Best Pool Type for Ottawa Freeze-Thaw Cycles | Pool IQ
What type of inground pool holds up best against Ottawa's extreme freeze-thaw cycles?
No inground pool type is immune to Ottawa winters. The three common types, vinyl liner, fibreglass and concrete, can all last through freeze-thaw cycles when they are installed for the site and closed properly each fall. What usually decides how well a pool holds up is the ground around it and the winter care, more than the shell material.
How each type behaves in a cold climate
- Vinyl liner: a liner sits inside walls set in the ground. The liner is the part most exposed to winter damage, which is why the water level over winter matters. Ask the installer what level they want kept and why.
- Fibreglass: a one-piece shell set into an excavated hole. Because it is a single shell, high groundwater can push on it when the water level drops, so never drain it without the installer's advice.
- Concrete: poured or sprayed concrete with a finish on top. Water that gets into cracks in the finish can widen them as it freezes and thaws, so cracks are worth repairing before winter.
- Drainage and groundwater. A wet site or a high water table affects every pool type. Ask how the installer plans to handle water around and under the pool.
- Backfill and the deck around it. Ground that shifts with frost can move decking and coping. Ask what goes back around the pool and how the surrounding surface is supported.
- Closing it every fall. Lowering the water where the installer recommends, clearing the plumbing lines and covering the pool protect it in any shell type.
Ask which type they recommend for your yard and why, how they deal with groundwater on your lot, what the warranty covers for winter damage, and what fall closing they recommend or offer.
Get each installer's recommendation, and the warranty terms, in writing before you choose a pool type.
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