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Concrete pools, by far, are the most popular type of pools and can be customized by anyone who installs concrete pools in Tyrone to form any size or shape desired. Concrete pools come in three primary types known as shotcrete, gunite, or poured concrete, also known as structural concrete. Poured concrete pools, which are formed by pouring cement in a way similar to pouring the foundation of a house, have fallen out of favor lately.
Concrete pools typically take 3 to 12 weeks to install but they are considered the most durable of all types of pools-demonstrated by the fact that there are some still in use today that were installed more than 50 years ago. Both shotcrete and gunite methods spray the cement at a steel rebar backbone. Once the concrete cures, a plaster finish is troweled over the surface. Each method produces durable pools that can be remodeled or enlarged but each has their own distinctive advantages. Debate continues as to which technique lasts longer, but here are a few comparisons.
Gunite
Invented in 1907, gunite is the name of the process whereby a dry concrete mix is shot from a hose using compressed air along with a water hose that's mounted underneath, with each hose individually adjustable to alter the mix. Gunite usually demands a highly skilled technician in order to maintain the correct water-to-cement ratio.
- Gunite remains dry enough to stay in place without dripping.
- The mixture can harden and dry faster than shotcrete.
- This material can be sprayed vertically at a target without falling off.
- Remaining concrete mixture can be kept and used at a later time.
Shotcrete
Shotcrete was one of many upstart competitors to gunite and is the name of the process for shooting a wet mix of concrete from a pneumatic applicator. The product is delivered in a truck already premixed. The aggregate mix is shot in multiple passes at high speeds against earthen walls and a pool base, which have woven steel rebar grids.
- Shotcrete can be prepared quickly in a cement truck and fed into a sprayer.
- The mixture tends to bond more efficiently than Gunite and leaves less debris.
- This type of concrete can be applied in a greater volume than gunite and in a much shorter time.
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