How to Install Swimming Pool Safety Fencing
Swimming pool fencing not only enhances the beauty of the backyard or deck, but provides safety as well. Installed properly, the fencing keeps unsupervised pets and children at a safe distance from the water, lessening the risks of injury and drowning. There is a wide variety of fencing material to choose from, allowing homeowners to select the one that meets their personal taste and budget. Installing a safety fence around the pool is a straightforward procedure.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Garden hose or twine
- Measuring tape
- Waterproof marker
- Drill and drill bits
- Small brush
- Post sleeves
- Metal fence clamps
- Aluminum mesh fencing sections
- Screwdriver
- Galvanized screws
- Pool fence gate and hardware
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1
Lay a garden hose or arrange a spool of thick twine around your pool to mark the fence's location. Keep it at least 36 inches from the edge of the pool so people inside the fencing can move about freely. Also determine the location of the gate, keeping access to the pool stairs in mind. Most pool gates are 3 to 6 feet wide.
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2
Measure the length of the hose or twine to determine how much fencing you need.
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3
Measure and mark the post positions on the concrete around your pool using a waterproof marker. Refer to the manufacturer's directions for the recommended distance between posts for your particular pool fencing kit. For most kits, the distance between posts along 15-foot fence sections is 3 feet. Measure the position of each post from center to center as you work your way around the pool.
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4
Drill a clean hole through a marked spot, using a drill with a 1/2-inch diamond core bit to prevent chipping or cracking the surface. Remove the bit and insert a 3/4-inch bit and drill a hole this size into the same spot. Remove this bit and replace with a 1 1/4-inch bit to drill a hole into the same spot to widen it gradually. Repeat this process all around the pool, over the marked spots for posts.
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5
Brush away loose cement around the holes before pushing a plastic sleeve into each. Insert the sleeve all the way through the hole.
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6
Center a post into a sleeve and push it until its lower corner fits snugly inside. Twist the post clockwise so it locks into place and is installed upright, not crooked. Insert all the posts into the sleeves the same way.
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7
Insert a metal fence clamp along the top and bottom end of each post. Align the clamps with the pre-formed holes in the aluminum mesh fencing.
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8
Insert two screws through the upper and lower end of each fence section, into each post, all the way along the fence line. Do not install fencing between the two posts pre-determined for the gate.
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9
Locate the openings at the tops of the two poles between which you'll install the gate. Attach a spring-loaded hook into each opening for the gate.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Most aluminum mesh fencing is 3-to-5 feet tall. Install taller fencing if you have small children or pets.
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