A good fence is much more than a barrier between those in your backyard or pool area and the world outside – it is an important design component of your backyard area… a safety device, a tool to protect your privacy and much more.
If you decide to have fencing installed around your pool, you need the best fence, but to be able to make the best choice, you also need to know what the most important aspects and parameters to consider are.
In what follows, we would like to present some of the essential features that make for a good backyard fence or pool fence, so that you can start looking for the best option right away.
#1 – Fence Height
Most states have very strict safety regulations when it comes to pool fences. Pool fences are usually required to be at least four feet tall (48”) with 2 horizontal rails and four and a half feet tall (54”) for a fence with 3 horizontal rails.
Anything under those heights would be too easy to climb. The taller the fence, the more difficult it becomes for toddlers and infants to climb over which of course minimizes liability and maximizes safety. Also, trespassing becomes limited, so the more height it offers, the more comfortable you’ll ultimately feel.
#2 – Latch Quality
The latch is a component that is often forgotten when the most important features of pool fences and backyard fences are listed. However, if you come and think of it, without a good latch, your fencing cannot fulfill its role, so having the right type of latching mechanism is an absolute must.
Self-closing gates with magnetic auto-latching latches are best, especially if you have young children looking for a moment when they are left unattended to sneak into that pool area. When used with self-closing hinges, these latches will close and latch the gate automatically, leaving no room for mistake.
#3 – Maintenance
Ensuring that your fence is powder coated and not just painted is very important. Painting will ultimately need be re-painted and if it’s steel, will over time, ultimately rust… regardless of what kind of coating they use.
How often does a fence work out to be exactly 72.5” on-center all the way to the end? Not very often. That means the section/s (at least one per run) will need to be cut down to size. When that happens, the coating is now gone and touch up paint just won’t stop the rust. Aluminum however, never rusts… even if it isn’t powder coated.
The powder coating helps to ensure that the black, bronze or white stay black, bronze and white. Many companies skimp on this and use inferior grades of powder coating or import their extrusions where the powder coating is inferior and tends to gray over time. No warranty is going to cover graying, but you can minimize that by knowing where the materials come from.
#4 – Sturdiness
Whether the fence that best suits your tastes and requirements is aluminum or another material, one thing is sure: you need a sturdy construction. Your fence must resist any bending, breaking or warping and it must also be able to resist the effects of the often very harsh weather conditions.
Weather resistance is very important, especially if you’re in a coastal community that needs extra protection from the sun and salt spray. Sturdiness is best determined by your application. If it’s just going in your backyard or around your pool, residential aluminum is more than adequate.
If however, this is for a community pool or at a restaurant or park, commercial grade with wider aluminum components would usually be the better option.
#5 – Aesthetics
Fences come in many different heights and styles…. from the basic 2 rail fence to the more ornate, decorative 3 and 4 rail styles. Function or style… what’s important to you? If it’s just a matter of meeting a specific pool code and keeping the costs down, the most basic 4’ tall fence with 1 horizontal rail at the top and 1 at the bottom will do the trick. If it’s a matter of style, then there are many different styles to fit your taste.
At Aluminum Fences Direct, we have the most variety you’ll see available online…. All while meeting your specific tastes and budget.
The Perfect Fence
Make sure you consider these aspects, and your fence will surely be exactly what you want: a reliable installation that protects your backyard area, is attractive to look at, adds to the value of your home and will last for as long as you live in your home and beyond! Click here for: Top 5 Things to AVOID when installing your own aluminum fence.
