One of my kids just bought a house and they are considering getting an above ground pool. They would love an in ground pool but don’t have the money for one. This is likely a forever home. They would like something that will last and are thinking they will build a deck of some sort around it. They want a rectangle so it can easily be covered. They live in California so no heavy wintering to be considered.
We have an in ground pool and absolutely no experience with above ground. What should they be looking for?
Why not save up and wait to get an inground pool? I wouldn’t recommend an above ground one especially if it’s not just their starter home.
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Honestly, if this is their forever home, why not wait and get what they want? OTOH, if they are anxious, just get the cheapest good option they can temporarily. It can be removed, which of course is the appeal of above ground pools.
One thing to consider is whether they want this after the kids grow up and move away. We only wanted the pool while the kids were kids. Now that they have gone off to college (and in a few weeks both will have graduated) we do not want it. One advantage of an above ground pool is that it is much, much easier to get rid of when you do not want it anymore. We sold ours on Craigslist years ago. Since it was NOT built into the deck, the deck is fine without it.
Where we live the rules (possibly town, possibly state) requires a 4 foot fence around the pool. We figured the fence might also reduce animal damage to the plants (particularly from wild animals). Therefore we wanted the fence anyway.
For an above ground pool the force that the water puts on the sides of the pool is quite significant. One advantage of round is that this force is balanced. Ours was round, was reasonably priced, and worked just fine.
Another thing to check is home insurance. They should make sure that their insurance is okay with it.
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