One of the most effective ways to protect your kids in the pool is to install a pool fence. In NSW, installing a pool fence is also considered to be a legal requirement for pool owners.
Sometimes, installing pool fence on your own can be stressful. There are a lot of things that pool owners should consider. If you do it incorrectly, your kids can be at risk.
As a guide, here is a blog post on the things you need to know to install your pool fence properly.
Before pool fence installation
Here are important things to do before installing pool fence. Read on below.
Check the location
The first thing you should do is to check the location where you want to install the fence. You should make sure that this location doesn’t have any underground cable lines for water, electricity and gas beforehand. This is to avoid problems such as hitting underground pipes and cables when installing the new fence.
Prepare the tools and materials
Tools that will be used in installation should include electric drill, post hole digger, screwdriver, pencil/chalk, gloves, string, tape measure, spirit level and concrete mix.
When the things mentioned above are all set, you can start with the installation. Please be reminded that the steps below may vary depending on the type of pool fencing you want to install.
Installation steps
There are many ways of installing pool fence. Here are some simple installation steps for your pool barriers.
Planning and setting up
1. Make sure to check the pool fence specifications in NSW. This includes pool fence positioning, fence height, pool gate, gaps, NCZ, etc.
2. Clear the area that you are fencing. You also need to measure this area to know the right quantities of materials you need.
3. Determine where each post goes and mark it with chalk. You can also run a string line so that you will have visuals on the perimeter.
4. Excavate all the holes for approximately 600mm deep.
Attaching posts and panels
1. Position the posts in the holes and fill it with concrete mix.
2. Once the posts are fixed, attach the bracket over the end of the fence rail. Then screw it to the post.
3. Make sure to check the gaps if they follow the NSW pool fencing requirements. You can stand the fence on wooden blocks to make sure that the gaps are fixed.
4. Do this for each side of the post.
Installing pool safety gate
1. Fix the hinges of the gate to the fence post. Make sure that the gate will open outwards or away from the pool.
2. You can also stand the gate on wooden blocks to ensure that the height and gaps are correct.
3. After that, fasten the gate to the fence post and attach the gate lock.
4. Check if the gate closes properly and locks in place.
Finishing
1. Clean the area and remove all wooden blocks from the fence.
2. Allow the cement to dry. Thereafter, backfill some soil on the posts to cover up the exposed cement.
Pool fencing safety consideration
There are certain pool fencing compliance requirements that you must consider before installing your pool fence. These are important to avoid accidental drownings among children. Following these requirements will also prevent you from paying expensive penalties.
1. Height - There is specific height requirement for pool fence that every pool owner should follow. In NSW, the minimum pool fence height is 1200mm.
2. Ground spacing - Make sure that the spacing between the bottom of the pool fence and the ground should be no more than 100mm.
3. Vertical and horizontal spacing - The spacing between vertical bars should not be longer than 100mm. While for the horizontal bars, its gaps should be 900mm.
4. Non-climbable zone - Make sure to maintain a non-climbable zone around the pool fence. This is to prevent your kids from entering the pool by means of potential hand holds and foot holds.
How to check if pool barrier is safe and compliant
As pool owners, checking if the pool fence is safe and compliant is vital. Self-assessment checklists are now available to evaluate if the pool fence is compliant. Apart from that, a comprehensive pool inspection is needed in NSW.
Pool inspections are conducted by local council or an accredited pool certifier. It is important to choose a private certifier who fully understood the compliance regulations in NSW and provide better service.
Conclusion
When installing pool fence, there are a lot of things that must be considered. As pool owner, you must have keen attention to details. This is to avoid unnecessary accidents such as drowning to happen. With this guide, you are now ready to install pool fence for your swimming pool properly.
Pool barriers can be installed properly either by yourself or by an accredited service provider. It is also important to understand that pool fencing is a legal requirement in NSW. This means that expensive penalties will be imposed if you do not comply with the law.
If installing a pool barrier seems to be challenging, you might want to call a professional to do it for you. My Pool Safety is an trustworthy and experienced company who sells pool fence and installs it for you. They can also provide services such as pool compliance inspection and pool repair.