Winter is coming! We know it’s a cliché, but as summer rolls into fall… it’s time for many homeowners who live in colder climates to close up their pools. Of course, there’s much more to closing a pool than many of us think. After all, water safety is a top priority all year long.

In today’s DIY guide, we’ll go over how to safely close your pool for the colder months.

Use the Right Pool Safety Cover to Safely Close Your Pool

When it comes down to it, all covers are not equal. Sure, any form of tarp can keep dirt, leaves and debris out of the pool. However, when it comes to safety, you should invest in a weight-bearing pool cover. These pool safety covers are designed to support the full weight of a person. That means it’s perfect for avoiding any unlikely drowning hazards if a child, adult or even pet wanders over, or tries to get under, your covered pool.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that anyone should intentionally stand on the cover. This is merely a precaution to prevent accidents. It’s best to keep people far away from the pool area when it’s not in active use.

A Pool Fence Keeps Danger at Bay All Year Long

When it comes to keeping people out of the pool area, a Do It Yourself pool safety fence is an invaluable layer of protection. As you can probably surmise from our name, we here at PoolFenceDIY are true believers when it comes to the power of a properly installed pool fence. These barriers are one of the most common and effective ways to help secure your pool area, both during summer and during the off-season.

Ideally, a pool fence should be built strong and sturdy enough to prevent curious children from wandering into the pool area and falling into the water. The fence should be 48 inches tall with slats that are no more than 4 inches apart. This prevents little ones (and pets) from climbing over the fence and into danger.

More than anything, a fence from PoolFenceDIY is built to survive all year long. Each model is designed to stand up to both extreme heat and blistering cold winters.

Add a Self-Latching Safety Gate

When the pool is not in use, homeowners should take every precaution possible to mark the water as “off limits.” We’ve already discussed the value of a pool safety fence, but a gate can be just as important.

A self-latching gate should lock automatically behind you. This eliminates any nagging doubts of “did I forget to close the gate?” With a self-latching gate, it’ll close itself even if you forget. For added security during the colder weather, take an extra safety step: lock that gate down with a padlock. Now no one is getting in or out of the pool area unless they have a key. The peace of mind this precaution offers cannot be beaten.

Put Away Your Toys!

Next, it’s time to make absolutely sure that the pool is out of sight and out of mind. That means cleaning up the yard! Put away any of the pool toys that may be lying around. These serve to remind children of pool time fun … getting rid of these toys eliminates that risk! Keeping the toys safely stowed away helps to psychologically convince children that swimming time is over for the year.

Chemicals Must Be Safely Locked Up

Finally, don’t forget about your chemicals! Toys can remind kids of the pool… but chemicals can be absolutely deadly. To safely close your pool for colder months, it is imperative that any pool cleaning chemicals are locked away.

Be absolutely sure to store these substances safely. For best results, read and follow any handling instructions recommended by the manufacturers. Just to be extra safe, read up on emergency phone numbers and procedures in the event that someone is accidentally exposed to these chemicals.

That’s about it for our DIY guide on how to safely close your pool for colder months. As we often say, you should never rely on a single layer of protection. When it comes to water safety, using multiple layers of protection is the smartest way to avoid unlikely drowning hazards. This way, if one precaution fails, you’ll still have several “backup plans” in place. Even during the colder months, layers of protection are key to reducing the risk of accidental drowning.

To learn more about installing a pool fence, take a look at the installation videos linked from our website.

If you need further instruction, we’re easy to reach:

• Call our customer service team at (561) 316-6418.
• Email us at info@poolfenceDIY.com.
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