What a great summer! Lots of wonderful days with family and friends, beating the heat in and around the pool!
But now that temps have dropped and the leaves have fallen, we’re spending our days indoors again. That means it’s time to take care of the pool and get a jump start on opening it up for next season.
One of the best ways to do that is with a swimming pool winter cover. Not only will it make your maintenance a lot easier, but it also protects your investment.
Average in-ground pool costs are approaching $40,000. Protecting that investment only makes sense. Read on to find out more about selecting a pool cover and what’s its benefits are for you.
Swimming Pool Winter Cover Categories
Although there are a few variations, most pool covers fall into one of three basic categories. Each type of cover has its own set of pros and cons. To decide which cover is right for you, it’s important to know how you plan to use your swimming pool cover.
Either way, you definitely should consider a cover when you are financing a pool.
The most basic winter pool covers are solid, woven plastic covers. Think slight variations on the blue or gray plastic tarps you see at big box home stores.
Next are the much stronger and longer-lasting mesh covers. Finally, the best covers are generally agreed to be solid vinyl covers.
Take a look at the pros and cons of each type.
Winter Pool Covers
These affordable covers lay over the surface of your pool. Water-filled tubes along the pool apron hold the cover in place.
Because they are so tight, they block UV rays and inhibit algae growth. They do a great job keeping debris out of your pool.
On the downside, they have a limited life span of 2-4 years. They also won’t support much weight, think animals or children. Since they collect water in the center, you’ll need to pump that out now and then.
Mesh Covers
The next step up is mesh covers. Like winter covers, mesh covers do a great job at keeping debris out of your pool. They aren’t as good at blocking UV, so you will want to check your pool’s chemistry over the course of the winter.
These covers, reinforced with webbing, are anchored to the pool deck. That means they can support lots of weight – a great safety feature. They allow rain and snow-melt to pass through, so no pumping is required.
They do cost more but they also have a much longer life span.
Solid Covers
Solid pool covers give you all the benefits of mesh covers plus they do block UV rays. Water will collect on them so most come with a submersible pump in the center.
Solid covers don’t last quite as long as mesh covers, and costs are a bit higher, but the added benefits offset that.
Covering Your Pool – A Good Investment
No matter which cover you choose, a swimming pool winter cover protects your investment and makes life easier in the spring!
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