Comprehensive Guide on Choosing the Best Pool Fence

Having a pool to escape the summer heat without huddling indoors all day is an amazing experience, but it comes with some responsibilities and concerns that many new pool owners don’t think about. Namely, you need a pool fence.

Not only are pool fences legally required in many municipalities, but they’re a must-have item for responsible pool owners to protect neighborhood children and pets from entering the pool without permission or supervision and a catastrophe unfolding.

With so many options on the market, how to choose the best pool fence, though?

It is needless to say that everything tends to have its own pros and cons. So, we’re going to go through the most common options, what to look for, and point you in the right direction.

Let’s get started.

What to Look for in a Pool Fence

A pool fence’s main job is to keep your pool secure against “unwanted swimmers”. Usually, this means keeping children, whether your own or otherwise, out of your pool when proper adult supervision isn’t available.

Even if you don’t have kids of your own, neighborhood children might see the temptation of a cool retreat from the summer heat and hop in when you’re not at home; if anything happens, it’s not only a tragedy, but you’re held responsible for it.

It’s not always a matter of protecting yourself and others, though. It can also help with privacy, keep unwanted guests from helping themselves when you’re not home, and more.

Here are some of the key aspects to look at to meet that security requirement and a few other requirements.

Security Features:

First and foremost, any fence you look at needs to meet the criteria to accomplish the primary goal of the fence: security. This means a few things.

First, the fence should be tall enough that it’s not easily climbed or stepped over. If the fence is waist-high, you might as well not have one. However, you don’t need to erect a privacy fence to meet requirements, either.

As long as you get a fence that is reasonably high and requires effort to scale, you’re doing your part. A particularly determined person can scale practically any fence you put up, and they’ll take responsibility for what happens if they do.

Next, you need to ensure your fence either comes with a lockable gate or it’s possible to install one. It doesn’t make much sense to put up a fence if people can just walk around to an opening and do whatever they want, anyway.

Fortunately, this isn’t an issue with practically any fence unless try to build one yourself with raw materials. If you’re buying a commercial product, you don’t need to worry about this.

A commonly missed point you need to consider is how the fence is designed. Many pool fences have slats between fence posts, are slightly elevated above the ground, or have bars joining slats that function as improvisational footholds.

Slats are acceptable if they’re narrow enough that they can’t be squeezed between by a child, but the other features we mentioned are major problems. Bars that conjoin slats help people scale the fence, gaps between the ground and the fence make for easy access, and wide slats make it easy to simply squeeze in.

Finally, the fence needs to be sturdy. This is for the longevity of the fence and your ability to secure your pool.

Any commercial product you buy is likely going to meet that requirement in terms of security, but as we’ll talk about shortly, it’s still something you need to look at in detail to make sure you’re fence lasts a long time; it is not just for keeping people out.

Longevity Features to Consider

You don’t want a fence that falls apart after a couple of years of use. Pool fences aren’t cheap, and they’re a lot of work to install. You want one that is going to last ages without requiring too much upkeep.

There are a few common options such as wood, ornamental aluminum, PVC, and even glass. To start things off, we recommend staying away from PVC and glass. PVC is particularly weak to sunlight, and it’ll degrade fairly quickly when used as a fence. It’s also fairly easy to break with brute force. Glass has some obvious drawbacks. While glass used for fencing is usually stronger than your typical window, it’s still pretty fragile.

So, let’s talk about wood and aluminum.

Wood is a popular choice because instead of just making a pool fence, you can opt for a full privacy fence. This checks off all your security needs for the fence, and fences in your entire yard, and gives you ample privacy. That’s particularly helpful if you are a little subconscious about neighbors seeing you in your swimsuit.

However, wood requires quite a bit of upkeep. You have to paint it regularly, check for rotted boards and replace them immediately, make sure the sealant is regularly replaced, and more. It’s also prone to being damaged by heavy storms, which make repairs in the middle of harsher months fairly common.

Aluminum fixes those problems but has its own pros and cons. It’s often powder coated to ensure it’s protected against the elements, it’s difficult to damage, and it can be cheaper to install; especially since it only goes around your pool area.

However, it’s more difficult to repair when damage does occur, offers no privacy, and if it’s not designed properly, children or adults tend to scale it with relative ease since an aluminum fence is often shorter.

Mesh is another option, but since It provides hand and foot holes, you need a taller fence, and it can look out of place at a residential property. However, it requires practically zero maintenance, and it checks off all other requirements.

Ideally, you want to pick the material that matches your décor expectations without requiring more maintenance than you’re able to stay up with.

Appearance

Finally, you do want to consider how the fence will look in comparison to your landscaping, and of course, your home. This is something that has to be looked at on a case-by-case basis, and a lot of your own personal preferences will affect which choice you make, but always make sure the other features are covered first.

Where to Get the Best Pool Fence

In conclusion, choosing the best pool fence is a crucial step toward ensuring the safety and security of your pool area. By considering important factors such as material, design, and compliance with safety regulations, you can make a well-informed choice

Regardless of which type of fence you need, the size of the fence required, or your aesthetic preferences, you want to work with a company that can offer a wide selection of options and the best customer service around.

For that, Pool Guard USA is your go-to source. We offer a variety of pool safety barriers, such as pool fences, nets, covers, pet pool fences, and also the original pool fence replacement parts to keep your pool deck in tip-top shape and never miss any parts that you need.

If you’re ready to install a pool fence, and you need a little help figuring out what you want, contact us, today.