Swimming Pool Fences

There are a variety of options for pool fences. I'll list the five major types of fence for your swimming pool and go through the pros and cons of each one.

Aluminum fencing is probably the most attractive option. You can order aluminum fencing from a variety of suppliers including online stores. The problem comes in having it installed, as it is going to be more complicated to install on your own then wood or vinyl fencing. One of the other downsides is that it is going to be one of the more expensive options. Finally, it is not going to offer very much in the way of privacy. However, it is definitely the most attractive type of fence, and you can even order aluminum in a variety of colors. It should do a pretty good job of keeping things out of the pool area, and it should be fairly strong (depending on the fence). Finally, it's probably going to age the best of any of the options. Oh yeah, it's probably going to be the most expensive option, especially if you add in the cost of having it installed.

Wooden fencing is definitely a strong option. You'll probably have the easiest time installing wood fencing or vinyl fencing on your own. It is going to be some of the cheapest, and offer some of the most privacy, depending on the kind of fencing you purchase. You'll be able to get fencing from a local Home Depot or Lowe's, and even if you can't install it on your own, virtually every fencing company should be able to do it for you. I think you already know the downsides of wood. It's not necessarily the most attractive option, and it isn't going to age very well. Depending on how it is sealed and weather proofed, you will have to replace it every so often (not too much, though).

Chain link fencing deserves to be mentioned, but I would hope you'd hardly consider it a serious option. It would be cheaper than aluminum, but other than that I can't think of a reason why you should choose it. If you need to save money, go with wood or vinyl, and if you want something sturdy that will last, spend a little extra and get aluminum. Chain link fencing is just incredibly unattractive, and it doesn't offer privacy. The plastic pieces that you can put in it for a privacy fence just strike me as ridiculously ugly. Please do yourself a favor and skip over chain link. It'd be doing me a favor, too, in case I ever drove by your house I'd see a halfway attractive fence instead of an eyesore.

Vinyl fencing is cheaper, potentially easier to install, and can be considered more attractive than wood. I don't think it can be considered an option that is as permanent as any of the others, though. I don't have a whole lot of experience with vinyl fencing, but I suspect it is going to age a lot quicker than the metal options, and potentially be comparable to wood on the lifetime factor.

The pool specific option is the mesh fencing. This is a kind of safety fence that gets installed in a fairly close perimeter around the pool itself. It can even be inside another fence. Basically, there are holes drilled into the concrete deck, and then you can put up and take down sections of mesh fence accordingly. This is a particularly excellent option for those of you with small children. You can have two layers of security by having a fence with a strong gate (and latch), and then the mesh fence inside it. These are not cheap and need to be professionally installed (your local pool company should offer the service and fence). I would have to highly recommend this to anyone with small kids. After all, what kind of price can you put on their safety?

Finally, let me suggest that you contact your pool company and see what they recommend. There might be particular reasons to choose one style or another depending on your situation. And for a last word of advice, if you want a fence installed, contact your local pool company during the fall or winter and see if they will give you a good deal. A lot of pool companies are desperate for work in the off-season, and are a lot more willing to negotiate.