Are you thinking of enclosing your swimming pool? As with any addition or remodeling, it’s important to have the pool enclosure match your home and blend naturally into your design aesthetic. Your home is one of your greatest assets, by selecting the right materials you’ll be enhancing your home’s value.
Use materials that will last.
Many pool enclosure companies lower their cost by using less expensive products such as plastics, vinyl gaskets and steel fasteners. These products will show wear and tear quite quickly and your resale value will be decreased significantly.
Here are some of the concerns with these products:
- Plastic Glazing (instead of glass or polycarbonate). Attracts dust and dirt (similar to a music record), turns yellow, become brittle, scratches and is difficult to clean due to chemical reactions to cleaners and abrasives (rubbing/cleaning). Also, could show noticeable wear within 3 – 5 years and it will need to be replaced in 12 – 15 years.
- Non-Stainless Steel and/or Exposed Fasteners. Will begin to rust and will leave “rust and or dirt trails” as the water runs down the roof and walls. Even painted exposed screws, rivets, bolts, etc. will leave water trails.
- Vinyl Gaskets. Will shrink with heat and time. This will cause leaks and air infiltration.
- Wood Frames. Wood frame pool enclosures can be beautiful; wood is simply not suitable around the wet and humid environment of a swimming pool. The heat, water and exposure to mother nature will quickly take their toll on wood frames that are not maintained on a regular basis.
- Tracks & roof openings. These are wonderful to look at and dream about but as the wind, weather and debris rock the openings everything loosens up and you’ll have leaks. Blowing dust, dirt and debris gets into the retractable openings you’ll find opening and closing the unit isn’t as smooth and easy.
Fact is, most low cost enclosures aren’t made to stand up to the natural elements. Swimming in the Winter won’t be fun with the cold air whistling through the sections.
Sadly, each year a number of otherwise functional swimming pool enclosures collapse under wind, rain, and snow. When you make an investment to cover your pool, you expect it to last. The right materials make all the difference.
