When considering a new swimming pool, it is very important to plan ahead for a safety fence to protect children from the possibility of accidental drowning. For instance, swimming pools can be enclosed by a fence surrounding the pool while totally detached from your house or other “pass through” structure. Another plan is to use the house itself as a partial barrier, with fencing extending out from it to enclose the pool area and then terminating back at the house. The latter plan may comply with your local community pool safety codes (usually with alarms on all points of entry into the pool area from within the house), but it is our considered opinion that a separately enclosed pool area offers children a greater degree of protection. A child that “slips” outside would still have another layer to get through.
We encourage you to thoughtfully plan for the safety of children, not only your own but also others who may visit, and make decisions based on what you think is best, and the governing laws in your community. These laws, or codes, often comply with what is known as the BOCA pool fence safety standard. Some communities offer more relaxed versions of this standard while others demand more stringent standards. Usually, you can find out what the laws in your community are by simply getting on line and searching the name of your county, township or city along with “pool code” or “building code.” If this doesn’t work, call the appropriate government office directly and ask for a copy of the code. Additionally, it is a very good idea to see if you have a neighborhood association and whether this association has additional binding requirements.
At iFenceUSA.com, we specialize in pool fence designs that comply with the BOCA code for pool safety. We can also modify fences, as needed, for more stringent requirements. Please visit our link on pool safety to learn more about the BOCA pool safety standard. You can also call us for compliance assistance. We are happy to review any document you provide us with, as well as supply you with architectural drawings that give detailed dimensions of our products. These can be very useful as governing authorities often require this information at the time permit(s) are pulled for your project.
We cordially invite you to put our experience to work for you. No pressure, just good old-fashioned service. No kidding.