Pool Fence vs. Pool Cover: Which is the Better Safety Option?

If you own a swimming pool, how can you reduce the risk of children or pets reaching and drowning in that pool when no-one is around to prevent this from occurring? It can help to add either a pool cover or pool fencing to an NZ swimming pool, but which of these two options offers more safety?

What are Pool Covers and Pool Fences?

The terms might seem largely self-explanatory to some, but it remains worth acknowledging that a pool cover is basically a large piece of fabric designed to serve as a barrier across the pool water. Heavy-duty straps are used for anchoring the cover to brackets.

Pool fencing, too, provides a barrier — except surrounding the pool rather than over it. Like a ‘standard’ fence, a pool fence comprises panels held into their positions by a series of posts.

How Do Pool Covers Fare From a Safety Standpoint?

As a result of sourcing and fitting a pool cover large enough to envelope the whole pool, you will be able to plug any spaces that a child or pet could otherwise fall through. Also, a well-made pool cover adhering to industry standards will be capable of supporting at least 435 pounds of weight.

In practice, though, the weight of a child or pet can still lead a pool cover to sink and create a low point where water gathers. A water level reaching even just two inches will pose a drowning hazard.

Are Pool Fences the Better Safety Option?

Imagine if you often swum in your own residential pool but needed to leave it now and again, such as to fetch a drink or answer the landline phone. In this situation, you could close a pool fence’s gate after you in just a few seconds, whereas a pool cover can take much longer to secure properly.

We offer pool fences incorporating tall, resilient panels — meaning that children can easily be kept from approaching the pool in your absence. The glass we use for these fences will also enable you to enjoy a largely unhindered view of the pool even when you are many metres away from it.

Grand Glass can efficiently deliver pool fencing to NZ addresses nationwide and install pool fencing systems to a high standard at sites within the Auckland Region. Through phoning us on 09 478 9778, you can obtain a free, no-obligation quote.