Another winter cover question

[rkgdmd]

Hi everyone....Time for some more advice from the experts!

I have been beating myself up over our winter cover choices. We have a newly finished 20 X 40 IG Roman vinyl. Stucco wall on one side, attached, raised (about 20 inches) spa, on the other side. Our deck is wet set travertine. There are two major reasons why I am resisting the mesh safety covers.

1. Cost...I have gotten 3 estimates which range from $6000 to $7300 for the cover and installation. Price seems insane to me.

2. The thought of 60 to 70 holes drilled into my beautiful stone deck and wall is driving me crazy. I know most people say you really wont notice them...but I think I will.

I also just heard a horrible story from a pool owner of a mesh cover. He was away for the winter and was unable to pump out the extra water. The water level rose to just under the coping, froze, and lifted the coping out of place. Is this even possible? Two pool repair companies have told him that this was the cause and he must remove excess water as the pool fills.

I guess my question is can I use the old fashioned cover with water bags? There is 12 inches of coping on the wall side of the pool...should be enough room for water bags right? Should I just get one large cover so that I can cover the spa with same one ? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Rob

 

[JasonLion]

Yes, you can use an "old fashioned cover with water bags" if you want to. Personally I much prefer the safety covers because of the safety issue, but they can be expensive.

In the coping getting lifted out of place story, it is very very likely that the exact same thing would have happened with an "old fashioned cover with water bags", or no cover at all. You can not leave the pool completely unattended all winter regardless of the kind of cover.

If you also cover the spa and the spa is raised above the pool, as most are, there will be more wear on the cover that will shorten it's life, though it will still work. Depending on the shape of the pool it is usually better to cover the spa with a separate cover.

 

[rkgdmd]

Jason,

I see by your repeated use of quotation marks that I may have offended you or those that use solid covers with water bags. That was not my intention at all...it just illustrates how difficult it can be to communicate properly in this medium at times. As a matter of fact, the older I get, the greater I appreciate the "good old fashioned" things in life. Old fashioned should not be mistaken as derogatory.

The more I research covers, the more people I come across who are not satisfied with their mesh covers for one reason or another. Of course there are many who seem quite satisfied, but I have encountered enough to give me pause. It seems those with mesh safety covers must follow the mantra "open early and close late"...which may or may not be practical for me as this is my first season with the pool.

Thanks again


Rob

 

[JasonLion]

No offense.

Every kind of cover has problems and there isn't any kind of cover that is actually good for closing early. Aside from the cost, the super dense mesh covers are probably the best choice overall. Because of the cost the actual decision is not so clear cut.

 

[PHOTOFPD]

Hi,
I have a safety mesh cover and just bought a solid cover to put over it.
It does have water bags that strap onto it so i guess it will stay in place.
The reason for the doubling up is twofold, i need the safety cover for my manic boxer who loves to run across the cover, hates the water, swims like a rock. And I'm surounded by trees. I had a Swamp 2 yrs in a row. Got a 1/6 hp cover pump to handle the water on the cover.
so we'll see how well this works out for the winter.

 

[Exchemist]

I just ordered a mesh winter cover for my pool. For a dense mesh it was about $1,100 including installation, but my pool is small and a perfect rectangle -- no swim out, no spa. The other options were a standard mesh (a bit less expensive) and solid (a bit more expensive).

My pool is old and was built when safety concerns were much less important. Having a safety cover on the pool during the off season means there's six months I don't have to worry about someone falling in.

The previous owner left me a solid tarp-like cover which was held down by a mixture of water bags, cinder blocks, a bird bath pedestal, and sand bags. I considered the tarp more dangerous than an open pool -- if someone fell in they could get the tarp wrapped around them making it difficult to swim out.

Loop-Lock seems to be the first company which came out with mesh safety covers. They were the most expensive. Several other companies have what seem to be nearly identical covers. I ended up going with All-Safe Pool because their local rep was the most responsive and their price was good.

 

[rkgdmd]

Photofpd,

That is exactly what my father has decided to do with his pool. Two years ago he went with the mesh cover and both times he was left with a black swamp at opening. Prior to that with his solid/waterbag cover he always opened to clear water. This year he is putting his old solid cover over the mesh safety cover. I wish I lived someplace where I didn't have to close my pool !

Rob

 

[PHOTOFPD]

As stated above, I placed a solid cover over the mesh.
Seams to be catching all the dirt that used to fall through the mesh.
Only problem now when it rains, the water collects in the middle sinking it down about 3 ft and pulls the mesh cover down. The extra weight is causing the hold down springs to pull the
bolts out of the deck.
Any ideas? I was thinking about a ball in the middle, don't know how that would work.
JEFF

 

[JohnT]

As stated above, I placed a solid cover over the mesh.
Seams to be catching all the dirt that used to fall through the mesh.
Only problem now when it rains, the water collects in the middle sinking it down about 3 ft and pulls the mesh cover down. The extra weight is causing the hold down springs to pull the
bolts out of the deck.
Any ideas? I was thinking about a ball in the middle, don't know how that would work.
JEFF

When you have any type of solid cover, unless it has a mesh drain into the pool, you have to have a cover pump.