Like everything else though, the suggestions found in those glossy pages rarely stand the test of time but rather are only the fleeting fancy of some editor who needs to put together a story to fill a magazine.  If you are someone who is truly at a loss for what to do when it comes to upgrading your home and yard, I suggest go out and window shop.

When I say window shop I mean drive around your neighborhood and see what others are doing see what you like and what you don’t and make your decisions that way.  This holds especially true when you are shopping for a pool safety fence.

If you are in the market for a swimming pool fence you may have noticed that there are a considerable amount of choices out there.   There are a lot of things to consider when shopping for a fence such as height, color, material, length and function.   I list function here as something to consider because I believe it is something that can make all the other questions easier.

Figuring out what you want the function of the fence to be is really the only question you need to answer everything else will answer itself.  For example, if you are looking for a pool fence that provides privacy you are going to want one that is maybe a little taller and one that is made of solid material.  However, if this is not something you particularly care about you may be able to look at other options that are potentially less expensive.

Also, something you may want to think about when buying a fence for your pool is wear and tear.  If you have kids for instance, you may not want to get a plastic or vinyl pool fencing because they can become brittle in the winter  weather (depending upon where you live) more easily than a wood fence.   So you see if you can figure out what you want the function of your fence to be you will be able to figure out what kind of pool fence you want without relying on some so called experts advice in a magazine.

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This article brought to you by the experts at www.swimuniversity.com

This may not sound like ground-breaking information to you, pool fencing has been around for many years.  However, it wasn’t until more recently that our favorite type of fence was introduced, invented actually.  You see, while safety is your primary concern, you don’t necessarily want to sacrifice the looks and flexibility of your patio design and layout.  Your swimming pool landscaping looks great, don’t ruin it with a big block wall or some thick, heavy duty metal fence.  Worse yet, those chain link fences of the past do your patio design ideas no favors.

So, what is a better solution to getting the safety, look and flexibility you want from your fence?  Our favorite is the mesh pool fence.  It goes by other names as well, like safety pool fence.  What you will first notice about it is its relative non-intrusiveness.  This fence will not stick out like an eyesore on your property.  There are several reasons for this.

The mesh fabric of the fence itself, while ‘solid’, is still less visually blocking than a traditional ½” or ¾” tube steel fence.  Plus, since you can get them in black, there is less competition visually for your eyes with regard to the background.  In other words, this means that your landscape will not take a second seat to your pool fencing.

Another key feature of this mesh fencing that makes it great is the way that it is installed.  Even if you have already had your pool for many years, this application can be installed.  The way it is done is using a special tool that bores holes into the pool decking.  It removes cement cylinders that look like core Earth samples.  Then, the fence posts are placed in those holes around your pool.  Because it is flexible to use, your fence can have a more organic shape, rather than straight lines of long spans.  Because of this installation, your pool fence can be removed if you ever need to take it down or remove it for a party or some other reason.

If we are discussing a community or commercial pool, then having multiple access points is of more concern.  At home, in your backyard, you will find that getting a pool fence will provide much in the way of peace of mind.  With this in place, you will not need to worry every time you don’t see your child in plain site.  However, there are other times when being able to remove the fence would be convenient.  For this reason and more, we at Patio Covers Place like the removable pool fence option.  There are local contractors and dealers in your area that you should contact regarding this system.  You can learn more about them online before committing to this over a more traditional metal pool fence.

There are some things to consider when buying either type of system mentioned above.  Mainly, just like how a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, your pool fence is only as secure and safe as its easiest access point.  This point of access is typically the pool gate.  While some types of swimming pool landscaping can provide some protection by keeping your children’s eyes away from the gate area, the key is to keep it locked. With this in mind, some landscapes have concrete poured that can serve as a great place to anchor your fencing as well as a gate.

Similarly, since your pool has some area of pool decking around it, this is where the installers will drill to place the poles for your pool fence posts.  Because you are only human, there are times when the gate will accidentally be left open.  You may be carrying the pool furniture or towels back to the house or you may have just forget to lock it.  This is when accidents happen.

So, how can this be avoided?  The answer is with an automatic closing and locking magnetic pool gate.  Well, more specifically, it is a magnetic switch or latch mechanism.  The gate itself is simply on an automatic hinge that closes the gate when not being held open.  This can be accomplished using a spring mechanism or special hinge.  Then, when the gate closes, the magnetic latch is activated.

These are quite simple to operate and can be opened by simply pulling up on the ‘pin’ and then pulling on the gate.  Since most gates are at a four foot tall height per building code for residential applications, small children cannot reach or operate the latch.  When your child gets older, they will be able to easily operate the latch and if you are still wanting to oversee them in and around the pool – good practice anyway – a more formal lock, requiring a key can be installed.  This next season, get back your peace of mind out on your patio and get your pool gates properly protected.

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As just alluded to, a swimming pool cover is really meant to help heat your pool.  There are solar pool covers and systems and other more energy intensive systems that one can buy that will do the ‘heavy lifting’ so to speak, when it comes to raising the temperature of your pool.  A cover like this is meant to keep a specific aspect from affecting your drop in pool temperature.

A great shot of a swimming pool cover catching a fall leaf.

The main thing that a pool cover is intended to do is help warm your pool.  Plain and simple.  Now, depending upon your type of cover, it may also help with keeping debris out as well from your swimming pool landscaping.  I wouldn’t worry so much about this fact, unless you have a real issue with clogged pool skimmers and equipment.  In this case, a simply plastic cover might be your best bet.

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There are also some covers that are designed for safety.  These types of safety pool covers, are made with a different intent.  Some of these styles are a mesh or netting type of thing that stretches over the surface of your pool.  It will not stop leaves or other debris from entering, but it is meant to stop small children and animals from drowning.  Sometimes, a pool fence is left open and that pool float is just too enticing an object to avoid for the little ones.  Tragically, many children drown each year because of accidents that could have been avoided.  Other safety covers are like large tarps that are motorized and drawn across one end of the pool to the other.  Some of these claim to be able to support the weight of a baby elephant.  This one will also help to retain heat in your pool.

When we talk about what it takes to heat a pool, we need to consider sources that would otherwise rob your pool of its heat.  We could call these things heat sinks.  These would include things like the ground and air temperature.  These will actually draw heat out of the water.  Another factors that affects pool temperatures is wind.  As you may notice, all of these factors relate to the greatest threat to pool temperature which is evaporation.  You’ll realize that a pool safety cover made of netting will not help you in this regard.

The simple vinyl covers, with the addition of a bubble layer are quite effective at raising pool temperatures.  Because it takes a lot of energy to heat water, the larger your pool and the greater the chance of evaporation, the more it will cost.  At Patio Covers Place, we believe in a sustainable way to enjoy your patio and backyard outdoor living, so saving energy is  a great idea to us.  We would prefer to see things like the swimming pool solar covers used more often.

If you plan on enjoying your pool for a longer season or simply enjoy a warmer one, investing in some type of pool cover is a great idea.  With the various options for getting your pool covered, there is likely one particular style that you will find beneficial.  Pool covers also reduce the costs required to maintain your pool.  With a cover, you will retain water that may be lost to evaporation, reducing by up to 30-50% the amount of refill water necessary.  In addition to this, you will require less in terms of pool chemicals and cleaning maintenance.

Some covers are manual and others are automatic.  The simple bubble style or even vinyl covers are often rolled up on large drums then manually pulled out over the pool.  The bubble style will typically cost you less but only last a few seasons.  The more durable vinyl and other motorized systems can cost substantially more, but will give you a much longer lifespan.  In terms of cost, you can expect to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $150-350  USD for one of these recommended simple insulated vinyl type mentioned.  If you are thinking about the more durable and motorized options, think $2,500-4,000 USD for these swimming pool covers.

Past limitations only made a metal pool fence an available option.  There were also chain link style fences that had a vinyl coating to them.  There was also a time when swimming pool covers were used more for safety than heating.  In fact, there were some that claimed that they could support the weight of an elephant on them.  There is also a pool safety netting that is stretched across the top that will not allow a baby or small animal through.

The standard metal pool fence rails in black.

Now, it is more common to see the vertical rail styles in various powder coated options.  Most residential pool fences must be a minimum of 5’ tall to meet code, 6’ is the standard for commercial use.  With this metal rail style, the spacing can be no more than 4” apart.  This is to prevent childrens’ heads and other animals getting stuck in the fencing, causing potential life-threatening situations.  The lure of those brightly colored pool floats can just be too much to little inquiring and inquisitive minds.

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The rails in these styles are usually 5/8” thick and often have 1” tube top and bottom members that frame the rails.  Then, there are the posts at the end of each section of fencing.  These are often 2” square tubing.  For a standard pool installation, black powder coated finish and all right angles is the norm.  For a more custom look, you can opt for decorative top and bottom pieces to be detailed with scroll work or other metal patterns.  Panel work and other curved edges can be used for a custom job as well.  You may also like to choose from a variety of powder coating colors and pool gates.

Some people just don’t like the harsh look that this creates against their swimming pool landscaping and other patio features.  a metal If this is the situation you are in, don’t worry, you can still get a very pleasing to the eye looking safety pool fence that can also be taken down with ease for cleaning or repairs or even for temporary outdoor entertaining where adults are the only guests invited.  This type of removable pool fence is the one that we have chosen as our favorite.  It may also be referred to as a pool barrier fence or something along these lines.

Patio Place Pick – The Removable Pool Fence

This is less visually cluttering and allows for easy removal when not needed.

This type of pool fencing is essentially a vinyl-plastic mesh screen type material that is mounted between sturdy posts that are simply stuck into your pool’s decking surface.  It can be installed at any point, during or after construction.  In fact, with the boring tool assembly, the whole job takes less than half a day to complete in most cases, depending on complexity.  It works in a very simple fashion as well.  All you need to do is squeeze the expanding clip through the eyelet at the place where you would like the door to go and the fence is secure.  Opening for access is just as simple.  And, because it provides full coverage, no arms, legs, animals, toys or other objects can make their way through it.  This is really the future of safety pool fencing in residential applications in our opinion.  You might need to check with your local coding regulations to ensure it is an acceptable system in your area.                       Photo credit