Low Profile Swimming Pool Enclosures Keep Pools Clean and Safe
A low profile swimming pool enclosure is a steel frame that covers the water in your pool, typically to prevent debris from getting into the pool, but also to contain any of the chemicals or other substances that might get into your pool.
Knowing how to build and install these enclosures is key if you want to keep all of your hard work during construction up and running for years to come. In this blog post, we will provide more details about how these items should be built from top quality materials that will withstand any pressure from above as well as minor damage below. We'll also talk about how much they cost and what some possible future issues might be with these enclosures.
We will also provide a list of the best brands of these enclosures along with installation tips for beginners. We'll also provide some FAQs about these items in case you are new to building enclosures.
It is important to note that all of the materials used to build swimming pool enclosures should be very heavy gauge.
Many people will use lower quality materials when building these types of enclosures, which allows them to be cheap but also allows them to fail over time and potentially cause dangerous failures in your pool or hot tub.
So, in order to be sure that your enclosure is sturdy and safe to use, you need to first make sure that you're getting the right materials. Here are some of the best materials for building enclosures:
– The frame should be made from steel that is at least ¾ inch thick.
– Most of the other items should also be made from steel or aluminum as well, but in some cases it might make sense to use PVC pipe instead. For example if your pool already has PVC piping in it, you can just use the same PVC throughout the enclosure instead of buying a bunch of new steel materials.
– You can also get enclosures made from fiberglass or even plastic, but those materials do not last nearly as long as steel and aluminum.
– By using these materials, you can expect the enclosure to last for many years. Using cheaper materials like fiberglass or plastic will typically cause these items to fail in about 18 months to 2 years of normal use.
Here are some choices for the canopy of an enclosure:
– For most people, they will choose a roofing system that is at least four inches thick. It might sound like a lot of weight, but it is worth every penny you pay for it since it will help keep your pool safe and clean.
– Some people don't want to worry about the weight, but instead would prefer to have a lighter and cheaper roofing system. This is probably fine for most pools, but if you have a larger pool that will be holding more water, you might want to choose the thicker roof for safety purposes.
– You can also get enclosures that have no roof at all. These are most often used when you already have a gazebo or pergola in place around your pool. For example if your pool is already enclosed by a wooden fence or other material and you would prefer not to change anything, then you can just use the existing material as your enclosure instead of buying new materials for it.
Here are some tips for setting up the frame for the pool enclosure:
– Start by finding a level spot that is about two feet away from the pool. If you place it too close, it might not provide the proper water pressure to keep your enclosure sturdy and safe, but if you put it too far away, then your hot tub or pool will expand without a proper support system in place.
– You will need to dig down about two feet into your ground and then fill in your frame with concrete. Make sure that your frame is completely level before doing this as well. You can use different forms of bubble levels when building these frames to ensure they are level with one another.
– The frame should be at least three feet thick so that it provides plenty of support for the pool's water pressure.
– Then you will need to decide whether or not you want to include doors on your pool enclosure. There are many types of doors available for this purpose, and most people just opt for the cheapest doors available since they are quite easy to install yourself and do not cost much. An example of common pool enclosure doors is a sliding door, but you can also get more complex doors if you want a stronger seal around the water.
Here are some additional tips for setting up your low profile pool enclosure:
– You will need to install a drain system in your pool before installing this enclosure around it. If you don't install a drain, your enclosure will likely not be water tight and this will lead to pool failure.
– You can install a large pool pump into the center of the enclosure's concrete slab. This will allow any debris or harmful chemicals to be sucked out of the pool during closure.
– If you do not have a pump, you can use smaller filters or strainers that are included with most enclosures to keep the pool's water safe and clean during closure.
Here are some great brands for enclosures:
– Some people prefer to build their own frames from scratch, but it can be very time consuming and hard on beginners.
– You can also just choose the pre-made frames that are made from heavier gauge steel and provide better support for your water.
– It is also important to note that most enclosures use a PVC pipe frame when built from scratch. This can be a bit cheaper than many of the other materials, but it will not last as long as some of the other options available.
– However, if you have a concrete slab in place already, then using PVC pipe will make sense since it will usually be strong enough to hold whatever weight is placed on top of it.
– You can also find some enclosures that use fiberglass and aluminum in their construction. These are usually a bit more expensive, but they do last longer than the cheaper PVC materials and could be more cost-effective if you own an older pool and would like to have a new enclosure made for it.
– It all depends on how much you plan on spending for your enclosure and what type of materials and options you prefer. Most enclosures with metal frame are fairly expensive, but many of the newer ones use PVC pipe instead. This can usually be found for around $1,000 to $1,500 for a roughly 10 foot tall enclosure.
Conclusion
There are many different ways to set up your private pool. For most of us, we will just install a fiberglass or aluminum enclosure around the pool, and then we will usually have some type of gazebo or canopy above the pool itself in order to create a cover that is attractive and keeps folks out when they are swimming.
However, if you decide that you would rather spend extra money on a metal frame for your enclosure, then you can usually find enclosures with metal frames being sold at around $1,000 for roughly 10 foot tall ones. These enclosures will last longer than ones that use PVC pipe because they are made from superior materials so they provide better support for the water's pressure.