How to protect pool during home remodel

[salinda]

What would you use to protect your pool from sawdust and debris during a large home remodel? We are planning on starting construction this winter or next spring and the affected part of the home is very close to the pool. We are thinking that we should at a minimum cover it during the remodel. We don't currently cover the pool at all. I think a solar cover would provide some protection, but my husband is wondering if there is something better to keep the gunk out of the filter.

I have been waffling on buying a solar cover because I have a large, irregular pool with a spillover spa and not much deck space inside the safety fence for a reel. I am a small woman and I am the one who cares for the pool and I would be mostly removing/replacing the cover by myself.

I don't like the look and I am worried about safety with kids and a non-swimming dog. However, we have solar heating and the air here gets very cool at night, even in the summer. I am certain that a solar cover would give us a longer swimming season but at the cost of convenience. I also thought that you have to remove them for the winter in this climate. At least that's what all my friends with covers do currently.

Anyhow, it is getting towards that time of the year with deep discounts and I am wondering if I should jump on the offers while they last.

[gverntz3]

I myself have that same problem as I am collecting quotes for a second story addition and my pool is about 12 feet away from my house. I do have a stretch winter cover, but I'm afraid this $1,200 cover may get damaged during the construction period. What I was thinking was purchasing 16ft 2 x 8's and elevated the 2X8's about foot above the cover using 2x4's. Than place 4 X 8 sheets of plywood across the 2x8's to act as an elevated platform.

[JohnT]

The problem is that anything the solar cover stops from going into the pool will get dumped in the pool when you remove the cover.

[salinda]

The cover that gverntz3 is talking about wouldn't work because we will be living on the property and I expect that we will use the pool for at least 5 months during the construction. Most people here time the construction so that the house is not open to the elements during rainy season and that leaves swim season! I do have a very good filter with a very large capacity and I could just clean that more frequently than I currently do. The pool fence (safety mesh) also keeps some stuff from blowing in during storms. Maybe it will work for the construction too. I guess it is something I will have to discuss with the contractors. Maybe they can put up some of that privacy fencing against whatever we use to contain the dog and keep the kids out of the danger zone and we can get the pool in that envelope.

[gverntz3]

I'm planning on not using the pool during the fall/winter session. The home is a vacation house. I am just concern with objects that might fall (nails, scrap lumber, dust...etc) into the pool and tear or rip the liner.

[Jeffski]

My biggest concern would be construction workers leaving the gate open. If they have any access to the pool area I would either drain it or put on a cover that doesn't allow kids to fall into it, and then maybe put a temporary fence (i.e. snowfence) around the pool to keep kids and workers away from it. That should solve both the safety issue and keep builders/building materials away from it.

If you plan on using it I would still consider a temporary fence to both keep workers and building materials away plus keep it safe in case the workers leave a gate open (they may even need to take down some fence to get building materials to an area?).

[Jeffski]

After re-reading your post it sounds like you don't have a fence (or gate) yet. I think that temporary fence will work fine as long as the workers know to stay away from it.

[salinda]

We have both self-closing gates into the yard and a mesh safety fence immediately around the pool. Draining is not an option (I think) because of the relatively high water table in my neighborhood. The safety fence around the pool is far enough from the house that I don't think it will have to be removed. Believe it or not, my children are all water-safe and have proper respect for the pool rules. It's mostly my dog that's an issue. We haven't been able to get her to jump in on her own for swim lessons. She falls in by accident sometimes (she likes to play around the pool and it is slippery) and she panics and needs to be guided to a step or swimout to get out safely. She would drown if she fell in with no one around.

[Phillbo]

I'd say discuss it with the contractor and let him determine the best approach. I'm sure he has dealt with these kind of issues before.