Downsides to hidden leading edge pool covers?

[roser]

Hello,

Trying to understand all the cons of a hidden leading edge pool cover lid.

Getting ready to start construction on my new 20'x40' rectangular pool.
The pool cover lid will be topped with pavers to match surrounding deck.
PB asked if I wanted a hidden leading edge vs have the leading edge exposed when open.
Obvious upside is it looks great when the pool cover is open and the leading edge is hidden.

Trying to understand all the downsides before I say yes.
1) Pavers covering the lid will need to be larger/heaver, and likely require 2 people for any pool cover service to lift the pavers off at an upcharge. How often does this service happen?
2) Without a visible leading edge kids might be more tempted to jump off the cover side. This combined with the heavy weight of the lid pavers might cause wear on the lid brackets. Is this a valid concern?

Anything other downsides?

Thanks in advance!

 

[bmoreswim]

I'll give you my thoughts as an autocover owner whose leading edge bar is not covered when the cover is open. Yes, the pavers would need to be at least 4" wider than mine are, so 16"+. This is going to be quite a weight on the brackets. Not so much the pavers but the 250 lb. person who stands on the paver right at the edge. I can do it on ours, (I'm only 150) and it's pretty sturdy. But I don't see the need to tempt physics with the overhang being even larger. Just yesterday I needed to remove all of the bluestone pavers that form our cover. They are 24" x 12" and 1.5-2.0" thick. They are heavy but doable. Adding more weight would make the task a real chore. Because you also have to be able to set them down very carefully as you replace them. I had to clean out the pit and put back the rubber mats that I use to line the bottom of the pit.

Some people will inevitably jump from it regardless. You can't watch all people 100% of the time.

Hopefully you don't have to have the autocover folks out too often. It's like taking your luxury car to the shop when you see the bill.

I don't have any problem with seeing the leading edge bar. Hiding it is truly a luxury. For me the extra weight, extra overhang extra cost are the negatives that would sway my decision.

Here is a link to our build thread showing the leading edge bar exposed. If you pick your colors right, it will look somewhat natural. Having a bright blue cover exposed, for example, won't.

https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/53452-Pool-Build-Baltimore?p=525873&viewfull=1#post525873

 

[swimcmp]

We do stone lids on every automatic cover. I have not cantilevered the stones out over the leading edge. Not sure I want to as the added weight and the added chance of the stone tipping towards the cover.