Above Ground Pools: Steel Vs. Aluminum

Steel Pools and Aluminum Pools Last Longer

• You can choose among several materials when selecting an above-ground pool, including fiberglass and other plastics. But steel pools and aluminum pools remain popular choices because they generally cost considerably less than an all-resin plastic pool and with normal care will last a long time---at least 20 to 30 years, according to Blue World Pools.

Advantages of a Steel Pool

• Many above-ground pools have problems with post-installation deformation---in time the pool loses its shape and eventually begins to leak. Steel resists deformation more than aluminum and costs considerably less. While rust has been a problem in the past, newer steel pools have a hot-dipped galvanized coat that resists rust and come with vinyl coatings.

Advantages of an Aluminum Pool

• Unlike steel pools, an aluminum pool will never rust. You can install an aluminum pool yourself because it weighs substantially less than a steel pool and if you later decide to put the pool in a different part of the yard, you can easily move it. Despite improvements in steel pools, aluminum pools still last a little longer.

Hybrid Steel and Plastic Pools

• A third kind of above-ground pool has come to market in the past few years---a combination of steel and plastic. These pools have laminated walls, usually a layer of light-gauge steel and another layer of PVC plastic. The pools haven't been around long enough to assess their long-term durability, but unless delamination problems develop, they should hold up well.

Above-Ground Lap Pools

• For structural reasons, above-ground pools have traditionally come in only two configurations: round and oval. These did not lend themselves to lap-swimming. Recently, rectangular steel pools have come to market, some with a jet pump capability: When you switch on the jet function, a powerful motor creates a 3-4 mph current, making it possible to "swim laps" indefinitely without reaching the end of the pool.