Installing an in ground pool should be an exciting occasion for your entire family and circle of friends. You have probably already started planning your pool parties, daily exercise routine, and favourite sunbathing location. But aside from all the pleasure your new in ground pool will give, there are also responsibilities that must be attended to.
One of the questions asked most often by new pool owners, is “Does an inground pool need a fence?” The answer to that is truly dependent on where you live and what your local bylaws stipulate. Learn more about what you should consider about pool fencing below.
Check Your Local Bylaws
Make sure to check early on in the pool installation process. You don’t want to be surprised with late-game changes in the midst of opening your new pool. That said, even if your local government doesn’t have any rules regarding inground pools you should still consider installing a fence for safety reasons. Children, animals and even adults are naturally attracted to bodies of water – especially swimming pools. And the fact is, that most child drownings don’t occur while swimming, they occur when a child accidentally falls into the water while playing nearby. On top of the obvious safety factor, a fence will also provide you with more privacy when using your pool.
The Four Sided Fence
Although many local bylaws call for a four-sided fence around an in ground pool, quite often they allow the house to act as the fourth side of the fence. Although this will prevent passersby from easy access to your pool, it still allows children inside your house to approach the pool unhindered. For this reason, a full four-sided fence is the best choice when it comes to safety. You should build a fence at least four feet high, but check your bylaws as they may require it to be even taller. Make sure it has a lockable gate with a latch on the inner/pool side of the gate.
Fence Materials
You can compose your fence out of many different materials, but each one will have its own advantages. Chain link fences are quite hard to climb for smaller children, but they allow anyone walking by to see the pool without any interference. Sometimes just hiding the pool behind a wooden or concrete fence is enough to take a child’s mind off the pool’s existence. If you do choose a wooden fence, make sure there are no spaces that could act as foot or handholds for easy climbing. Also, make sure there’s no easy way to crawl underneath the bottom of the fence. There are also new styles of pool fences created out of mesh that doesn’t allow climbing due to their inability to support the weight of someone trying to get over the top.
If you are looking for local pool fencing recommendations or wondering if your inground pool will need a fence, ask your pool dealer. They will be sure to point you in the right direction for getting the specific information that you require.