Safety Covers

What are safety covers?

A Safety Cover protects your swimming pool from the elements, but more importantly, it acts as an off-season, full-time Lifeguard for your pool, preventing the accidental intrusion of children, pets, or any other unwanted “visitors”.  Safety covers are anchored to a deck with straps that pull the cover taut over the pool; the straps attach to stainless steel springs and are anchored to retractable anchors in the deck surface.  In season, the anchors can be screwed down to become flush with the deck and prevent tripping or toe-stubbing.  These covers will work with a variety of deck anchors for all types of decking material including; concrete, brick, asphalt, earth, grass, wood, composite, and more.

 

Types of safety covers

There are two main components of a safety cover and both have two different types available.  The first being the material used to cover the pool and the second being the types of straps used to secure the cover to the surrounding deck.

Materials

• Mesh covers are designed for long-term use, such as when closing a pool for winter. Mesh covers require little maintenance because debris that lands on them blows off the top, and rain and snow drain through the mesh panels; however, with the screen-like material of mesh, some silt and dirt may get through the webbing. On the other hand, because puddles cannot accumulate on the surface, having a mesh-style safety pool cover eliminates the risk of toddlers or pets unexpectedly coming in contact with shallow water. Mesh covers are usually lighter than solid covers so can be easier to put on or take off your pool.

  • Advantages

    • Require Little Maintenance
    • Safer for toddlers and pets
    • Lighter weight for easier install and removal

    Disadvantages

    • Silt and dirt may get through webbing

• Solid covers work similarly to mesh covers in that they can be secured to a deck by anchors. Solid covers may not be best for use in areas that receive heavy rain or snowfall. Unlike mesh covers that allow water to drain through the cover, precipitation can accumulate on a solid cover, creating a puddle of water over the pool. The collected water may tend to sag the cover and present a hazard to any small children or pets who, if unsupervised, wander onto to pool cover. To combat this problem, manufacturers either incorporate mesh drain panels into the covers or require an automatic cover pumps that automatically pumps water off the cover as soon as it is detected.

  Advantages

  • Keeps all rain, snow, and debris out of the pool
  • Option for drain or pump to remove water off of the cover

  Disadvantages

  • Collecting water and debris adds additional wear

Strapping

• Spring straps are typically woven material with stainless steel springs on the end that connect to an anchor in the deck.  These straps are adjustable to assure the cover fits snuggly and square with the swimming pool.
• Bungee straps are a rubber material that is welded or sown to the cover and then stretch to an anchor in the deck.

 

How safe are these covers?

See for yourself ...