Vinyl-liner pool cost

Vinyl-liner pools come in two main types. Above-ground prefabricated vinyl-liner pools (with their lower initial cost) are a preferred option for some buyers and can be up and running for around $10,000. However, pool safety standards and fencing codes in Australia still require most above-ground pools to be fully enclosed, adding to the final cost. In-ground vinyl-liner pools are less popular in Australia than fibreglass or concrete options, but can be professionally installed and ready to use for a similar price as a fibreglass pool. Vinyl-liner pools may also require greater ongoing maintenance and care which we will explore in part two of this article.

The cost to build concrete pools

The benefit of a concrete pool is that your options are almost limitless when it comes to shape and size. This means it can be hard to give a detailed idea of pricing. Generally speaking however, concrete pools start at similar pricing to most fibreglass pools but they can have a much higher “top end” point.

Many people assume that concrete is a stronger and more durable option to build a swimming pool from; however, fibreglass technology has come a long way. These days, many fibreglass pool manufacturers have such well-engineered and durable products that their warranties match or surpass the warranties offered by concrete manufacturers. Compass Pools for example, offer a conditional lifetime structural warranty on its Bi-luminite fibreglass ceramic pool range. This warranty lasts the original owner’s entire time whilst at the property and can even be transferred to new owners for the balance of the first 25 years.

Ongoing costs of a fibreglass pool

From an ongoing maintenance perspective, a fibreglass pool tends to be a low effort/low cost option. Once your fibreglass pool is in the ground, generally speaking there is very little that you need to do to keep it looking great. Fibreglass pool manufacturers usually recommend that you periodically hand-polish the gelcoat surface above the waterline (just like you would with a car or boat) but aside from that you should not need to resurface, repaint, or reline your pool (provided that you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and maintain balanced water and correct chlorine levels all year round).

Because the gelcoat surface on a fibreglass pool is smooth (compared to many concrete pool surfaces) it can be easier to control algae and bacteria. As such, the water in a fibreglass pool generally requires less chemicals and possibly even less filtration time, which can save you money in both chemicals and electricity.

The great thing about a Compass fibreglass ceramic pool is that you can opt to include the Vantage self-cleaning and circulation system. This system works to dramatically improve circulation in your pool making it even harder for bacteria and algae to grow. Not to mention that this exclusive in-floor system eliminates the need for suction cleaners or robotic cleaners. The Vantage system will save you significant amounts of money on electricity, chemicals and separate cleaning equipment. Get in touch with us if you are considering a self-cleaning pool to get your no obligation pool quote.

One last thing to think of when comparing pool prices

Finally, another thing to consider when weighing up the cost of a pool is how much of your initial investment you are likely to get back (or even build on) when the time comes to sell your home.

Generally speaking, there are two types of buyers in the realty market, representing two various customer profiles. People either like the idea of having a pool or they are apprehensive of it. The main reason the latter group have concerns is that they don’t want to be caught in the trap of constantly working on their pool, or paying someone else to do it.

A fibreglass pool minimises the effort and cost required to own an in-ground pool. A Compass fibreglass ceramic pool with the optional and exclusive Vantage in-floor system, takes that concept to the next level with almost hands-free pool care.

It makes sense that you think about the future and consider which pool option is going to be the best for you. When the time comes to sell your home, you’ll want your pool to add to the appeal, not take away from it.

The bottom line is that there is more than the initial price tag to consider before you make a decision on which pool to go with. Sometimes the options which appear cheaper up-front can end up costing more than expected (DIY kit pools for example, with hidden install costs and associated risks). On the flipside, options which have the potential to be more expensive (concrete pools) sometime don’t offer the assumed value that goes with the extra price tag.

One of the first things to consider is whether your home is well-suited to installing a swimming pool.

In most cases, your site will be absolutely fine (provided you have enough space). When our consultants come to your house they’ll check your property to ensure they give you the right advice.

Slope

If you have sloping land they will provide you with practical options to keep costs to a minimum.

Access

They’ll also check the easiest way to deliver your swimming pool. Clear access means your pool will be easier to place in position with less costs involved.

Space

Your Compass Pool consultant will give you practical suggestions for making the most out of the space you have available. They’ll be sure to recommend a pool shape and size which works for your family.

Compass Pools is proud to introduce some exciting new pool design options for 2018!

Always on the pulse of the latest industry developments and aware of the needs of our customers, we felt it was time to extend our range, making it easier than ever before to achieve the custom pool you’ve always wanted.

• Our current Sanctuary pool range will be joined by a stylish new addition – the Sanctuary 7.0.
• Also, our range of pools will be available in a beautiful new Bi-Luminite colour – Pink Quartz.

The new Sanctuary 7.0

The Sanctuary 7.0 is an important step forward for Compass Pools, increasing our Sanctuary pool range and offering our customers more versatility. Named for its length of 7.0 metres, it is the largest Sanctuary pool we have ever created. The extra length provides more space for aquatic exercise whilst still maintaining a small footprint for tighter backyards.

With a width of 4.2 metres and a depth transitioning from 1.18 to 1.74 metres, this new pool is everything you need in a swimming pool. Designed for a high level of functionality and aesthetic charm, it is available in a variety of colours to appeal to most tastes and surroundings.

Like many of our pools, it includes a number of safety features including non-slip surfaces throughout and step ledges around the perimeter. The Sanctuary 7.0 provides the perfect way for the whole family to relax and enjoy life outdoors with complete peace of mind.

What are Sanctuary pools, and why are they so popular?

Sanctuary pools have become increasingly popular in Australia throughout recent years. At Compass Pools, we are passionate advocates of everyone being able to experience the benefits of pool ownership, which is why we have decided to increase our Sanctuary pool offering at this time.

Sanctuary pools are ideal for those who don’t have huge amounts of space in their backyard. These scaled down, fully functional pools offer a way for everyone to enjoy the pleasures of their own swimming pool, no matter how much space you have available.

With a compact and unobtrusive design, a Sanctuary pool can fit neatly into a relatively small space. This enables you to enjoy the water in the privacy of your own back yard and provides a beautiful design feature that will continue to benefit you for many years to come.

With a range of different sizes in both Contemporary and Classic designs, Compass Pools aims to offer everyone a perfect custom pool which will meet your needs and transform your yard into a haven of peace and relaxation.

A beautiful new colour option

Compass Pools is also increasing its variety in 2018 by offering a beautiful new colour option – Pink Quartz. This chic shade is the latest addition to our already extensive palette, and adds an instant touch of class to your pool by providing subtle warming tones that transform the appearance of the water.

Pink Quartz is part of our Bi-Luminite colour collection, which is exclusive to Compass Pools. This innovative technology has the dual benefits of providing an amazing 3D effect when the pool is filled with water, at the same time as adding an extra layer of protection for a longer-lasting, more durable finish.

Pink Quartz, like the Sanctuary 7.0, is available from the beginning of 2018. Please get in touch if you would like more information about either product or any of the other pool designs we offer – we are always happy to hear from you.

On 15 February, fires stroked Christchurch Port Hills, just at the east boundary of a house equipped with a brand-new Compass Pool. The home and probably others were saved thanks to the pool which was used as a water tank filled with water from a nearby fire hydrant.

Source: Stuff.co.cz

There are so many benefits of having a pool. It is a spot to relax, place to have fun, work out or just be admired by your neighbours and friends. The couple from Port Hills, Christchurch, however, know that having a pool means much more than that. In fact, their home would probably not be there anymore if their new pool was not completed just two weeks ago.

Strong fires struck the area of Port Hills dangerously close to their home. They were evacuated immediately and while waiting in safety and thinking of the worst, the firemen converted their pool into a water tank used by helicopters to fight the fire.

They could use the outside hydrant to refill it and thus, it helped to put the fire under control and save not only their house, but most probably other properties and nature as well. About midday on Friday, Miranda and Craig Newbury knew they were incredibly lucky. As Miranda said to Stuff: “It’s terribly sad but we are hugging and celebrating. All our neighbours are talking about coming back and rebuilding. This is not going to stop us living up there.”

Sourcing of raw materials starting with pool materials comparison and selecting the best quality materials that would guarantee the parameters of our swimming pools such as durability, longevity or cosmetic details and design features.

Video transcription: 

Anthony Cross: So Paul you’ve mentioned a lot about vinyl ester resins. You tell us that you’ve searched the world, you’ve been to the factories, you’ve sourced out the best product. But I also am aware in my role that you’re bringing these products in, particularly the vinyl ester resin and you’re reformulating them here in Australia before delivering them to our factory. What is important about doing that? Why is that something that you guys do?

Paul Bennet: Ok, well especially with the vinyl ester, we want to make sure that when you get it, it’s as fresh as it can be. So what we do is formulate it to you, we make a specification that suits your application. So we thix and promote it. It comes in un-thixed and un-promoted which means if you put catalyst with it, it wouldn’t go off. So at that stage it can last for a long period of time, maybe eighteen months. But if it had a promoter system in it, then it would only last three months. Then by the time it came on a ship, it may be six weeks old, that is if you used it that day.

As we know because of the amount of material you’re using, you’re using maybe a tonne or more than a tonne of vinyl ester everyday, all of a sudden that material would start to get long in the tooth. We manufacture it so you’ve never got material that is more than two weeks old. It is all mixed, it’s really thoroughly mixed and it doesn’t have time to settle. When it is on the ship, it could settle. Then it needs to be remixed and then it could open the opportunity to have an issue. In your case, you don’t have that opportunity. It’s just always going to be fresh and perfect.

I think it’s important. Ian calls it back to the future. For us, it just seems to work better and I really think that’s a big part of the perfection.

Anthony Cross: It’s about quality control.

Paul Bennet: It is about quality control. It’s what everything is about these days, quality control and risk management.

Anthony Cross: The other advantage of that is that as the seasons change, we’ve got hot weather in summer and we’ve got cooler weather in winter, you can also adjust products to suit the weather conditions too.

Paul Bennet: We can change on a weekly basis. Your guy in the factory, Dan, could ring up and say, can you speed it up a bit or slow it down. We can do that instantly. Then it always fits the climate that you’re operating to.

Anthony Cross: Yes, sure. Look, I appreciate the time you’re taking to talk to us about the technicalities of the business. I know we’re both passionate about what we do. Our focus is to build the best product, your focus is to provide the best raw materials. I think we make a pretty good team in that sense.

Paul Bennet: Give one of the team a call today on 1300 667 445.

Read more about vinyl ester resin and polyester resin pool materials comparison in terms of inherent water resistance and other parameters on our page explaining the tough ceramic core of our swimming pools.

There is an art in building a great fibreglass pool. It requires excellent materials, and Compass Pools uses only the best. Our company uses only high quality vinyl ester resin, which is chemically resistant, top rate glass and a superior gelcoat. It all adds up to producing a pool which will successfully cope with the effects of the environment and chemically treated water over many years. To find out more about why Compass Pool is such a reliable investment, phone us on 1300 667 445.

Video transcription: 

Anthony Cross: Paul, you’ve worked with Compass for quite a few years. I guess it’s fair to say we do things a little differently to a lot of other fibreglass pool manufacturing companies. I know that you’ve spent a fair bit of time with us and your involvement stretches back many years, particularly with Ian Mewett who is the founder and owner of Compass Pools. What can you tell us about that collaboration between you and Ian and how that’s shaped your involvement in our industry and particularly with Compass Pools?

Paul Bennet: Well I’ve been lucky enough to have a good background in the fibreglass industry and obviously many years ago I met Ian. But to answer the first part of your question Anthony, what does Compass Pools do a little bit differently to everyone else? Well they’re very thorough with their production of the pools. I’m sure you’ve got more glass and especially more vinyl ester in the pools than the majority of any other people have got, if not all of them.

For example have a look at your EVEC 300 pool. That basically tells us that it’s got 300 kg of vinyl ester resin in it.

Anthony Cross: That’s right.

Paul Bennet: So I’m pretty confident that no one else has got that much vinyl ester in it. So if you look at the process, you’ve got the best gelcoat, we’ve established that. You then want to have the best tie layer. So you’ve got the best glass and you’ve got the best vinyl ester resin. The base resin is sourced from AOC in America. I believe they’re the best resin company in the world. That’s why we buy it from them. I’ve been there and seen their quality system. So you’ve got the best vinyl ester which you’re using the most of and you’ve got the right resin to glass ratio.

Then one of the big differences that you have compared to other people is you use a material called e-sphere resin. No one else would have a ceramic core pool. You guys have got a ceramic core which obviously doubly helps on chemical resistance but its main reason is core strength. That then tells the story that your pool is a lot thicker than anyone else’s. To my knowledge no one else uses e-sphere resin, certainly not filled with ceramic core. Then you put your back up on the outside which is your ortho layer which is also a good quality material.

The other thing you do differently to everyone else is you have a backup base colour. Over the top of your gelcoat you’ve then got a vinyl ester barrier layer before the vinyl ester resin ceramic core layer. All in all, I think you’d struggle to find a better laminated fibreglass pool.

Anthony Cross: You mentioned vinyl ester quite a bit. Vinyl ester is I guess the main ingredient in ensuring that we build a really good quality chemically resistant pool. I don’t think it’s any secret to those in the industry that it is a much more expensive resin. Hence the reason companies are keen to keep the lid on their costs and be careful of what they’re spending. But it is the most important ingredient, isn’t it? It really isn’t something we should be compromising on.

Paul Bennet: No, if you were going to cut a corner, you certainly wouldn’t cut it on vinyl ester. Certainly you wouldn’t cut it on the quality. One of the main important factors I believe for using the best vinyl ester resin is one, have the best base resin, which you have. Also, have a high solid content. Some of the alternative companies I guess could have trouble wetting out their glass properly because the alternative would be to have a lower solid content. In your case, you have a high solid content but a very easy wet-out resin to make sure the fibres of the glass are wet–out. That is the secret to not getting osmosis. I believe we’re definitely supplying the best materials.

Anthony Cross: So there is a real art in building a high quality fibreglass pool that is going to cope with the effects of weather and the environment and chemically treated water over many, many years. As you point out, the gelcoat, the first surface layer, that is really important. It’s got to be durable, it’s got to have the right colourfast properties. Then you get into the chemically resistant layers like the vinyl ester. That’s what we’re talking about here of course.

It might sound like a technical conversation and there are lots of different layers we have been discussing and different ingredients. But that is all essential at the end of the day in ensuring we have a product that we are proud of, that fits in with our heritage of thirty-five years and that we can provide industry leading warranties on.

Paul Bennet: Yes, I definitely believe you’ve got the best products for the purpose you’re trying to serve. You’re right, you’ve summed it all up with the process of building the fibreglass pool there. You can’t cut any corners. You’ve got to have the best material and I believe you’ve got that. Give one of the team a call today on 1300 667 445.

To build great swimming pools, you need the best materials. Compass Pools’ advanced gelcoat technology, which uses the best base resin and UV stabilisers, ensures your pool will maintain a consistent colour throughout all seasons. Your pool will also have built-in chemical resistance. For more information about how we build our pools, phone 1300 667 445.

Video transcription: 

Anthony Cross: One of the people who is instrumental in the R&D efforts here at Compass Pools Australia particularly with our gelcoat and colour technology is Paul Bennet from Trojan Fibreglass. Paul sources the best raw materials from all over the world and then he carries out his own testing onsite and reformulation. I’m going to ask Paul a few questions about this today.

So Paul, just tell us a little bit about how that works and why it’s so important to get the best raw materials and best result for Compass Pools.

Paul Bennet: Well Anthony, I guess when you talk about the gelcoat technology, there are several things you want to be able to achieve. You want to be able to achieve a fantastic colour and you want to be able to not have any yellowing. So you want it to stay pure for as many years as possible. You also want to have some chemical resistance. I believe with our gelcoat, we’ve covered all those situations.

We’ve made you several different colour ranges that are exclusive to you. I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world and see some of the best resin and gelcoat manufacturers and we believe we’re supplying you the best gelcoat. You get the best base resin, you’ve got the best promoter system, you’ve got the best chips and you’ve got the best UV stablisers. So I believe the gelcoat that we supply you with is definitely the best on the market.

Anthony Cross: I know first hand that you come to our factory regularly. You’re on the factory floor sometimes at 4 am, 5 am with the boys. You’re observing the performance of the materials, the spray patterns and the equipment, that sort of thing. You’re making recommendations and just making sure that everything is working as it should and that you’re on top of what we’re doing. You check on the performance of your materials. That’s obviously the approach you take – a hands on approach.

Paul Bennet:  Yes, I like to get into the factory. I guess I come from a hands-on background. I was a boat builder by trade before I got into the resin business. So I’ve actually used all the materials in my own hands for many years before I did this. So I like to keep an eye on what is going on. I need to make sure the guys are going well, the materials are getting catalysed correctly. Sometimes it’s good in the factory to have another opinion.

Anthony Cross: Yes and the boys respect that I’m sure. You talk their language. They can tell you exactly what they’re experiencing on a day- to-day basis. As you know, things can change so much depending on the conditions on the day, the humidity, the temperature. All of those things can affect what you then need to go back and do to tweak and reformulate.

Paul Bennet: Yes that’s right, we make the materials suit your application. Also your factory is very well set up. It’s got the heaters, it’s all done correctly. The staff you’ve got on the floor do a great job.

Anthony Cross: That’s great to hear. I appreciate the efforts that you make and your involvement in that Paul. Give one of the team a call today on 1300 667 445.

Video transcription: One of the great things about Compass Pools and one of the great technological breakthroughs is that we won an Australian Design award for creating a product called Maxi-Ribs. Maxi-Ribs lets us take our unique ceramic core shell and free stand the pool without using retaining walls. What I mean by free standing is a that this pool is not necessarily a pool that is actually inserted into the ground. In some cases that pool may be partially out of the ground, meaning it is above ground, or it might be fully out of the ground. There are many approaches and versatile aspects of actually installing a Maxi-Rib pool. Give one of the team a call today on 1300 667 445.

Learn more about how we use Maxi Rib to build infinity pools.

Pool maintenance: Does owning a swimming pool require a lot of hard work?

Video transcription: One of the great reasons people choose Compass Pools is we’re often told, our friends told us not to get a pool and that’s why we’ve come to you. That doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense, does it? But what that tells us is that they’ve been out and they’ve been heavily influenced by somebody who owns a Compass pool.

It is usually somebody who owns a Compass pool with a Vantage in-floor cleaning and circulation system. Those friends, family or the people they’ve been influenced by have told them, our pool is easy. What people are saying about owning a swimming pool in terms of it being a lot of work or maintenance to do, that can literally disappear. We’d welcome you to come and talk to us about how we can make that happen for you.

You’ve only got to ask somebody who owns a Compass pool what they think of it. If they own a Vantage in-floor cleaning and circulation system exclusive to Compass, wow you’re going to get a very different story about the ownership of a swimming pool. It’s great when our customers come to us really understanding how easy and how nice their life can be with a pool that takes them very little effort to look after.

One of the exciting things about working here is I can’t tell you the number of times that somebody has walked in the door or I’ve turned up at somebody’s house and I’ve said, how did you hear about Compass pools? They’ve said, Joe down the road, has one of your pools, he’s had it for eight years and he’s never cleaned it. We hear that a lot. The reason for that is that Compass Pools was the first company in the world to create the world’s first in–floor cleaning and circulation system for fibreglass pools.

That’s not something you have to have but it is pretty hard for us to install a pool today without somebody giving it really serious consideration or adding it to their swimming pool. Give one of the team a call today on 1300 667 445.

Great pool planning advice from the Compass Pools team

Video transcription: Having worked at Compass for a little under ten years now, one of the best pieces of advice I can give anybody considering or looking at putting in a swimming pool is take your time. A swimming pool is generally something that when people are considering putting one in, they’re usually pretty committed to their house. It usually means a long term investment in the property that they currently reside in.

This is not like going out and purchasing a motor car. If you went out and bought a motor car and decided, you know what, I just don’t like this car, there is something wrong with it, you can sell it. You can’t sell your pool without selling your house. So you want to be really careful when you think about all of the different options and all of the different inclusions that you can make part of that swimming pool.

That’s why we really encourage you to come and talk to us. We have tremendous and unique options. There are so many points of difference with a Compass swimming pool that we get pretty excited about it. We’d like to take the time and take you right through and make sure you’re fully equipped with as much information as you need. Often that will result in us getting you out to talk to some of our customers.

So take your time, there is no rush because once it’s in, it’s in for good. Give one of the team a call today on 1300 667 445.

Concrete vs Fibreglass, which is best and why

Video transcription: We’re often asked, what is the difference between a concrete and fibreglass pool? That’s a great question. The one tremendous advantage that concrete has over fibreglass is that you can shape that concrete pool any way you want to shape it. If you want to go round a right hand bend in your yard or so forth, then you can certainly do it. But if there’s a Compass shape that appeals to you, that you certainly think is going to suit your backyard, then the benefits of a fibreglass pool over a concrete pool seriously stack up on the fibreglass side.

Generally fibreglass pools are much quicker and easier to install. This cuts down on both the build time and sometimes some of the associated costs that are unforeseen in relation to concrete pools. This is because of the nature of the job and the fact it is an ongoing building process.

One of the biggest points of dissatisfaction for a lot of people who own a concrete pool is surface finish. When you swim in a Compass pool and you brush up against it or the kids are playing and they get a bit rough in that swimming pool, they’re going to be hitting up against a surface that is glass smooth. It’s a really nice finish on your skin.

Most concrete pools, because of the frightening costs associated with tiling the whole pool, are usually left with a finish that is quite rough and abrasive, like small stones, like a pebble creek or such. That is one aspect that I tend to talk about to a lot of people who’ve owned both, that they’re certainly concerned about.

Talking to people who own concrete pools, they often talk about the fact that they’re much colder than a fibreglass pool. So temperature can certainly be an issue for some people. Another difference between fibreglass and concrete is warranty. When you build a concrete pool, it’s considered construction work. Construction work is covered by a six year building warranty. When we build a Compass pool shell, we’re backing our pool shell with a lifetime warranty that has even got a bigger story than that. I’d encourage you to come and talk to us about it.

The great thing about a fibreglass pool versus a concrete pool is fibreglass pools are much easier to look after. Anyone who has owned a concrete pool and has subsequently owned a fibreglass pool knows the difference. There is more work associated with a concrete pool generally because of a combination of two things. One, most pools suffer from circulation issues and concrete pools generally have a porous surface. So unless you can get your chemicals moving to the very bottom of the pool, if you get algae in that pool which usually starts at the radius and down at the bottom of the concrete pool, it’s very difficult to get out.

A fibreglass pool has an inert smooth surface making it much easier to look after and much less susceptible to algal issues. Give one of the team a call today on 1300 667 445.