Safety Cover - was it installed right?

[LordX2]

Hey all - I just recently got a safety cover installed from a local company.

When I see the covers on the brochures - they always look contoured to the pools concrete surround - with anchors only in the concrete.

My safety cover has anchors in the concrete on the sides, and 1 on each end - however, the 4 corners are anchored in the dirt.

Is this normal? Does having anchors in dirt as opposed to concrete ruin the safety feature?

 

[Qwaxalot]

Hey all - I just recently got a safety cover installed from a local company.

When I see the covers on the brochures - they always look contoured to the pools concrete surround - with anchors only in the concrete.

My safety cover has anchors in the concrete on the sides, and 1 on each end - however, the 4 corners are anchored in the dirt.

Is this normal? Does having anchors in dirt as opposed to concrete ruin the safety feature?

If there's no concrete there, then you have to anchor it in the dirt. That said, if the pool is contoured, they may have used a rectangle to save you some money.
This is not really the right way.
Post some pictures, with the cover on and, if possible, before the cover was installed.

 

[LordX2]

Here are some photos that show the contour of the pool itself and then the close-up of the cover that is in the ground.

 

[LordX2]

Here are some more photos - one a close up of an anchor that is in the concrete - the other a Y split around the diving board (I asked to keep the diving board on) - and another shot of the in-soil anchor on the other end of the pool.

 

[Melt In The Sun]

Looks like they just hammered some rebar into the ground and hooked the loops onto it...is that what they did? I am not an expert on covers, but my gut impression is that yours doesn't fit and isn't anchored correctly.

 

[4knights]

I just ordered my Arctic Armour safety cover (freeform custom)and the instructions say you have multiple options depending on your surface. I agree that it looks like someone didn't measure right or bought an off the shelf and made it work. There are different anchors available: concrete, patio stone, grass, etc..
Looks like you have a choice to make- keep the cover you have and extend the concrete to anchor properly or you could simply purchase and add the grass/turf anchors or order a custom cover and sell the one you have to someone else.
I would call the manufacturer of your cover and ask them the strength question

 

[LordX2]

Yes, my next step is to call the cover manufacturer.

I haven't actually completed payment on this job either. I paid the $600 down payment - but not the rest.

I just looked at the invoice too - says the mesh cover, concrete anchors - etc. Nothing about grass anchors. And no mention or offer of a cover that fits the pool correctly - so I assumed that the cover would look like the ones on the front of the brochure I got - fit correctly to the pool!

My first thought was the same as yours: They simply purchased the cheapest or most stock cover they could in order to maximize profit.

 

[bigfunky]

They should have contoured the corners so you could anchor into the concrete. Did they give you an option to pay more and get it contoured to the pool?

 

[Melt In The Sun]

On second look, it looks like they did a pretty sloppy job installing the anchors...do they all look like that last picture, with the concrete all chipped away on the perimeter?

 

[bigfunky]

Yeah, what kind of drill and bit did they use to install those anchors? I'd be upset with that.

 

[X-PertPool]

Stock cover on pool that didn't have enough available decking. Should have ordered bow end treatments. This would have also increased cost and turn over time from days to a few weeks though. They Pipe (For anchor-in-pipe installations)
Loop-Loc Anchors exactly fit 1" diameter pipe.

Deck measurements need to be taken if you want bowed ends to make sure there is enough decking. I don't know if they can bow the step area.

I would actually consider getting more decking around the pool in this situation. Not this year though because you need to let the concrete cure or it will chunk up if they try to drill it.

 

[LordX2]

A bunch of the holes look like that... some are ok.... so yes more than one.

How can that be fixed?

 

[LordX2]

Ok here is the estimate (which became the invoice).

Circled in red is where it states 'concrete anchors'.

Circled in green are the only two upgrades offered, which were upgrades to the material - not the shape.

So I was never given the choice about the shape of the cover - and for $1125 (and a two week waiting period to get it) I assumed that it was correctly fit for my pool.

 

[Qwaxalot]

It's an inexpensive "stock" cover.
It's going to fail prematurely because too much of the cover is resting on curved surfaces without adequate strap support.
Your pool is not an 18 x 36 rectangle.
In my opinion it should have been made as a custom, contoured to fit the pool, with 3' x 3' strap spacing.
This, however, would have more than doubled the cost of the cover.

 

[LordX2]

It should have been an option though. So I appreciate you pointing it out.

Is the $1125 price I got high/low/average for the 'stock' cover I got?

 

[Shane1]

I would also be worried about the trip and toe stubbing hazard those grass anchors are going to provide.

 

[4knights]

It should have been an option though. So I appreciate you pointing it out.

Is the $1125 price I got high/low/average for the 'stock' cover I got?

Sorry but I paid $1169.00 for my Commercial custom cover 25 year Warrenty from Arctic Armour.
I don't know if your cover is a better manufacturer but looks too high for a stock cover.
I've seen stock mesh covers online at Dohenys, Garfield and in the swim for as low as $400 but again not sure about quality.

 

[LordX2]

Fort Wayne Pools is the company that this was bought from - I suppose.. that was the brochure I got before this was installed.