A backyard pool can provide great relief from the heat and humidity of Northern Virginia. As you get all set to enjoy good times with family, friends and neighbors, be sure to make pool safety a top priority. When making decking and fencing decisions for your home in Herndon or Vienna VA, be sure to consider the following safety guidelines.
Install a Four-Foot or Taller Fence
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number one cause of injury or death for children ages 1 to 4 is drowning. And the number one way to reduce accidental drownings is to put up a barrier fence around your pool to make sure no children or outsiders can access your pool without your supervision. Here are the recommended specs for such a safety barrier. Fence height should be at least four feet or taller, so they can’t be easily climbed by kids. Access gates should be self-closing and self-latching. Make sure the gates are locked at night and when you are away and not using the pool.
Additional safety measures include installing alarms or motion sensors that detect if the fence has been breached and someone has accessed the pool area or goes near the water. There are even surface wave sensors and underwater alarms that let you know if someone has entered the pool. Better yet, consider installing a retractable pool cover or netting installed that will create a horizontal barrier for the pool. And sure keep drains covered as well.
Make Your Deck Slip-Resistant
The wood deck around your pool can become slippery and dangerous when wet. Decks with stains and sealers can be particularly slick, and serious injuries can result if someone slips and falls. You can avoid these accidents and make sure your children and guests are sure-footed around your pool by applying slip-resistant coating, which creates a textured surface, to the deck
These coatings, which are also often used on boat decks and other marine environments, may be made of various materials such as acrylic or polyurethane and are both weather and abrasion resistant. Applying these coatings can be done as easily as 1-2-3. Simply clean and thoroughly dry your deck first. Then using a paint roller, coat the deck following the grain of the wood. Let the deck dry, usually for 24 hours, and you can use the deck the next day.
The industry is guided by the International Code Council, which published ) in May 2012 an update to the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC). The ISPSC addresses minimum safety requirements for public and residential pools, including guidelines on fencing, decks, lighting, heaters, pumps, accessibility, filters, and suction fittings, and more.
Talk with the area’s leading fence installer Hal Co fence installers for more information about creating a safe environment around the pool for family and neighbors.