Choosing the Best Swimming Pool Fence for Your Gilbert Pool
Installing a fence around your swimming pool is essential for your family’s safety and for the safety of any other people or animals who might come onto your property. In many cases, installing a fence is not just a good idea; it’s the law. In Gilbert, all homes with children ages 6 and younger must install a fence around their pool. (Areas like Scottsdale and Glendale have their own regulations.)
The specifics for the fence might vary, but most experts recommend that fences:
- Be at least 4 feet tall
- Be permanent and rigid
- Have features that prevent children from climbing
- Include a gate that opens away from the pool area. The gate should also be self-closing and self-latching
These are not difficult standards to meet, and most fences that you can buy commercially will fit this criteria.
Choosing the Best Swimming Pool Fence for Your Gilbert Pool
When you work with a Gilbert custom pool builder on a new pool, you can get recommendations for a fence that ensures safety while also creating a beautiful aesthetic in conjunction with your pool and your home. If you already have a pool without a fence — or you move into a home with an unfenced pool — you can add a fence along with some pool remodeling.
Here are a few types of fencing that are popular for protecting the pool area:
Vertical Bar Fencing
Vertical bar fencing, which is commonly known as ornamental aluminum fencing, looks like wrought-iron fencing. It features a series of slim, vertical rods connected together by top and bottom rails. The rods are made of aluminum and are powder coated — a technique that looks like paint but that lasts longer. The fence is very low-maintenance as a result.
Ornamental aluminum fencing is durable yet lightweight. That makes it of similar quality to wrought-iron fencing, but it is lighter and less expensive.
Ornamental aluminum fencing is quite attractive, and it will not block the view of the surrounding landscape. Children are also not able to climb the fence sine there are no horizontal slats other than at the top and the bottom. However, it offers no privacy since passersby can see right through the bars.
If you choose vertical bar fencing, it is important that the space between the bars is no more than four inches. Otherwise, small animals may be able to pass through and children may get stuck.
Glass Panel Fencing
Glass panel fencing looks just like what it sounds like. It has large panels of tempered glass held together by metal bars. Sometimes, there are horizontal bars running along the top and bottom of the fence, but not always.
Glass panel fencing is about an unobtrusive as a fence can get since you can see right through it and have a nearly unimpeded view of the surrounding area. However, you’ll have to keep it washed to maintain the beauty of the fence. Like vertical bar fencing, glass panel fencing offers no privacy protection.
Since the glass panels are solid, the fencing offers more protection than vertical bar fencing. Children can’t climb it or get stuck in it, and animals can’t pass through it.
Wood Fence
A wood fence is a traditional option because it is among the least expensive of the choices, is easy to install, and offers privacy. However, a wood fence is very high-maintenance, and it does not have a long life span.
The harsh summer climate in Gilbert will quickly fade and wear down a wood fence, so you will have to stain and re-seal it every year. The bigger your yard or your pool, the more work and expense that will be.
The ability to paint and stain wood fences is part of what makes them popular for some homeowners. The fences can be customized to create the look you want for your landscaping.
PVC Fencing
PVC fencing looks a lot like a traditional wood fence, but it is made out of PVC instead. From a distance, the two types of fencing are nearly indistinguishable.
PVC fencing offers the same benefits of wood fencing — a traditional look and the ability to customize to create the aesthetic you want — but they are much more durable than wood and require less maintenance. Other than keeping mildew off the fence in shady areas of your lawn, you are unlikely to have to do anything else to keep it looking great.
Many manufacturers offer PVC fencing in only white, but more are offering custom colors
Removable Mesh Pool Fencing
Removable mesh pool fencing looks a bit like a giant playpen. The mesh is mounted on a frame that is not installed in the ground but merely rests on it. That way, you can easily remove the fence if you are doing pool remodeling work or if you decide to move.
Just because this fencing is removable doesn’t mean it is not safe. You cannot pick up the fence just because it is not mounted deep in the ground. The entire frame is too heavy to pick up or move, so the fence stays in place just like any other traditional option.
Not all mesh fences are created the same, so make sure you look for one that meets or exceeds standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials. Otherwise, you might get a flimsy fence that will break down or fail to offer adequate protection.
A custom pool builder from True Blue Pools can help you evaluate the fencing options when you are designing your pool so that you can create harmony between the pool, the fence, your house, and the landscape while still meeting your safety requirements. We can suggest pool features that can create more unity between your pool and the fence, such as benches, water features, and landscaping elements. If you already have a pool and are considering adding a fence, we can consult you on Gilbert pool remodeling that will create the best look. Call us today!
Published By:
True Blue Pools – Douglas LaLonde
5235 S. Kyrene Rd. Ste 102
Tempe, AZ 85283
Office: 480-820-9495
Website: https://truebluepools.com
