In recent years, inground pools have become quite popular among homeowners. Many people now want to install an inground pool in their homes. But building an inground pool is not as easy as it sounds, it requires a lot of time, effort, money and expertise to make a perfect inground pool.
Also Read: Why Do Swimming Pools Crack And How Shotcrete Can Help
If you have decided to build an inground pool in your house then there are a lot of factors that you will need to consider and many important decisions that you will need to make in order to achieve perfection.
Apart from the cost and location, there are some other important factors that will require your attention before you can start the installation process.
One of them is deciding the material for your inground pool, you will have to decide whether you want gunite or concrete for your pool.
Now the question that arises is what is the difference between concrete and gunite?
Gunite and concrete are the two most popular inground pool construction materials and gunite is actually a type of concrete. The only difference between the two is how they are applied.
To ensure you make the right decision you can hire a certified concrete contractor, they will help you throughout the whole process of building your inground pool.
In this blog post, we will discuss in detail the difference between gunite and concrete, to help you make your decision.
What Is Concrete?
Concrete and gunite are basically the same things with just a minor difference between them.
Concrete is more versatile than gunite as it can be used to make columns and walls along with pools. It is made from cement, sand, water and other materials such as gravel or crushed stone. It mostly contains a large and fine aggregate of particles.
Now when it comes to inground pools, you can either use a wet-mix or a dry-mix process. Concrete contractors use the shotcrete method to apply concrete on inground pools.
Now there are two types of mixtures that are used in shotcrete: a dry-mix and a wet-mix. The dry-mix is gunite and the wet-mix is concrete.
In the wet-mix (concrete) everything is mixed and is delivered to your home in a large cement truck and then it is sprayed by professional concrete contractors on your inground pool.
Pros Of Using Concrete For Building Inground Pools
Here are some of the advantages of using concrete for your inground pools:
- It takes less time to install.
- Concrete is good for all climates.
- The concrete mixture forms a strong coating.
- It is long-lasting.
- As the concrete is pre-mixed, there is no real concern about finding the exact ratio of materials.
Cons Of Using Concrete For Building Inground Pools
Along with its advantages, there are some disadvantages of using concrete for building inground pools as well.
- It is more expensive than gunite.
- Concrete requires more labour for installation.
- Cracks will form if too much water is used.
- Too much water in the mixture will affect the strength of the concrete.
What is Gunite?
Gunite is the opposite of wet-mixed concrete, it is a dry mixture of concrete that is used by concrete contractors to build inground pools.
It is the dry mixed form of sprayed concrete. Only dry ingredients are mixed and delivered to you. The concrete contractors while applying the dry-mix (gunite) use water if needed.
Pros Of Using Gunite For Building Inground Pools
The following are some of the pros of using gunite for building your inground pool:
- Gunite is cheaper than concrete.
- It is more durable and flexible.
- Gunite pools can also have a fibreglass, plastic or tile finish.
Cons Of Using Gunite For Building Inground Pools
Here are some of the cons of using gunite:
- Gunite inground pools have a porous surface that makes them prone to algae.
- The bottom of the gunite pool is uncomfortable and abrasive.
- Gunite mix can clog your house pipes.
About SprayForce Concrete
SprayForce Concrete provides shotcrete services for your residential, commercial, architectural, and industrial projects. We offer our services in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, and Saskatoon. Our shotcrete service is used to construct and repair bridges, roads, tunnels, and other projects. If you would like to learn more about our services or get a price estimate, call us here.