This article will teach you how to choose the right pool fences for your property. We will cover all aspects and considerations of pool fencing and fence types, so you can pick the one that best suits your home. Be it metal, wood, or glass fencing Sydney, make sure to get what’s best for your property.
Pool Safety Standards Australia is an organisation whose job is to promote safety in any area related to swimming pools based on standards set by them. Fencing around a swimming pool or spa must meet their criteria, having been designed specifically to prevent people from falling into the pool accidentally. If you are planning to build a new fence or replace an old one, see if it meets this criterion – here’s how:
Height requirementsÂ
All fences surrounding private swimming pools in Australia must be 1.2 metres high. If the pool is located in a public area, the fence must be 0.9 meters high.
Construction requirements
Pool fences must have vertical balusters located no more than 2.1 meters apart, with a maximum space of 200 millimetres between them and at least 75 millimetres between the top rail and the balusters or uprights. The fence should not have any parts which can be put together by hand without tools, such as snap-lock joints or clips, though these are allowed on gates provided they meet all other criteria. There should also not be any sharp protrusions that could injure people going through it, for example, exposed screws or rough edges, and if the glass is used in the construction of a gate or door then there must be a safety film on it which is resistant to impacts.
Gate requirementsÂ
Any opening in the fence around your pool must either be small enough to prevent children from crawling through or else equipped with a self-closing and self-latching gate that can only be opened by an adult using a handle or knob within reach of the child without having to climb over it. These gates must open away from any access point to the swimming pool so children cannot pull themselves up while climbing out of the water onto them, and they should also open automatically when pushed against so no one falls on them while trying to get out of or into the pool. The latch should be over 1.5 metres above the ground to prevent children from reaching it.
What fencing types are you interested in?Â
Pool fences can be made from wooden, metal or vinyl, and whether or not they meet the safety standards outlined above depends on the type of material used to make them. Wooden pools should either have a horizontal plank fence with rounded ends and edges, which also meets fire resistance requirements or else a vertical board fence at least 50 millimetres thick if it does not meet that requirement. Metal fencing must be strong enough for people to use as hand-holds without risking injury and should be fitted with additional kick-plates around the base so burglars cannot easily climb over it. Vinyl fencing can look like any other kind of fencing you choose as long as it can resist impacts and can be securely attached to the surrounding ground, buildings or walls so no one can simply lift it and crawl underneath.
No matter what kind of fence you choose, make sure it is durable and strong enough for its purpose and that all materials meet safety standards. It should be at least 1 metre away from any access point to the swimming pool apart from gates, which must open away from the water instead of towards it – you don’t want someone crawling into your pool on top of a gate.
If you need any help choosing a pool fence or if you would like to hire our company for installations, give us a call today.
