been molded into a
basin shape. To
install the pool, a
construction crew
digs an
appropriately sized
hole, lays the
necessary plumbing,
adds some sand
filler and lowers
the preformed pool
structure into the
hole. Then they
level the pool, hook
up all the plumbing
and backfill in the
area around the
pool. Usually, the
pool is surrounded
by a concrete deck
structure.
Vinyl-lined
in-ground pools
are a lot like
above-ground pools,
structurally, but
they look more like
conventional
in-ground designs.
The construction
crew digs a hole and
assembles a metal,
plastic or wood
frame wall around
the hole's
perimeter. As in an
above-ground pool,
the crew lays a sand
based foundation
along the bottom of
the hole and secures
the vinyl lining to
the structural wall.
These pools are a
lot cheaper than
other in-ground
designs, but not as
durable. Typically,
the liner needs to
be replaced every 10
years or so.
Gunite poolsare the most
popular design in
much of the United
States. To build one
of these pools, the
construction crew
digs a hole, puts
the plumbing in
place and assembles
a framework grid
with 3/8-inch steel
reinforcing rods (rebar).
The rebar rods are
spaced about 10
inches apart, and
secured together
with wire. When the
grid is in place,
the crew sprays a
heavy coating of
gunite,
a mixture of cement
and sand, around the
rebar. The sprayer
unit combines dry
gunite mix with
water just before
spraying -- this
produces the wet
concrete material.
The crew trowels the
gunite smooth and
lets it sit for a
week or so before
applying a smooth
finish to the rough
surface. The most
popular finish is
called
plaster
(actually a mixture
of cement and marble
sand), but a lot of
people finish their
pools with special
concrete paint.
Gunite pools can
also have tile,
exposed aggregate or
even fiberglass
finishes. Gunite
pools (and their
cousins,
shotcrete
pools) are highly
durable, and they
can be built in any
shape or size.
Poured-concrete
pools are
similar to gunite
pools, but they're a
lot harder to build.
Instead of spraying
concrete material
around a rebar
framework, concrete
is actually poured
into conventional
wooden forms. With
the rise of gunite
methods,
poured-concrete pool
construction has
mostly fallen by the
wayside. In
masonry block pools,
the walls are
constructed with
concrete blocks.
