Our automatic pool cover system was constructed to give pool owners the most convenient option in pool cover safety. APC’s coated vinyl fabric covers are the longest-lasting in the industry. General pool safety is a whole other topic but it sounds like you are pretty thoughtful about it.Click For 365 Automatic Pool Cover Post-Pour InstructionsĪdditionally, our covers are built to meet and exceed industry safety standards (ASTM-1346). My brother has a pool and toddlers and they are very strict on never walking on the cover even when closed and have strict pool use rules for the kids. I grew up around a family pool construction business so just my thoughts. If its safety then you are okay either way as long as the cover is well maintained. If the look of the fence doesn't bother you I'd say that would be your best cost effective choice. The cover will keep out debris and protect in the winter. The last thing to consider is if your pool is under any trees or in a dusty area. The safety covers can come with locks for the switch that retracts the cover (I'm thinking about teenagers here). And fences can be jumped although not by little ones. A lot of people don't like the look of a fence around the pool. I think the main reason people choose one over the other is aesthetic. And due to the mechanics and it being a big piece of heavy fabric dragged over water and concrete you will see more repairs needed over time compared to a fence. I would agree that you will see higher long-term maintenance costs with the cover versus a fence and many covers do recommend repairs be done by certified techs so you are more limited relative to just a simple fence. If installed correctly and maintained, the safety covers are pretty safe and regulated. Thanks in advance for help and patience for this now very concerned dad :) Wondering if anyone has any strong feelings on the cover vs fence route? Safety is the top concern (and have started water safety lessons as well) and willing to pay a premium for that, but obviously also don't want to be pumping endless money in if the covers are known to be problematic or worse yet can fail. With the little one getting mobile we are antsy to get something installed either way ASAP. A few though have had similarly strong opinions on why covers are far superior to a fence, saying kids really get around the fences.

harder to keep kids out during a party) - to the point that they won't even take the job on. Some have really stressed that covers are a waste of money, prone to break (particularly when deck mounted due to drag) and in some instances less safe than a fence (i.e. Based on this, we decided to move forward with the cover.Īs we started to kick off some pre-work needed to get the cover (electric/small deck addition etc.) though we have had a surprising number of contractors with weirdly strong opinions on covers. Based on some recs we also got some quotes for mesh fences, which are obviously more reasonable - but would likely then need to add solar for heat (so not a huge cost benefit). Since then we received a few quotes for automatic pool covers that while tough to swallow were what we anticipated. When we bought the house we held back a chunk of savings to get an automatic pool cover with tracks mounted on the deck. We moved into a new house last year with a pool without any safety barriers (state legal minimum is just a yard fence to keep neighbors out). TLDR: Any strong feelings on pool fence vs deck mounted cover?

Retrofit automatic pool cover