One of the first things I wanted to tackle when I bought my new home was the fence. It was old, leaning, and missing boards. It certainly was not up to the task of keeping the dogs in our back garden. I wanted a new fence which provided privacy, strength to keep the dogs contained, and was maintenance free. This blog is all about fences. I plan to write about the different types, how to maintain them, and how to choose the perfect fence for your situation. From steel to bamboo, privacy to animal containment, there is a lot to know about the different fences available to you.
If you have a swimming pool in your backyard and are thinking about putting up a pool fence, the choices available can be overwhelming. From brick and wire mesh to acrylic and glass, the vast array of pool fencing materials offers homeowners options for both aesthetics and functionality. Whichever fencing material you choose for your pool, it must meet local council regulations because non-compliant pool fencing will attract hefty fines. Read on for inspection points of a compliant pool fence.
Fence Dimensions – One of the first things that makes a pool fence compliant is the correct dimensions, with the height being the most critical of all. Ideally, compliant pool fencing should measure at least 1200 mm high. Anything lower than this value is unacceptable. The gap below the pool fence should also be small enough to prevent children and animals from crawling inside the fenced area. Notably, you should ensure that the gap between the ground and the bottom part of the fence should be no more than 100 mm. If you are using horizontal rails with no gaps along their lengths, ensure that the rails run on the inside of the pool fencing.
Eliminate Climbable Zones -- The primary reason you need a pool fence is to deter children from accessing the pool area when not under supervision. However, children can be creative, and nothing will stop them from trying to climb over the fence. Therefore, inspect your new fence and identify possible climbable zones. For instance, if you have glass fencing, you need to ensure that there are no plant pots or BBQ stoves installed near the glass fencing. In this regard, ensure that the pool fencing is not anywhere near a retaining wall that can be used to jump over the pool fencing.
Inspect Pool Fence Gate -- Whether your pool is high enough or doesn't have climbable zones, these safety attributes don't count for anything if the gate doesn't meet the standards. The first thing you should ensure the pool fence gate has is a self-closing and self-latching mechanism. For added safety, the latch should be installed on the inner side of the fence and dead centre so that children cannot reach it either from the top or bottom of the fence. The pool fence gate should also open outward from the pool area. It makes it much more difficult for children to engage the latch and open the gate. Moreover, a pool fence gate that opens outwards prevents children from running straight into the pool immediately when they open the gate.
For more information on pool fencing, contact a fence contractor.
Share14 October 2019
