Gunite pools are very rapidly becoming one of the most popular types of pools in America, and for many good reasons.  The biggest reason, however, is the fact that gunite pools are extremely flexible and can be shaped anyway you would like while still being very strong and resilient, thus providing you with the best options available on the market today.  Other pools, such as poured-concrete pools, fiberglass pools, and above-ground pools just don’t have this flexibility and resiliency.   

How Gunite Pools Are Made/Installed

In order to build a gunite swimming pool, the pool contractor will typically dig a whole in the ground that is representative of the desired final shape of the pool. No longer do you need to make your pool strictly square or rectangular shaped—you can literally design and create almost any shape that you desire. The possibilities really are endless. This can obviously be extremely beneficial if you want to install a swimming pool but have an odd-shaped home or if you would like your pool to match your home’s décor/style.

Next, the pool contractor will put the necessary plumbing system/piping in place, and also put in a grid of rebar (which the gunite material will adhere to), then they will spray the gunite material onto the rebar, thus forming the walls and floor of the swimming pool.

What is Gunite

Gunite is simply a dry mix of concrete and sand that is mixed together dry before being combined with water as it is sprayed to create the pool surface. This mixing occurs right at the end of the process, as in right before the mixture comes out of the tube.

Many people get Gunite pools confused with Shotcrete pools , and for a good reason. Both Gunite and Shotcrete pools are virtually the same thing, with one main exeption—gunite swimming pools are sprayed with a dry mix of concrete and sand, where the shotcrete pools are sprayed using a wet mix. While there are some advantages and disadvantages to both gunite and shotcrete, the main point to remember is that both types of pools are extremely strong (rated to 6,000 – 7,000 psi) and are extremely durable.

Main Advantages of Gunite (or Shotcrete) Pools:

The biggest advantage of a gunite pool is, as we already discussed, that it is extremely flexible and can be shaped into whichever shape your heart (or wife J) desires. This allows gunite pools and shotcrete pools to be some of the best looking pools on the market today and the most customizable as well.

Another big advantage of guanite pools over poured-concrete pools is that they are easier to construct, and thus can often end up being much cheaper overall. So, you get cheaper, and more options.

Cleaning gunite pools is also easier than some other types of pools. While you can use a vacuum to clean a shotcrete or gunite pool, you can also drain the water completely and put new, fresh water in. This can be a HUGE advantage in terms of pool maintenance, especially if you have major problems with your chemicals or certain minerals in your pool. It also can be an advantage if you want to scrub the walls with a power washer or by hand (if you are very overly ambitious). However, CHECK WITH A LOCAL POOL SPECIALIST TO MAKE SURE YOU CAN DRAIN A POOL IN YOUR AREA. SOME AREAS HAVE A VERY HIGH WATER TABLE LEVEL AND IF YOU DRAIN A POOL YOU RUN THE RISK OF UNDERGROUND PRESSURE PUSHING OUT AND DAMAGING YOUR POOL. This was the case for a pool I took care of in the Rocky Mountain region, and does exist, so make sure you check before you drain your pool. However, in areas where this is fine (for example, I now live in Los Angeles and am fine to drain pools here, at least in my local area). Just remember that you can never be to careful with your pool, especially since it is so costly to begin with.

You can also add any amenity you could ever think about to a gunite pool. If you want great swimming pool slides, or diving board, or an island you can still do it. In fact, you can even be more creative with your pool amenities than you would with other types of pools.

Other issues

Some people I have spoken too have been a little nervous to go with a gunite pool simply because they loved to use swimming pools as a lap pool. Do not let this affect your decision, you just need to make sure the length of your pool is long enough for your needs—it doesn’t matter what shape the pool is for lap swimming, it still can be used like regular lap pools.

Also, if you are worried about how to finance your pool, check out my other hub on swimming pool financing:

http://hubpages.com/hub/Swimming-Pool-Financing

Overall, I think you will be very happy with a gunite pool, and will enjoy it for many years to come.