We're buying a new home with a pool. We have a baby and a toddler and need to put a fence and other safety measures in place before we move in. Any recommendations for specific types/brands?

Fence, camera, sensors, etc.

Just want to make sure we're doing everything we can to keep them safe.

TIA

Catch a kid fence

Swim lessons as soon as they're able also

Don't do this, as my ex is trying to pull right now, with my 3 & 5 yo.

OnlyForNow said:

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Catch a kid fence

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We have a toddler and went with the pool net based on how our pool is situated. Highly recommend. They were super responsive for us in SA and installed it earlier than we anticipated.

https://katchakid.com/?gad=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhsj33raA_wIVhRpMCh3mcAP7EAAYASAAEgJWEPD_BwE

Survival Swim School.

Takes a commitment to the process but the result is impressive.

lotsofhp said:

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We're buying a new home with a pool. We have a baby and a toddler and need to put a fence and other safety measures in place before we move in. Any recommendations for specific types/brands?

Fence, camera, sensors, etc.

Just want to make sure we're doing everything we can to keep them safe.

TIA

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To be clear (bolded), the home already have a privacy fence around the pool area, correct? This is considered an "attractive nuisance" if pool can be viewed at all, and insurance companies have significant issues with this.

You are talking about fencing from your house to the pool, correct?

We went with a fence around the pool. Not sure of the brand but it's the type that can be pulled out and the holes capped.

We considered the net but went with the fence instead of the net because it's "always on" if the gate automatically closes. A net only works when you put it on. That's unlikely if you are just taking a quick break from the pool.

Yeah we got the mesh fence thing and almost never take the whole thing down. If the big kids are just taking a dip after school they just go through the gate, if the toddler is swimming or we have people over we'll take off a couple panels out of the fence so we can sit on chairs and watch and have easy access if a kid needs help

Another vote for Katchakid. We didn't take it down until our kid and our frequent visitors' kids could swim and could unlatch the gate. It was ugly and I hated looking at it but the peace of mind was everything.

The Katchakid does take some commitment to put back up every time, but you'll get used to it. I also added the leaf cover to mine becuase my pool is surrounded by trees. I only leave that one from Nov-Mar, but it makes winter maintenance much easier.

CowtownAg06 said:

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The Katchakid does take some commitment to put back up every time, but you'll get used to it. I also added the leaf cover to mine becuase my pool is surrounded by trees. I only leave that one from Nov-Mar, but it makes winter maintenance much easier.

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The commitment is not too bad. We have a kidney shaped pool, so some of our tension points are much tighter than others....and it was still about 5 minutes off and 10-15 minutes back on.

That's about right, just want to make sure he's aware. I took a short 2 in diameter dowel rod and screwed a hook into it to pull. This helps pull the tighter spots without killing my fingers and frees up a hand to set the anchor.

CS78 said:

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Survival Swim School.

Takes a commitment to the process but the result is impressive.

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Best investment we ever made. Had our son doing self saving before he turned one and swimming "for fun" at three. We didn't have a pool at the time and his only practice after class was at the community pool. If you are anywhere in the North Houston area I highly recommend Glendys Water Babies

http://glendyswaterbabies.com/

Catch a kid is what we have.

We did the fence and gate with them. Great thing, when our kids get older, we can easily take the fence out. Even for party's, when can remove and replace easily.

Before we moved into our current house we had pools at the two previous homes. We had the fence where they drill holes around the pool and install the fence. Ours was modular and could be adjusted based on the size and shape of the pool. We didn't have a gate. If it was just us at the house, I could remove one panel and everyone could swim. If we had parties, it would take me 5 minutes to remove them all and 5 minutes to put them back up.

Another rec for ISR swim training.

Even if your pool is 100% secure, you have neighbors and friends with pools that aren't.

We have done it for two years now for our almost 5 and 2 1/2 year old.

Its amazing what kids can do in water with some training.

I looked at the KatchaKid Net system as well, but ultimately went with the removable mesh fence and key-locakble gate. It just made more sense for how we use our pool...my wife doesn't have to remove and replace the net during the summer while I'm at work, we can lock the gate when it is time to be done swimming, I don't have to worry about access to the pool during swim breaks if we have friends over, etc. If I want to remove the fence I can do so in a matter of minutes, but rarely do so.

Aesthetically the net system looks great, but it didn't make as much sense for us. Either option will work great, just get something in place...

Ogre09 said:

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Swim lessons as soon as they're able also

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Survival swim lessons. That's what's needed. Lessons that teach them to turn on their back and kick until they get to the edge, and then grab on. We put 2 of our 3 in lessons with a lady that lives in Roman Forest. Honestly, it was hard to watch her give the lessons because of what she puts them through, but they caught on after a few lessons and were jumping in and doing what they needed to do.

For those in Houston, especially on the north side, this is who we used.

http://glendyswaterbabies.com/

CS78 said:

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Survival Swim School.

Takes a commitment to the process but the result is impressive.

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This is the way. We have our 13 month old in the program now and it is a commitment. Seven weeks, everyday for a 10 minute "lesson". It's amazing how resilient kids are and how fast they learn.

OP, my advice is to budget for a backhoe and a lot of fill dirt, break up the pool and surrounding paving into tiny pieces and fill that SOB in! I bought a house with pool 12 years ago and that thing has been an expensive thorn in my backside ever since! At first, we enjoyed it, but the enjoyment only lasted for a year, 2 at the most. As soon as our daughter left for college, we soon lost interest in the pool. But the expenses for maintaining it never ceased. Constant expenses and maintenance for chemicals, removing debris, keeping the pump and filtration system running. At least once a year, it seems we have to replace an expensive pump or motor. We've had to do numerous repairs to tiles, fill in cracks, replace underwater lighting, etc. Whether we use the pool or not, we still have to spend money and lots of it to maintain the thing lest it become overrun with algae.

A pool is a hole in the ground that you throw endless cash into, a literal money pit! Everyone I know who owns a pool has eventually regretted the thing. If you ever sell your house, the pool will never add value to your home close to commensurate to what it costs you to maintain. My pool has been nothing less than a nightmare!

To me, you're better off buying a boat and taking trips to local lakes if you wish to enjoy time on the water. But just barely.

Screw a swimming pool!

Just my experience. Maybe you will see things differently.

Thaddeus Beauregard said:

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OP, my advice is to budget for a backhoe and a lot of fill dirt, break up the pool and surrounding paving into tiny pieces and fill that SOB in! I bought a house with pool 12 years ago and that thing has been an expensive thorn in my backside ever since! At first, we enjoyed it, but the enjoyment only lasted for a year, 2 at the most. As soon as our daughter left for college, we soon lost interest in the pool. But the expenses for maintaining it never ceased. Constant expenses and maintenance for chemicals, removing debris, keeping the pump and filtration system running. At least once a year, it seems we have to replace an expensive pump or motor. We've had to do numerous repairs to tiles, fill in cracks, replace underwater lighting, etc. Whether we use the pool or not, we still have to spend money and lots of it to maintain the thing lest it become overrun with algae.

A pool is a hole in the ground that you throw endless cash into, a literal money pit! Everyone I know who owns a pool has eventually regretted the thing. If you ever sell your house, the pool will never add value to your home close to commensurate to what it costs you to maintain. My pool has been nothing less than a nightmare!

To me, you're better off buying a boat and taking trips to local lakes if you wish to enjoy time on the water. But just barely.

Screw a swimming pool!

Just my experience. Maybe you will see things differently.

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I feel like these comments are akin to the people who buy boats and then constantly gripe about them.

If you're a boat/pool person then all of the above you're talking about is just part of the game required for the enjoyment. If you gripe about it then you're just a person who likes the idea of a boat/pool.

In our home, we're 100% boat people so even when we don't get to use it as often as we'd like it's OK and we don't gripe about it. Don't have a pool at the new house yet but it's coming soon and we're of the same mindset regarding a pool as a boat.

You're exactly right, hence why I said "maybe you will see things differently."

Thing is, in many cases, one doesn't know whether they are a pool/boat/whatever person until they dive into it (pun intended). And at that point, if they discover it isn't for them, it's too late.

Which is why I think it's good to discuss the good and the bad with various people from both points of f view before taking the plunge.

I will say I know far more pool owners with buyer's remorse after years of ownership than vice versa. FWIW.

We looked at both the fence and net for our pool in houston. Ended up going with the net, which I will admit is a pain to take on and off, but we heard too many stories of kids being crafty and finding ways to climb over the fence to access the pool. Fence is easier, just wasn't worth the risk in our mind.

We had the katchakid net first. But it was a pain in the butt with older kids wanting to swim while also having a younger kid who couldnt swim. First world problem I know, but having to take it off just so the bigs could swim for an hour and then put it back was a pain.

We called katchakid and then had them come back and install the fence.

Two katchakids for the price of two!

But we love the fence.

Old Sarge said:

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lotsofhp said:

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We're buying a new home with a pool. We have a baby and a toddler and need to put a fence and other safety measures in place before we move in. Any recommendations for specific types/brands?

Fence, camera, sensors, etc.

Just want to make sure we're doing everything we can to keep them safe.

TIA

---

To be clear (bolded), the home already have a privacy fence around the pool area, correct? This is considered an "attractive nuisance" if pool can be viewed at all, and insurance companies have significant issues with this.

You are talking about fencing from your house to the pool, correct?

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This is not correct

If there are no fences at all - I.E. 100% open access to the pool, then the insurance company might not insure your house, or charge you a significantly higher rate. But simply because the pool is visible doesn't mean that it is an attractive nuisance or that your homeowners insurance will have problems.

I'm not a pool guy. Have thought about putting one in, but keep finding a reason not to. Mostly maintenance and upkeep. But if I did put one in, I'd put an iron fence around it versus that net thing, which looks like an absolute pain in the ass and would definitely discourage me from actually using the pool. Or, more likely, using the net.

You cannot mitigate 100% of the danger. So you do what works best for you and spend time educating the kids just like you do with firearms. By the time kids get to a point where they can find a way to defeat even a decent fence and gate around the pool, you should have taught them how to swim (that survival class thing is great) and to understand that being there without adults is bad. Just like playing in the street is bad, or picking up a firearm without permission is bad, or that jumping in a van with strangers is bad, etc.

Thaddeus Beauregard said:

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OP, my advice is to budget for a backhoe and a lot of fill dirt, break up the pool and surrounding paving into tiny pieces and fill that SOB in! I bought a house with pool 12 years ago and that thing has been an expensive thorn in my backside ever since! At first, we enjoyed it, but the enjoyment only lasted for a year, 2 at the most. As soon as our daughter left for college, we soon lost interest in the pool. But the expenses for maintaining it never ceased. Constant expenses and maintenance for chemicals, removing debris, keeping the pump and filtration system running. At least once a year, it seems we have to replace an expensive pump or motor. We've had to do numerous repairs to tiles, fill in cracks, replace underwater lighting, etc. Whether we use the pool or not, we still have to spend money and lots of it to maintain the thing lest it become overrun with algae.

A pool is a hole in the ground that you throw endless cash into, a literal money pit! Everyone I know who owns a pool has eventually regretted the thing. If you ever sell your house, the pool will never add value to your home close to commensurate to what it costs you to maintain. My pool has been nothing less than a nightmare!

To me, you're better off buying a boat and taking trips to local lakes if you wish to enjoy time on the water. But just barely.

Screw a swimming pool!

Just my experience. Maybe you will see things differently.

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We use our pool more now that the kids are grown and on their own since our weekends are no longer booked with their sports. Would definitely do again. We have a boat, but a day on the water is a little more of a time commitment.

1) Swim lessons
2) Hook/loop locks high up on every exterior door
3) Door chime
4) Stress house/pool rules to your kiddos
5) Pray

We moved into a house with a pool when my kids were 2 and newborn. It worked for us. But tragedy can happen even with the best plan and must secure set up.

I understand that the fence shown isn't appropriate for 3 and 5 year olds. Regarding the door picture, is that an extra up-high latch that keeps them from being able to open the door? I've been considering using those as an extra barrier in addition to a 4 foot high mesh pool safety fence. Do you have an opinion on the door latches?

Yes. The divorce decree states that you have to have a pool fence, pool alarm, and door locks that the kids can't get to, if you live in a house with a pool. I've got all three. Ex just moved into a new house that has a pool, and sprung for the door locks and alarm, but is trying to pass off a dog/toddler barrier as pool safety equipment.

First two responses on the thread are both correct. We put the katchakid fence around ours and put our kids in swim lessons. Our 6 year old requires little to no supervision and our 4 year old isn't far behind (though we of course still supervise 100% of the time). Fence will probably come down next summer, it provided a lot of peace of mind until our girls were able to get to a comfortable skill level.

Then, I guess both of my neighbors on either side with pools were incorrect, and spend some $$$ on privacy fence that they did not need or want to block their pool from view because their insurance companies used the term "attractive nuisance" and told them they were not going to insure them in one case, and the other was a HUGE increase in insurance cost. So much, they spend several thousands of dollars blocking their pools from sight from the street/side angles etc.

I was not shooting from the hip.

This seems like an old wives tale. We have had several homeowners insurance providers and not a single one has said or done anything differently because of a pool

Their insurance companies were not in the business of "old wives tales". Nor were the neighbors who did have fences already, but removed them and put in privacy fences on their own dime, when they were happy with what they had. To my knowledge, they did not have the same insurance company either.

Again, not MY experience. I don't have a pool.

Carry on. No need to pile on.