Fiberglass Pools, Built on a Latham Shell
Not every backyard calls for a hand carved grotto, and not every family wants to live through a six month build. A fiberglass pool arrives as a finished shell, so the work in your yard is measured in weeks. We are a Latham Grand Builder and we set every shell with our own crew.
Why we build on Latham
Latham has been making pool shells for more than seventy years. The shell is a layered composite: a Crystite gel coat surface over vinyl ester resin, carbon reinforcement, aramid fiber and marine grade resin. It is close to what boats are built from, which is why fiberglass handles a saltwater system without complaint. The gel coat surface is smooth underfoot and gives algae less to hold onto. Latham backs the shell with its own limited lifetime warranty.
Fiberglass is not the cheap version of a pool. Excavation, the base, plumbing, equipment, backfill, fencing and the concrete around it cost what they cost no matter what the pool is made of. A fiberglass project lands closer to a custom build than most people expect. What you are buying is a potentially shorter timeline and a different surface experience.
Shape. The shell is manufactured, so what you see in the catalog is what goes in the ground. Sizes run up to about sixteen by forty feet. Everything above the waterline is still an open possibility. We carve artificial rock for a living, so a fiberglass shell can carry a grotto, a waterfall, a slide or a jump rock the same way our shotcrete pools do.
FIBERGLASS
Pick a shape
The Latham line runs from a small plunge pool to a full size rectangle with a built in spa. We can order any model in the line. Freight comes from out of state, so where a shell ships from affects the estimate. These are the directions most of our conversations start in.
STRAIGHT LINES
Rectangular
Straight lines, tanning ledges, deep end benches and in several models a built in spa. The Astoria, Corinthian and Olympia collections each come in three sizes. Smallest is around twelve by twenty five feet, largest is sixteen by forty. The Monaco is the one model in the line rated for a diving board, and we will install it.
WILD
Freeform
Curved edges, swim up benches and a shallow wading area. Axiom, Bermuda, Cape Cod and Jamaica all sit here, and several come in a Deluxe version with an integrated spa. This is the closest fiberglass gets to the softness of a carved rock pool.
MINI
Plunge
Small footprint, four feet deep, made for a tight yard or a side lot. The Milan starts at eight by fourteen feet. The Enchantment adds a built in tanning ledge.
RELAX
Spas & Tanning Ledges
Fiberglass spas come freestanding or as a spillover that pours into the pool. Tanning ledges come in rectangle and semicircle shapes at ten inches deep. Both can also sit alongside a shotcrete build, which is a good option when you want the sculpted pool and a faster spa.
THE LOOK
Color and Tile
Color changes how the water reads more than any other choice. Crystite Classic comes in Sapphire Blue, Coastal Bronze, Shale Grey, Ocean Blue, Night Sky and Whisper White. Crystite Crystal is the upgraded finish with real sparkle to it, in Sapphire Blue, Coastal Bronze, Shale Grey, Ocean Blue, Night Sky and Pearl White.
PROTECTION
Automatic Covers
We install Coverstar automatic safety covers on fiberglass builds. One button closes the pool, which matters with kids and pets, and it keeps fir needles and rain out through a Washington winter. Ten cover colors are available.
BUILT TO LAST
The shell is manufactured. The install is not.
Everything under and around that shell is us. Excavation, the gravel base, plumbing, equipment, backfill and the concrete deck. A shell set on an improper base will show issues in a few years, in the way it sits and the way the deck drains. We set it level and we pour the concrete around it with the same crew that builds our custom work.
Timeline
Once we break ground, plan on a few weeks of construction rather than the four to six months a gunite build takes. Permitting and scheduling sit on top of that and vary by city.
Still Thinking About Rock?
If waterfalls, grottos and slides keep coming back up, that is our specialty and it is worth one conversation before you decide. See our custom pools and waterscapes.
COMMON QUESTIONS
About Fiberglass Pools
What is the difference between a fiberglass pool and a shotcrete or gunite pool?
How long does a fiberglass pool build take?
Is a fiberglass pool cheaper?
What shapes and sizes can I get?
Can you dive in a fiberglass pool?
Does fiberglass work with a saltwater system?
Do fiberglass pools need to be resurfaced?
Can you build rock work or a waterfall around a fiberglass pool?
Are you a Latham builder?
Tell Us About Your Yard
Call or text 425.336.9310 or send the form. Let's talk about your vision!