Which pool is better: inflatable or frame? Choosing the optimal model

Prefabricated frame pool for summer cottages

What to be guided by when choosing a pool for a summer residence. Photo examples of private reservoirs

Before deciding which pool is better for giving, you need to pay attention to several factors:

• availability of free territory for installing a pool in the country - models offered by many manufacturers can have different dimensions and depths;
• intensity of use - if you are in the country from time to time, then it makes no sense to install a volumetric pool that takes a long time to assemble and disassemble;

An inflatable pool is perfect for a child who cannot swim

• the purpose of the reservoir - the choice of the pool is influenced by whether it will be used by adults or children;
• capacity - if your family is large, it makes sense to purchase a model in which several people can swim at the same time;
• availability of water supply - if there are problems with the supply of water in your holiday village, then the maintenance and care of the pool will be quite difficult. In addition, the choice of a design with a large load implies the need to fill or drain a significant amount of water at one time;
• power supply - is it possible to supply electricity to the installation site to connect filtration equipment;
• financial opportunities - prices for outdoor pools for summer cottages are quite affordable, however, more advanced and voluminous structures will cost more.

A reliable inflatable pool for a good time with friends

Companies selling swimming pools for private use offer many types and models of artificial reservoirs. Among them are stationary, prefabricated frame and inflatable structures. To build a stationary pool will require a lot of financial investments, but to purchase and install a frame pool or an inflatable pool at the dacha for any summer resident.

Characteristics of frame pools. Photo review of models

The frame pool structure is a frame and a bowl. Distinguish between collapsible (seasonal), frost-resistant (all-season) and stationary frame pools. Do-it-yourself collapsible models of frame pools are mounted directly on the site in the summer and dismantled at the end of the season for storage. They consist of metal pipes connected to a frame, inside which the pool bowl is located.

Stationary frame structure

The pond bowl is made of several layers reinforced polyvinyl chloride, which has high strength. Thickness PVC films ranges from 0.5 to 0.7 mm. In such pools, the pressure of the bulk of the water falls on the frame. This reduces the load on the bowl, so that the shape of the structure does not change when it is filled with water. Pools of this type are designed for water loading up to 7 liters and are intended for bathing children under 12 years old.

Ponds of more weighty volumes need to be reinforced. This is achieved by joining metal sheets around the perimeter. Pools with a backboard frame are considered more durable than analogs with a tubular base. But if we compare the cost of a pool with a sheet frame and a reservoir of the same size with a tubular frame, then the first option will be much more expensive.

Prefabricated structure on metal pipes

In shape, frame pools can be rectangular, oval or round, there are models of two semi-ovals attached to each other in the form of a "figure eight". You can verify this by looking at the photo of frame pools in the country. Seasonal models can be operated for 5–8 years, the cost is determined by the size of the frame pool and depends on the manufacturer.

Useful advice!When changing the water in the frame pool, connect a flexible garden hose to the drain tap and use this water to water the beds.

Standard connection diagram and piping of the pool

All-season frame structures can not be dismantled with the arrival of cold weather. Such designs do not look different from collapsible options, with the only difference that sheets with a thickness of 0.8 mm have a profiled structure and a multilayer enamel coating. The sides of the structure and the frame of the frame with transverse beams do not allow the pool to deform when the water freezes. The service life of a frame deep frost-resistant pool for a summer residence is up to 15 years.

Artificial frame ponds of stationary type are made by combined: duralumin, steel, plastic and wood impregnated with a moisture-resistant composition. They are mounted by means of bolted, locking and adhesive joints. The bowl is also made of 3-4 layers of PVC up to 1.5 mm thick. The design turns out to be reliable and rigid, but it is no longer possible to dismantle it without damaging the bowl material.

The frame structure can be installed depending on the season

The advantages of stationary frame pools over seasonal ones are the maximum depth of the tank, a variety of shapes (including difficultly curved ones), the possibility of depth differences in the bowl and a long service life (over 15 years). However, it is no longer possible to move the structures to another place and the cost of construction is comparable to the cost of a concrete pool.

Related article:

Pools for summer cottages: types and characteristics of models. Reinforced concrete, composite, polypropylene pools. Self-assembly of a polypropylene structure.

It should be noted that collapsible frame reservoirs are not equipped with additional equipment: a skimmer and sand filter... Therefore, at the bottom of the pool and on the surface of the water, small debris, insects, fallen leaves will collect. And it will be difficult to connect a vacuum cleaner for the pool due to the weak operation of the pump. This must be taken into account when choosing the best option.

Swimming pool with filter pump

Advantages and disadvantages of frame pools

Frame pools have a solid appearance, they are strong and reliable. The main advantages of these designs include:

• classic forms - frame pools for summer cottages of rectangular or round shape look appropriate against the background of a landscape of any style;
• rich model range - you can choose a design of an acceptable shape and size, taking into account your preferences;
• no pump needed - this advantage can be used if power supply is not available;
• simple installation - assembling and installing a frame pool at the dacha with your own hands can be done by anyone when familiarizing with the manufacturer's instructions;

The metal frame ensures the durability of the structure

• durability - achieved by using wear-resistant materials;
• frost resistance - all-season type structures are not harmed by freezing;
• the possibility of deepening - given that the frame provides the rigidity of the structure, the pool can be deepened into the ground by about a third of the total side height;
• availability of additional equipment for all-season models - are completed skimmers (for cleaning the upper layers of water), a filtration system similar to the equipment of stationary reservoirs, as well as filter pumps that allow you to take care of the water in the pool;

Frame pool installed in a pit

• the ability to move the structure - seasonal frame pools can be easily dismantled and moved to another location.
  Among the shortcomings, it should be noted that collapsible frame pools must be dismantled at the end of the season: they are unstable to frost. There are certain difficulties in equipping the structure with additional equipment (lights, waterfalls, etc.). Insufficient strength of the sides of frame reservoirs does not allow vacationers to sit on them or lean heavily on them.

Useful advice! Ladders for a frame pool should not adjoin the side, since the structure, even with metal sheathing, is not designed for this.

Prefabricated pool with professional water filtration system

In addition, in small artificial reservoirs, there is no opportunity to swim. The purchase of frame deep pools for summer cottages with a higher load will be associated with an increase in financial costs for their purchase.

How to install a frame pool in the country

When installing a frame pool in the country with your own hands, there is no need to stock up on any special fixtures or equipment. For installation, use the usual set of tools available in every home. The involvement of qualified specialists is not required. Pool installation is done pretty quickly. For example, use the video "How to install a frame pool in the country."

Pool installation: 1 - site marking; 2 - we remove the grass and cover it with sand; 3 - align with a level; 4 - fix the plastic wrap with a brick

Frame models of collapsible type are erected on the site without preliminary soil preparation. It is only necessary to determine the place and clear it of vegetation and debris. The structure does not need the construction and concreting of the foundation pit. Many summer residents practice the construction of frame pools with their own hands from scrap materials. Photos of unique homemade ponds are often posted on the Internet.

To create mini-pools for summer cottages with their own hands, craftsmen use tires, old bathtubs, plastic bottles laid on a solution and many other materials. Self-assembled pools from pallets are popular. A bowl made of awning fabric is used as a container in such structures. Do-it-yourself pools are decorated with various materials.

Pool installation: 5 - we lay penofol; 6 - glue the sheets together; 7 - align the edges of the penofol; 8 - glue the joints with tape

Useful advice! When building a pool from pallets with your own hands, it is necessary to treat all wooden elements with compounds from premature decay and destruction.

Homemade frame pools are quite budgetary and easy to install structures. Their disadvantages include the lack of a high-quality purification system. The used water will simply have to be drained in order to collect a new and clean one into the bowl.

Pool installation: 9 - we lay out and level the pool; 10 - check by level; 11 - adjust the legs on supports; 12 - the finished pool can be filled with water

Inflatable pools for summer cottages. Prices, photos of models and their properties

Modern inflatable structures are made of several layers (3 or more) of polyvinyl chloride, where air is pumped. If one layer is accidentally damaged, water gets into another: a multi-chamber effect is formed. Inflatable pools of large dimensions are reinforced with polyester mesh. Some models are made with an inflatable bottom, which makes the reservoir safe, including for children.

By the way of filling, artificial reservoirs are inflatable and liquid. Air is pumped into inflatable structures by means of a pump and the structure takes its shape. The filling pools have a PVC ring around the perimeter. As the tank fills with water, the ring floats up, raising and leveling the pool walls. In addition, the ring serves to support the sides of the structure.

Small inflatable pool for children

Useful advice! Due to the lack of a frame in inflatable structures, do not lean against the side of the pool.

The main advantages of inflatable models:

• a huge selection of models - inflatable pools can be purchased in any shape, color and size;
• easy and quick installation - before installing the inflatable pool in the country, any suitable place is selected, air is pumped in and the structure is filled with water;

The inflatable pool is very easy to operate, it is enough to draw air into it with a pump and fill it with water

• ease of maintenance - the product can be easily cleaned using harmless products;
• reliability - pools of an inflatable structure are resistant to natural factors and are not afraid of light blows;
• acceptable cost - the price of products is available to a wide range of consumers;
• simple dismantling and transportation - after the season the structures are easily assembled for storage, packed up does not take up much space, and are lightweight.

An inflatable pool with a low side will be a good purchase for a family with small children

Due to the huge range of models offered by various manufacturers, prices for inflatable structures are quite affordable. In addition, by following the advertisements on the respective sites, you can buy the desired model with a good discount. A set of small ponds for children usually includes additional play elements: slides, balls, balls, rings, etc.

The cheapest baby model with a capacity of 45 liters can be bought for only 1025 rubles. The price of an inflatable pool with dimensions of 2.5 × 0.7 m with a capacity of 2600 liters, where a family of 4 can freely accommodate, is 2250 rubles. A volumetric structure with dimensions of 5.5 × 2.2 m will cost 32,800 rubles. These models are equipped with a cartridge filter, ladder, blanket and pool mat.

Rectangular vinyl kids pool

The disadvantages of inflatable pools include the need for a pump and electricity, shallow depth (up to 1.2 m), sensitivity to punctures and strong physical influences, the need to pump up the product from time to time, difficulty in draining, restrictions in the shape of the structure (round or oval) , partial discoloration by sunlight.

Which pool is better: inflatable or frame?

Before purchasing this or that pool model, it is necessary to study the properties and characteristics, the pros and cons of each of the structures.It would be useful to visit the Internet forum where users share their reviews. Which pool is better: frame or inflatable, you can also determine given the size of your personal plot. For a small area, a small inflatable structure is suitable.

Prefabricated structure with metal frame

Considering the cost of the pools, the price of the inflatable version is much lower than the frame one, but the latter is more durable and will last much longer. The cost of a frame pool will be approximately three times higher than an identical inflatable model. But frame structures can be left to winter on the site without resorting to seasonal disassembly. However, the maintenance of such models is more difficult than the care of inflatable counterparts.

An important point in the choice is the frequency of use of the reservoir. If your plot is of sufficient size, you spend almost the whole summer in a country house outside the city and guests come to you on weekends, then you should give preference to a spacious frame version. It should be noted that the depth of such models is greater than that of inflatable ones, and several people can be there at the same time.

Vinyl pool for summer cottage with a flat bottom and air-filled sides

For those who make trips to the country house not so often and like to travel, and even with small children, an inflatable pool will be an excellent choice. It is lightweight, has an inflatable bottom, can be installed in 20-25 minutes and can be easily transported to a new location. When folded, you can take it with you: packaging with the product will not take up extra space. Caring for such a pool is simple and does not take much time.

Summarizing the positive characteristics of each type of pool, we can draw the following conclusion: frame models are more voluminous, strong and durable, inflatable ones are easy to install, transportable and inexpensive. The common advantage of both of them is the opportunity to plunge into the reservoir with family and friends on a hot day.