What to Look for in a Pool Cover

Posted on: October 24th, 2018 by

Pool Cover Tips

As your pool maintenance and service company, we know it’s almost pool closing time again – we can hardly believe how fast the year has flown by! If you’re prepping for pool closing time and aren’t so sure about your cover situation, we’ve got some tips for you. Whether it’s your first season as a pool owner and this is all new to you, or you’re a seasoned pool veteran who wants a gut check as to whether or not you’re properly covering your pool, these pool cover tips should help you suss out your needs quickly and simply.

Meets Requirements

Your state, and county, may have specific requirements you need to ensure your pool cover meets as a homeowner. Furthermore, if you’re part of an HOA, you should check with them on any guidelines or requirements they may have. Nothing’s worse than thinking you have your bases covered and a nosy neighbor or well-meaning HOA board member leaving you with a fee and a change order after you’ve already invested in the cover equipment.

Strong and Sturdy

Even if you live in a place where winters are fairly mild (like Georgia), it’s still a good idea to make sure your cover can handle whatever the winter weather may throw at it. There are mesh covers and stronger, hard covers, and both have the capability to handle weather, but if it’s more protection you’re looking for, we recommend opting for a harder cover – it might be heavier, but you can rest assured knowing it’s not letting anything into your pool once it’s closed for the season, as long as it’s properly installed and secured.

Keeps You Covered

By this, we mean buy a little bigger. Purchasing the size of pool cover that just covers your pool won’t quite cut it. Instead, you want to buy a size slightly larger than your pool, so you have overlap from the edge of your pool. This way, there won’t be any surprise gaps, and when you anchor it down, there won’t be any worries about whether or not it’s all properly protected.

Check that Warranty

We wall want to believe the best in the pool cover we end up purchasing, but we always recommend checking on that warranty before spending your hard-earned money on what might be a flimsy cover. A good warranty will keep you (and your pool) protected from the things you couldn’t have seen coming, but it’s important to see how long that warranty lasts, as well as what’s covered in it. Once you’ve read through the warranty, make sure you feel good about the answers to those questions before you buy. For a benchmark, we recommend not purchasing anything less than a 2-year full warranty with an extended limited warranty.

How’s it Secured?

Are you comfortable installing the straps or other items that will keep your pool cover secure throughout your closed down season? If not, we urge you to consider a different cover. Make sure there’s enough equipment to properly anchor your pool’s cover in as many places as needed to ensure a secure and lasting cover. The more anchoring material you have, the less pressure will be on any one anchor, making it more secure year after year (always a plus with this particular pool investment!)

There’s a lot that goes into picking the right pool cover for your needs, but if you stick with these general tips, you should be pointed solidly in the right direction. From there, it’s really about personal preference!

Also, if you need help closing your pool and installing your cover, give us a call or contact us. We would be happy to lend a hand and help ensure your pool is safely closed and ready to go in the spring.

Request a Quote

Please call (770) 451-1621 to request pool winterization by Allen Pool Service in Atlanta.

Request Now