By law, you have to surround your pool with a fence. That helps to keep children out, but if you want to make your fence extra safe, there are key ideas you may want to keep in mind. Consider the following tips for your pool fencing:
1. Opt for a Privacy Fence
Children may be less likely to try to get into your area if they don't know that you have a pool. To that end, you may want to opt for a privacy fence rather than a see-through glass fence. That removes temptation and can be a useful way to keep unwanted visitors out.
2. Make Sure the Fence Is Not Climbable
Whether you opt for a privacy fence, a glass fence or something else, make sure that it is not climbable. Look for anything that children could use as a foothold and make sure that is not part of your fence. Also, once the fence is installed, keep in mind that children love to climb.
To prevent climbers from getting into your area, make sure that you don't store any storage boxes or anything else that could make it easy to climb the fence near it. Additionally, make sure that children can't climb a tree that's outside the fence and then drop down on a branch that's inside the fence. Keeping these trees trimmed is critical.
3. Opt for Self-Closing Gates
When it comes to gates, make sure that they close automatically. Ideally, you should always close gates behind you, but accidents happen or you may get distracted. For these occasions, you need a gate that will swing closed and latch shut.
4. Choose High Latches
You also need to think about the height of the latches on the gate to your pool fencing. Ideally, you want latches that are completely out of reach of most children. The average ten year old in Australia is about 135 centimetres tall, and the tallest kids in this age group are about 145 centimetres tall. To be on the safe side, you want your latch at least an arm's length higher than that height. That way, you know it's hard for most children to reach the latch and let themselves in.
5. Consider Locks
To make the gates on your pool fence even safer, you may want to keep them locked. Locks that you can only engage from inside the pool area are the safest option. This helps keep kids out, but it also helps to keep thieves or vandals out of your garden.
