Arizona summer is hard on just about everything outside your home.
For months, your backyard has dealt with triple-digit temperatures, relentless sunshine, monsoon winds, blowing dust, and plenty of pool activity. Your pool fence has been sitting right in the middle of all of it.
Now that we’re finally heading toward cooler weather in the Valley, it’s a good time to give that fence a closer look.
Not because every fence needs to be replaced after summer. Far from it.
But because a pool fence is a safety system, and the end of Arizona’s toughest season is a pretty good time to make sure every part of that system is still doing its job.
Start With the Gate
If there’s one part of your pool fence that deserves extra attention, it’s the gate.
Think about how many times it gets opened and closed throughout an Arizona summer. Kids running in and out. Pool maintenance. Backyard parties. Pets. Landscapers. Friends and family.
That adds up.
Open the gate and let it close on its own. Does it close completely? Does the latch engage without you having to push or pull the gate into place?
If the answer is no, don’t ignore it.
A pool fence can look perfectly fine while a gate that isn’t functioning properly creates a weak point in the barrier.
Give the Fence a Good Shake
Seriously.
Walk around your pool fence and gently check different sections for movement.
For an iron fence, look for posts or sections that feel loose, gates that have shifted, or hardware that doesn’t feel as solid as it once did.
For a removable mesh pool fence, pay attention to the tension of the fence, the condition of the poles and the way everything sits in its sleeves.
Arizona heat and weather can be tough on outdoor materials, especially when those materials weren’t designed or installed properly for our climate.
You’re not trying to perform your own professional inspection. You’re simply looking for something that feels noticeably different than it should.
Look Down, Not Just Across
Homeowners naturally look at the fence itself, but some of the most important parts of an installation are at ground level.
Take a walk around the perimeter.
Do the posts still feel secure?
Are the sleeves for a mesh fence sitting properly?
Has anything shifted around the deck or installation points?
Is there damage around the base of an iron fence?
A fence can still look straight from across the backyard while something underneath or around it needs attention.
Check the Latches and Hardware
Summer use can loosen things.
Take a few minutes to look at hinges, latches and other hardware. Make sure everything operates smoothly and that nothing looks obviously loose, bent or damaged.
This is especially important if you noticed the gate behaving differently toward the end of summer.
Sometimes what feels like a small annoyance — having to give the gate an extra push, for example — is telling you something needs to be adjusted.
Look for Summer Wear
Arizona weather is tough. Fence Pros specializes in mesh and iron pool fencing, and each can react differently to months of sun, heat, wind and use.
With mesh pool fencing, look for areas that appear loose, damaged or unusually worn.
With iron pool fencing, check the finish, connections, posts and hardware for anything that has changed.
You don’t need to become a fence expert.
You’re looking for the obvious stuff: Does anything look loose, damaged, crooked, worn or different than it did before summer?
If it does, have someone take a look.
Don’t Forget About Your Backyard Layout
Here’s one people don’t always think about.
Your fence might not have changed — but your backyard may have.
Did you add new patio furniture this summer?
Move a grill?
Buy the kids a new playset?
Add planters, storage boxes or other outdoor furniture?
Take a look at what’s sitting near your pool fence. You don’t want to unintentionally create something that makes the barrier easier to climb or access.
Sometimes keeping a pool area safer is as simple as moving something a few feet.
Arizona Pool Safety Doesn’t End With Summer
One of the biggest differences between Arizona and much of the country is that our pools don’t simply disappear from our lives when September arrives.
There will still be warm afternoons. Kids will still be outside. Family will visit. Backyard gatherings will continue.
And before long, the holidays will bring even more people into our homes.
That’s why fall is a great checkpoint.
Not a reason to panic. Not necessarily a reason to replace anything.
Just an opportunity to walk the backyard, check the fence and make sure the barrier protecting your pool is still working the way it should.
Need Someone to Take a Look?
Fence Pros of Arizona has more than 20 years of pool-safety experience serving families throughout the Phoenix Valley.
Whether you need a new mesh pool fence, iron pool fence, or simply have questions about your current setup, we’re happy to help.
Because after everything your backyard survived this summer, spending a few minutes making sure it’s still safe is time well spent.
Fence Pros of Arizona
📞 623-209-8505