A pool safety cover is necessary in Nebraska, the Midwest, and all other climates with harsh winters. The safety cover will help protect the pool once it has been winterized for the year.
There are two types of pool safety covers…mesh and solid.
Mesh Safety Covers
A mesh safety cover is made of mesh. This is a permeable material, so rain water and melted snow can drip into the pool.
A mesh safety cover really is very easy to put-on, take-off, roll-up and store.
The mesh safety cover is the most common pool winter safety cover.
There are two types of mesh safety covers.
The standard mesh safety covers will let in about 5% sunlight. All safety cover manufacturers offer them. This safety cover works fine with the average snowfall amounts in Nebraska each winter.
The heavy-duty mesh safety covers will let in about 1% sunlight. Most safety cover manufacturers offer them. The heavy-duty mesh is an upgrade, with thicker mesh, more thread-counts, and tighter weaves. They also cost more. This may not be an expense you need to spend. But, it will withstand when snowfall amounts pile up during a particular snow-filled winter.
Solid Safety Covers
A solid safety cover is made of a solid tarp-like material. But there is a mesh opening in the center of the cover that allows water to drain through the cover. Even with the mesh opening, a solid safety cover will let in less than 0.5% sunlight. While the mesh opening works most of the time, there are times when it may clog, allowing puddles on the cover. Therefore, you should own a submersible pump if your pool is covered with a solid safety cover. You can use the submersible pump to drain these puddles from the cover.
A solid safety cover is very heavy, requiring at least 2-3 people to put-on, take-off, roll-up and store. With a solid safety cover, the more people that can help maneuver it the better.
A solid safety cover is the most expensive safety cover to buy. For 98% of residential pool owners, there is no need to pay extra for a solid safety cover. Your annual costs to open and close the pool will both be more expensive each year too since additional laborers are needed to handle (either take off or put on) a solid safety cover.
Safety Cover Colors
Most safety covers come in at least green or blue (some manufacturers offer royal blue and other manufacturers offer more of a navy blue). Some manufacturers are now also offering tan and gray as well, but with a price increase.
All safety covers used to only be available in green, because it matches the backyard grass.
Then safety covers became available in blue, because it mimics the color of the pool water.
And then tan and gray were made available by some manufacturers. These options can be a color-match for the house, the pool deck, or perhaps the landscaping. Expect to pay more for a custom color.
Safety Cover Installation
Both types of safety covers (mesh and solid) use the same technology…there are anchors drilled-into the deck, there are springs attached to the straps of the safety cover, and the springs are secured to the raised anchors all the way around so that the pool can be covered. When the pool is in use, the anchors are purposely drilled so that they can be counter-sunk into the deck so as to not be “toe-stubbers” all around the pool deck during the pool season.
If your pool has never been covered for the winter, one can be – and should be – installed:
- For rectangle or other geometric shapes, a few simple measurements are all that are needed so that a safety cover can be made.
- For free-form pool shapes, a series of A-B measurements (also called point-to-point measurements) are needed so that a safety cover can be made.
With just some basic information, most pool companies can offer you an estimate over the phone or in an email for a safety cover to be sold and installed.
Safety Cover Replacement
If your pool is covered for the winter but your safety cover is old and beyond repair, it can be replaced. The goal with the replacement is to be able to use the existing deck anchors.
Measurements can be taken so the new safety cover can use the existing anchors.
Or the old safety cover can be shipped to the manufacturer to be used as a template to make the new safety cover…the cover will be made the same size and the straps will be placed in the same locations so the new safety cover can use the existing anchors.
With just some basic information, most pool companies can offer you an estimate over the phone or in an email for a replacement safety cover to be sold and installed.
Winterizing Climates
Nebraska is a winterizing climate. To reiterate, if your pool is not covered for the winter now, then opt to have a safety cover installed.
We hope this helps.
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We install safety covers.
If you are a first time buyer of a safety cover, we can help you. We offer free onsite consultation so we can see inspect your pool and deck. We can determine the best safety cover for your pool and then submit an installed price.
If you have an old safety cover that needs to be replaced, we can help you. We offer free onsite consultation so we can determine if it will cost less to take measurements or ship the old safety cover to the manufacturer so it can be used as a template to make the new safety cover. While there we can also inspect your pool and deck and then submit an installed price.
Call us at 402-341-8132 or send us an email to [email protected] or submit a short form to discuss your pool and schedule free onsite consultation.
Or for the quickest response, you can call or text 402-250-8100 (Mike Loftus, owner).