Deciding to get a pool was the easy part. Now you need to decide what type of pool is right for your home. This article explores the differences, to help you decide between an above ground and in ground pool.
INGROUND POOLS
Here in London, we’re lucky to have a climate that allows us to enjoy our pools, usually from mid-May to Thanksgiving. That means an inground pool can add value to your home. Inground pools also enhance the landscape by providing a water feature that looks great from the patio or inside the house.
Pools in general are great for entertaining, but the patio built around an inground pool makes it a particularly wonderful spot to gather. The variety of shapes and sizes for inground pools is a bonus as well. This is an opportunity for you to personalize your pool, and increase its functionality. If you know, for example, that you’ll be swimming a lot of laps then you may opt for a rectangular pool, opposed to a kidney or oval shape.
The costs involved with an inground pool are usually much higher than an above ground. The initial investment to install the permanent pool is much more, and the maintenance costs are usually higher in inground pools, especially since they can be much bigger than above ground pools. Bigger pool means more water to fill, and refill from evaporation, more chemicals to clean and more electricity or gas to heat. Inground pools also take much longer to install. Opening and closing the pool each year is a little more involved as well.
ABOVE GROUND POOLS
It’s great to see how above ground pools have evolved over the last decade or two. Better material, more shapes and sizes to choose from. The deck options that can be built around an above ground pool are numerous and unique as well.
Above ground pools are much more budget friendly. It’s a smaller investment to begin with and maintenance (both costs and labour) are less too.
The downside to above ground pools is that they don’t add any value to your home. While they may last for years, above ground pools are seen as a temporary structure, so homebuyers are not excited by them. Some families don’t like how shallow above ground pools can be. They don’t come with a deep end so they’re not safe for diving.
ON-GROUND POOLS, A GOOD COMPROMISE?
Somewhere in between what you just read about inground and above ground pools is a newer concept; on-ground pools.
An on-ground pool is partially installed in the ground, with the rest above the ground. It gives you the look and experience of an inground pool, but with some of the perks of an above ground pool, including less investment and faster installation.
On-ground pools also come in a variety of shapes and sizes like inground pools and since they are partially in the ground you can have a deep end for diving.
This is also a good choice for backyards that feature hills, uneven ground or any other challenging situations that would make a traditional above or inground pool installation impossible. On-ground pools are usually easier to meet city pool height requirements.
