Today, the most prevalent type of in-ground pool is the concrete pool, despite the availability of various types of manufactured pools such as concrete, fiberglass, and vinyl. Concrete pools, which account for 60% of new pool constructions, offer unlimited possibilities for shape, design, and spa features. They are built on sites reinforced with steel, providing robust support for pools of any dimension or form.

Fiberglass pools, which make up 7% of the market, are factory-made and delivered to their location to be placed in a pre-dug site. However, they offer limited shape options. Vinyl-lined pools, on the other hand, are delivered as kits and assembled on-site, making up 33% of the pool market. After the deck is finished, a custom-fit vinyl liner is installed, and the structure is filled with water. While they were once limited to geometric designs, free-form options are now available.

In the realm of pre-fabricated aboveground pools, fabrication cost remains a significant issue. Pools must be produced in a range of styles and sizes to meet the customer’s space requirements, and the number of components needed for manufacturing is substantial. However, designs that offer flexibility and reduce the inventory needed for various sizes and structures are emerging in the aboveground pool manufacturing market, making assembly easier without compromising stability.

Aboveground pools feature an exterior wall made of machined sheet metal, shaped into a continuous circle or oval. Reinforcing posts around the pool’s perimeter strengthen and maintain the pool wall’s position. These post assemblies typically include upper and lower rails that engage and cover the pool wall’s edges, plate connectors to position the vertical posts, and possibly secure ledge sections around the pool wall’s top. A cap is usually attached to complete the top of the post assembly.

Aboveground pools comprise a sidewall, a water-resistant liner, and a frame or superstructure for sidewall support and reinforcement. The frame assembly usually includes a lower and top rail where the pool sidewall is attached. The liner is affixed to the pool sidewall’s inner surface along the top edge.

Historically, swimming as an organized activity can be traced back to 2500 B.C. in ancient Egypt. The Romans invented actual swimming pools in the first century B.C. In Rome and Greece, swimming was part of young boys’ education. Many Roman pools were heated using water piped from natural springs. The lavish bathhouses, adorned with marble and costly gilding, were a hit among the elite, but most people continued to swim in lakes and rivers. These bathing pools served as the forerunners to the swimming pools we know today.  For more fun information visit our informatioinal page.