As much as a swimming pool offers recreation and entertainment for your family and visitors, it can also be a threat to their safety. Particularly, children are in greater danger considering their curious and playful nature. This is why you should secure the pool with a fence to restrict unsupervised movement into the pool. If you are looking to make your outdoor swimming area more safe by adding a fence, here are some of the things that you should keep in mind:

Fence Corrosion

There is a range of swimming pool fence options you can go for. Any type of fence around an outdoor swimming pool is exposed to many agents of corrosion such as moisture and ultra-violet radiation. Such elements wear down the material used to make the fence, and it can break down after being in place for some time. A galvanised steel fence is ideal given the sturdy nature of steel, and the galvanic coat makes it resistant to corrosion. On the other hand, wooden fences are a good alternative considering the natural feel that wood adds to the surrounding. However, you should make sure that the wood has a protective coat. Tung oil or varnish made using synthetic resins will help your wooden fence stand up better to moisture.

Gate Opening and Support

You need a gate to access the pool. When setting up the fence, you should go for a gate that swings outward from the pool. Gates that open inward are dangerous because they "propel" the person entering pool. At the same time, the gate should be self-closing and self-latching. It should be set in a position where it can swing back and restrict entry into the pool should someone forget to close it on their way in or out. This will allow you to better monitor when people enter the pool area because children will have to ask for help to access the pool.

Climbable Objects

A well set-up fence won't do any good if people, children included, can climb over the fence and access the pool. Therefore, you should shield any objects that can be used to climb over the fence. This includes wall fittings and deck bracing. You can use vertical palings or flat polycarbonate to cover any climbable sections. For a mesh fence, you can also opt for flat fence inserts.        

Talk to a fencing contractor in your area to see what pool fencing options are available.