Pool Help Needed

[tammyandtommy]

Ok so to explain while geting off topic, my sister and her children moved in with our family of 5 (including grandma) that makes 9 of us. Anyhoo her husband is getting nasty about her leaving, he is threatening her that if we dont put a fence around the actual pool in ten days he is calling the cops, we have a oval pool, about 4 ft deep and there is a fence around the yard, but not one around the pool, do we need to? I have been searching for hours but cant find anything. We live in Pennsylvania if that info is needed. I was thinking about just getting a pool alarm and hoping that would be sufficient. Anyone anoyone? LOL sorry to sound so desperate, but well I kinda am!

 

[ZebraStripes]

Hi. If your town has a web site, see if they have building codes on line. If not, try your states web site. Different types of pools have different types of rules. here is an example from Middletown Township (takes a minute or so to load).

 

[ryka]

Ok so to explain while geting off topic, my sister and her children moved in with our family of 5 (including grandma) that makes 9 of us. Anyhoo her husband is getting nasty about her leaving, he is threatening her that if we dont put a fence around the actual pool in ten days he is calling the cops, we have a oval pool, about 4 ft deep and there is a fence around the yard, but not one around the pool, do we need to? I have been searching for hours but cant find anything. We live in Pennsylvania if that info is needed. I was thinking about just getting a pool alarm and hoping that would be sufficient. Anyone anoyone? LOL sorry to sound so desperate, but well I kinda am!

I live in NJ and when I was little we always had a pool. We had to have a fence around the yard but not the pool. If you are really worried about it I would just call the police station today ( since everything else is closed) and explain to them the situation and ask them. They should be able to answer you.

 

[Miller1412]

DH owns a pool company and he does not believe that you need to. If you've had your pool inspected, you would be grandfathered. The best thing to do is call your township to find out for sure.

 

[luvflorida]

Where we live, as long as the entire yard is fenced in there is no need to put an additional fence around the pool. If the yard is NOT fenced in, then the pool itself must be completely enclosed by a fence.

The fence is mainly required to keep other people out, neighbors, strangers, anyone NOT living on the property, for liability/injury issues. Personally, I like the idea of a pool alarm, and if I had young kids in my house, I'd probably have one just as another safety device, especially if the yard, and not just the pool, is fenced in.

 

[CheapMom]

We live in MD and having a pool inside of a fenced yard is fine. We have our pool in its own fenced area but we don't have a fenced yard. When we built our pool we learned we could do it either way.
Also in Baltimore County, where I live you do not need to have a fence around an above-ground pool. (Which I think is crazy)

 

[gallaj0]

You didn't say how old the kids were, or if they can swim well, but we just had a mother on the news last night that lost a child when her two twins fell in while grandma was letting them play in the yard; they even had a fence, but the gate was left unlocked. One got out, the other drowned.

Also, if the dad wants to push the issue, it may not matter if it's required by law or not; if he gets into court and the judge considers his home safer than yours, the kids go back with him.

Something can be legal and still dangerous; if you had guns, rotweillers, etc. they can all be considered in a custody situation.

 

[UnderTheMistletoe]

I grew up in Pennsylvania (Chester County). All our neighbors had pools. The ones to the left had a fence area around the pool (with large margins), but not the rest of the yard. The nieghbors to the right had a fence around the yard. Which of them met codes, or if both of them met codes, I am not sure. Both pools went up in the early-mid 1990s.

I know in Florida, my mom was able to find a fence that came up to about hip height on an adult. She did it becuase initially when she moved down, the dogs kept falling in. She was afraid that they would fall in while the pool cover was on top and drown. I think she got it from the local hardware store- special order though, maybe?

I'm really not sure of the background on this, but if your sister and family moved in with you, I am assuming it's becuase of extenuating circumstances. Offering your roof to put over their heads and an incredibly selfless gesture. I think you BIL needs to voice what's really going on instead of pouring everythign into this. I just got the feeling from your post (I think it was the word "nasty"), that there's something more going on and he's taking it out on you... inappropriately.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Agree with galla.
As the homeowner I would get a child safety fence around the pool to be on the safe side, esp. if she is living there long term. I know they are not cheap.

 

[N.Bailey]

I'm in Pennsylvania too and when we put our pool in (professionally installed as most are I'm sure) no one mentioned that we'd need a fence of any kind. I think it has to do with your location, so I'd call the police in your town or the court house where you'd get a permit (I'm sure they'd know) or even your nearest pool retailer.

 

[kbkids]

Where I live, you've got to have a barrier from the house, other than a locked back door. Your yard does have to be fenced. Some people install a smaller fence around just the pool or get one of those net-type fences that can be removed. Others install the alarms on all of the back windows and doors and then remove them after the inspector has left.

 

[PenskeSth1]

I know where we live we couldn't renew our home owners insurance until we sent pict. showing our pool was fenced in. We have a fence around our entire property and that was all they needed to see.

 

[tammyandtommy]

thanks for the replies! Luckily she is only here for the summer, and we have looked high and low and figured out that we are grandfathered but we are going to get a pool alarm, thanks again!

 

[Melrosgirl]

I'm in PA. we have to have a fence around either the yard or the pool itself. There must be at least a 4 foot high fence. We put ours around just the pool. (Could have done the whole yard, but even if I had, I would have still put a nice looking permanent fence around the pool itself.) To me it's just safer with young kids around.

The way your pool is set up, your fence is 99% probably okay with your township's laws. To be super safe, I'd put another fence up, but it's most likely not required.