Keeping Your Pool Gorgeous

Swimming pools involve more than just cooling off, relaxing, and sipping a cold beverage. They require work to clean, maintain, and monitor for safety. In addition to adjusting chlorine levels, you need to keep your pool covered.  

Should you cover your pool in the summer?

Keeping your pool covered is essential during all the months that your pool is open for use. Whether your pool season is year-round in Phoenix or only barely three months in Minnesota, you need to keep it covered when you are not using it. Not only does a cover keep leaves, bugs, and other debris out of your pool, but it can also help keep the heat in. 

What kind of pool cover is best?

Pool covers vary depending on your family's needs and budget. A standard cover, sometimes called a winter cover, is a simple cover designed strictly to keep debris out of the pool. It typically lasts only a season or two. A better investment would be a security cover, or pool safety cover, which looks very similar to a trampoline. It keeps debris out and helps prevent accidents with children. 

Both standard and security covers require you to manually remove them when you wish to jump in and enjoy the water, however. If this sounds tedious, you can invest in an automatic cover that operates on the flip of a switch. 

Can you use a tarp as a pool cover?

A simple, blue tarp that you can purchase at your local hardware store is not a suitable choice for a pool cover. Not only is it not safe for families with children, it is difficult to keep in place in windy or rainy weather. Invest in a pool cover that will serve your family better.

Can you walk on a pool cover?

You cannot walk on all pool covers. Pool safety covers are designed to support the weight of an adult and can be walked on safely. While they are more expensive than a standard cover, they are worth the extra expense, especially for families with small children. Of course, depending on the rules in your municipality, you will still need protective fencing around your pool. 

How does a pool safety cover work?

Pool safety covers are attached to the concrete around your pool. Typically, the male half of an industrial snap is embedded into the concrete while the female half is attached to the cover. This creates a strong, taut cover that can be walked on safely.  

Talk to a pool contractor, such as A SAFE POOL, for specific recommendations for your pool.