Pool safety covers aren’t enough. Keep your family safe with a top quality swimming pool safety fence and swimming pool safety gate and pool safety products from Buzz Custom Fence. Each swimming pool fence is customized to your pool, with a variety of styles available.
Keep Your Children Safe Pools With A Safety Pool Fence
With approximately 300 children drowning in residential pools every year, safety for your family should be a focus in the design and construction of a pool fence. While many look towards safety covers, there is no substitute for parental supervision. A perimeter pool fence is an easy way to secure swimming pools. Buzz’s contractors can advise and provide additional information about this process.
Most cities and insurance companies, have strict guidelines for pool safety. The type, height and material of fencing around pools and gate latch design are all regulated to prevent accidental drowning. While codes vary in Texas by city, most areas have adopted the BOCA Pool Fence Code, now known as the International Building Council. At Buzz, we recommend this guide from a division of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Code Requirements for Pool Fencing and Gates Your DFW Swimming Pool Need to Follow
Code for pool fencing and gates is complex and changes over time to prevent additional accidents. Below is a summary of important considerations when looking to get a safety pool fence installed on your Dallas Fort Worth property:
- Self-closing and locking gate latches are required
- Typically, spacing of bars/pickets on iron or aluminum fences can have no more than a 4” gap
- With a wood fence surrounding a property, the critical issue is whether the rails are inside or outside. If the vertical rails are on the outside of the fence, code typically requires “none climbable rails”. These rails have the top edge cut on the diagonal to prevent climbing from the outside.
Recommended Designs, Hardware and Materials for Your DFW Pool
At Buzz Custom Fence, we are partner with D&D Technologies and highly recommend MagnaLatch for pool fences. Their most recent technology, the MagnaLatch ALERT, features an audible pool alarm and flashing LED lights. It allows pool owners to quickly respond to gates left open or not safely latched.
Whether it is for an old or new house in the Dallas Fort Worth area, Buzz often recommend pool fencing with clear visibility to maintain sight lines around swimming pools. Popular materials are picket designs in aluminum, vinyl or wrought iron. Aluminum and vinyl pool safety fences are recommended for durability and resistance to rust and corrosion. They allow for maximum visibility in a swimming pool area and with many styles to choose from, they add visual appeal to the pool area. Most aluminum fence manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty, making it a great investment for your DFW property. Powder-coated iron fences are also an option.