In-ground swimming pool covers for the winter and/or safety
The past weekend witnessed the start of the fall season, which means winter will be arriving to your backyard soon. Owning a swimming pool during the winter requires steps to protect your investment, which we have covered in the several previous blogs (read Winter Pool Care here or Winter Pool Care 2 here). Another subject we have discussed before is winter covers for above ground swimming pools, both the installation (read Install Your Winter Cover blog here) and a new winter cover system, the EZ Drain Winter Cover (read An EZ Winter Cover blog here). But we did pass over one subject when it comes to owning a swimming pool during the winter: in-ground swimming pool covers.
An in-ground swimming pool cover works differently than an above ground pool cover. While both come in a variety of materials, from permeable to solid, and both will protect your swimming pool and the water from harmful bacteria and algae growth, they do not operate in the same fashion. Most above ground swimming pool covers are secured with a cable, wench and lock system, while in-ground swimming pool covers are secured to the side by anchor systems that are fastened (or drilled) into the deck or patio pavers surrounding the pool.
While Family Leisure has always carried above ground pool covers online (view all Family Leisure Pool Covers here), we recently added in-ground swimming pool covers by Coverlon, which can be used as either a winter cover or protective safety cover or both (view Family Leisure In-Ground Covers here; view Family Leisure Winter Covers here). Let's review the advantages of a Coverlon in-ground swimming pool cover, and the different types of materials and choices available.
The Coverlon Company (view Coverlon products here) is a family-owned company that has been producing swimming pool covers since 1990. Currently their covers are produced in a sprawling plant in Branchburg, New Jersey, making them one of the only American-made swimming pool covers available on the market today. While you would think being made in the U.S.A. would be their primary selling point, Coverlon actually promotes the quality, stability and durability of their in-ground swimming pool covers before their domestic origin. In their mind, the superior quality is what separates their covers from the competition's covers.
But what really makes Coverlon swimming pool covers so special? There are several aspects of their line of covers that make them stand alone. It certainly starts with the high-quality materials, components and hardware and ends with innovative concepts and an easy-to-use system.
Each Coverlon cover, regardless of the size of the pool or the materials of the cover itself (the choices are discussed below) offers several standard features. Together these features form one of the most reliable and strongest covers on the market today. The springs and anchors are easy to install and are made from commercial-grade stainless steel, while the end caps are made from non-corrosive brass, so they will not stain your deck or patio.
The entire system is designed with ownership in mind; you will find components, such as the buckle mechanism, are simple and straight-forward, allowing the pool owner to avoid blood, sweat and tears when dealing with their new cover system. And Coverlon is an innovative company, adding small touches at every opportunity, such as the Coverlon springs that showcase a special design with a small bend at each end. This bend erases the gap between the decking and the cover itself.
Perhaps the best feature is the crisscrossed double-webbed support straps that run over the entire cover. These threaded black straps create a web-like support system for the cover with a tensile strength of nearly 4,000 pounds per square inch. While we do not recommend falling on your pool cover while it is over the pool, this web system should support even the dumbest of moves. Coverlon secures each strap with a triple stitch on both the top and the bottom of the cover, adding further strength and reliability.
Coverlon In-Ground Pool Covers come in virtually any size; if you own a swimming pool in the ground, Coverlon has you "covered". While other distributors of Coverlon offer standard sizes, at Family Leisure we ask that you call (877-775-3478) to have your cover customized and fitted to match your swimming pool perfectly. This ensures you will save money while getting the perfect swimming pool cover to meet all of your needs.
If you do decide to protect your pool with Coverlon, at some point you will have to determine which material choice is right for you. Coverlon offers several materials including a solid polyester material and several types of vinyl-coated weaved mesh material. Let's review both types to help you decide which is right for your in-ground swimming pool.
Coverlon's Conventional mesh material comes in your choice of either Hunter Green, Designer Black or Deep Royal Blue, while the Super Dense only comes in a Hunter Green color. You might be wondering what is the difference between the Conventional and Super Dense? Yes, there are two types of mesh materials when it comes to Coverlon. The difference between the two lies in the thread count. The Conventional mesh offers a thread count of 34 x 22, while the Super Dense offers a thread count of 34 x 24, both higher than the industry standard of 34 x 20.
These mesh materials are tightly weaved polypropylene that is designed to resist moisture and will not dry out over time. Mesh is designed to be permeable, allowing water to filter through, but not branches, trash, leaves, twigs and other debris. This mesh material is ideal if you wish to use your cover for winter protection of your in-ground swimming pool. The water will pass through the material, leaving leaves and other debris on the top, and will not gather in pools on top of the cover.
If you use Coverlon for your in-ground swimming pool winter cover, you can avoid buying a water pump or air bag. Pool owners love this option because it decreases the amount of things they need to purchase to winterize their swimming pool, while taking away several physical aspect of winter pool maintenance, such as removing the water that builds up on the top of the cover.
The solid material offered by Coverlon also offers several benefits for pool owners, and can be used as both a winter cover and a safety cover. Coverlon designed this material to be used heavily, focusing on strength and durability during the development phase. In this process they identified and addressed the two major problems of in-ground pool covers of the past: hard and heavy impacts as well as the damaging effects of the sun.
Ultra-violet rays from the sun present a big problem to winter and safety covers. The damaging effects of these rays deteriorate the material, causing the color and elasticity to fade. Coverlon tackled this issue head on, infusing special additives into each cover that will resist these damaging ultra violet rays.
While most manufacturers simply laminate their covers in vinyl, Coverlon added significant strength to their product by coating their polyester in vinyl, creating a super-strong, yet lightweight, material. The Solid Color covers come in either Hunter Green or a Royal Blue color. These versions, unlike the mesh material covers discussed above, are not permeable, so if you wish to use them as a winter cover a pool pump is required to keep water from building up on the top of the cover.
And finally, the most attractive aspect of Coverlon in-ground pool covers is most certainly the easy setup of this system. Coverlon designed this system to be fast, easy and include everything you need to begin protecting your in-ground swimming pool. Each pool cover package includes springs, anchors, tools, keys, the cover itself, instructions, warranty information, a care guide and even a storage bag.
You can trust Family Leisure to help you winterize your swimming pool. View Family Leisure Swimming Pool Winter products here. We offer everything you need to swim safely during the summer, and everything you need to save money and elbow grease during the winter! Call us for advice or information at 877-775-3478!
