Summer is approaching in Asheville, NC, and we all know what that means. Hot summer days, tasty craft beers, and hanging out with your friends and family by the pool. While all of this sounds fun, ensuring that your pool has the correct safety measures in place is imperative as pools can be a problem area for small children if not well protected.
Public and private pools alike operate under North Carolina’s swimming pool regulations to protect not only your family but the lives of others. Some of these regulations include:
- Safety inspections
- Potable water supply
- Pool barriers
What the North Carolina pool fence code requires
All below-ground swimming pools in North Carolina, whether public or private, must be surrounded by fencing that is at least four feet (48 inches) tall from the finished ground level. The openings should not be more than four inches wide, regardless of the style of fencing. If chain link fencing is used as a barrier, the chain link openings should be no more than 2 1/4 inches wide.
The barrier must be unclimbable, with no hand or footholds — which is why pool fences are usually built from vinyl, aluminum, or chain link with vertical or diagonal bracing. There must also be a zone of no less than 36 inches around the outside of the fence that is free of any permanent structure or equipment a child could climb.
Gates must be self-latching and self-closing and must open outwards from the pool. Service gates may not be required to be self-closing. However, they have to remain locked when not in use. If your gates have two openings, one must be secured in place, and the other must be self-latching.
Swimming pool dangers
Children are particularly vulnerable around water — drowning is a leading cause of unintentional death in children aged one to four. You could also be held liable under premises responsibility rules if there is an accident or death at your pool.
One method of prevention is installing a fence around your swimming pool, which is required by many state and local laws, including here in Asheville, NC.
Pool fence installation in Asheville, NC
Whether you have an above-ground or an in-ground pool, a secure barrier is what keeps the pool area safe when nobody is watching it. Asheville Fence installs pool fencing built to the state code and local requirements, for new pools and for pools that need an existing fence brought up to standard.
What Asheville Fence offers for pool fences
Pool fence installation can be customised to what your yard actually needs — a plain secure enclosure, something decorative, or both. There is a wide selection of fencing styles, materials, and gates to choose from, and we can talk through which materials keep you inside the code without making the yard feel closed in.
While all of this information may sound daunting, the rules exist so that you and your family are safe. With the fence built correctly, you get the peace of mind of knowing children cannot wander into the pool.
If you are building a pool for this upcoming summer season and need an effective, attractive pool fence installed, contact the team at Asheville Fence today.