After purchasing a property, many homeowners decide to add swimming pool if there is more than enough room in the backyard. However, depending on the local laws, there are a number of things homeowners should consider. Some countries and states can be stricter when it comes to the swimming pool construction. As an example, there could be multiple security systems that have to be installed. The fine for not fully complying with the local law can be quite huge in some areas. In general, the law could be aimed to protect small children from being harmed when playing around the pool unattended. Good security systems can compensate for the lack of full-time attention of responsible adults. In general, swimming pools can be seen as added risks for homeowners.
Local laws may require the installation of security barriers around the swimming pool. The barriers can be made from different materials, such as wooden fences, PVC panelled barriers, UPVC barriers, metal barriers and flexible mesh barriers. However, security barriers may not be everyone’s cup of tea, because it will cause problems with the overall landscape design. It is also possible that natural boundaries such as ditches, banks and hedges are not considered as security barriers. No matter how impenetrable the barrier is, natural barriers don’t provide proper security systems. Barrier systems may have manually-operated gate, but we should make sure that the gate is high enough and it’s equipped with child-proof latch. In this case, children won’t be able to reach the edges of the pools easily, which could cause possible problems and in some cases, fatal drowning.
It should be noted that security barriers will require limited maintenance and the legal benefits can be huge. Once we install it, we can pretty much forget about that. However, it is important to occasionally test the gate for any problem. Wall is also a part of the security system that can be mentioned in the local law. There could be different details related to the wall dimensions and characteristics based on the local laws. As an example, the wall may not to be at least 150cm high and located further than 100cm from the pool edges. This will prevent people from outside the property from entering and become potentially harmed by the swimming pools. In any case, both systems should complement one another to improve the overall security and prevent various legal problems in the future.
Local laws may also require the installation of pool alarms. There are different types of pool alarms, perimeter alarm and immersion alarm. The perimeter alarm is based on infra red technology. When the alarm is engaged, it will be triggered when someone passes through the IR beams. Immersion detector is triggered when someone goes inside the water or accidentally falls into the system. Both alarms should be loud enough to allow everyone inside the house to hear it. This will improve the security while avoiding possible legal problems.