Pool Tips >> Pool Safety >> Swimming Pool Fences

A pool fence is a type of fence placed around backyard swimming pools, commonly to improve pool safety and to help prevent small children from accidentally falling into the pool and drowning.

Pool fences are manufactured in several different types, using a variety of materials.

Types of pool fence:

• Baby Guard Swimming Pool Fence
• Removable mesh pool safety fence
• Tubular steel
• Aluminum Tube
• Glass
• Wood (so long as it is not climbable)

Different types of pool fencing are utilized depending upon the needs and budget of the pool owner. Each kind offers its own advantages and disadvantages. Most kinds of pool fence are also used for, and were initially designed for, other applications besides around the pool. The exception to this is removable mesh pool safety fence.

Removable Mesh Pool Safety Fence

Removable mesh pool safety fence is often referred to by several different names. These names include, but are not limited to:

• Pool barrier
• Pool fencing
• Swimming pool fence
• Mesh fence
• Safety fence
• Kiddy fence
• Child fence
  
  

Pool safety fence is the only type of pool fence designed specifically for use around swimming pools to help prevent child and/or pet access.

Removable pool fences use a series of sections ranging from 6′ to 15′ in length connected at the top by a child-proof latch. Each section consists of a number of poles spaced at regular intervals and mounted into plastic or aluminum inserts that are core drilled into the pool deck or other substantial surface and a mesh material that stretches across those poles. The fence is made sturdy by the extreme tension it is manufactured and installed under. Mesh pool fence comes in many different colors, including black, white, green, tan, and brown. The mesh itself is made to be nearly transparent, especially in the darker colors. The support poles are normally made of either aluminum or fiber glass. Aluminum support poles are often powder coated different colors for pool owners’ aesthetic preference.

United States

There is no federal pool fence law currently in place within the United States.

The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals has developed a model barrier code for residential swimming pools, spas, and hot tubs; this code has been approved by the American National Standards Institute.

B.O.C.A. Pool Safety Standards

The International Code Council (I.C.C.), more often known by their former name, the Building Officials and Code Administrators (B.O.C.A.), outline strong safety standards for swimming pool fences. In an effort to eliminate or reduce the accidental drowning of children, these standards have been recognized by many communities throughout the world.

Here are the highlights of the B.O.C.A./I.C.C. pool safety standards:

1. The fence must be a minimum of 48″ tall (or taller, depending on distance between horizontal rails).

2. The middle horizontal rail must be at least 45″ above the bottom horizontal rail (to prevent using the horizontal rails as a kind of ladder for climbing).

3. The spacing between pickets must be less than 4″.

4. If space between pickets is less than 1 3/4, rule #2 does not apply and fence does not have to be taller than 48 (because the tighter picket spacing has made climbing much more difficult).

5. The space between the bottom horizontal rail and the ground must be less than 2″.

6. The gate(s) must be self-closing and self-latching.

7. The gate(s) need to open out (away from the pool area).

8. The opening mechanism of the latch must be at least 54″ above grade (ground level).

Source: Michigan Swimming Pool Services is your one stop customer service center if you own a swimming pool in the Southeastern Michigan area. The team of Michigan Swimming Pool Services LLC has been selected from the best and the brightest service companies the state has to offer. Many members of the team have been designing, installing, and servicing pools for the last several decades. To learn more, visit www.michiganswimmingpoolservices.com.