Our Fences > Frequently Asked Questions: 

Be An Educated Consumer

Please read through our frequently asked questions section to help clarify some myths about mesh pool fencing.

1. CAN MY CHILD KNOCK THE FENCE OVER?
Protect-A-Child Pool Fencing has been helping prevent children of non-swimming age from reaching their home swimming pool for over 25 years. During that time it has become one of the most effective pool safety devices for one reason. It is sufficiently strong to do an effective job of preventing children under age 4 from reaching the pool. (See our “DROWNING PREVENTION PAGE”) While we don’t want to foster any false sense of security that might lead you to believe you can leave your child unsupervised at any time, Protect-A-Child Pool Fencing can help bridge the gap left by momentary lapses of supervision. Our promotional video includes footage of children running into our fence. Contact us to receive a copy of this video that should put your mind at ease.

2. CAN MY CHILD CLIMB THE FENCE?
The mesh surface of Protect-A-Child Pool Fencing will not allow finger or toe holds thus making our fence one of the least climbable fences available. However, parents must continue to supervise their children because you never know if they might try and pull a chair up to the fence to gain a height advantage.

3. CAN MY CHILD LIFT THE POSTS OUT OF THE HOLES?
Proper installation of the fence provides a “tension fit” that prevents most children from lifting the fence out. However, this tension fit does not mechanically hold the fence into the patio. For complete peace of mind we suggest our Lock-in-deck feature that actually twist locks the fence posts into the patio and prevents their removal by children.

4. CAN MY CHILD UNLATCH THE SECTIONS?
You will notice in the description of our patented Point Lock Secure Latch that these latches were invented to improve safety by preventing children from unlatching the simple safety gate hook latches found on most mesh fences. The Point Lock Latch, with it’s patented double locking mechanism, is the safest section latch available for children. It dramatically increases safety by preventing a child from unlatching the sections.

5. HOW SHOULD I CLEAN MY FENCE?
Black mesh fences are very transparent and rarely show dirt which explains their popularity. However if you have a lighter color fence or just wish to clean your fence, soap and water with a sponge, rag, or scrub brush work fine.

6. I REMOVED MY FENCE WITH NO PROBLEM. HOW DO I KNOW HOW TO REINSTALL IT?
Note the pattern of small holes in your patio. In places you will see two holes together approximately 2” apart. These designate (sections begin and end…) a section begins and ends so that the two sections can latch together. Start a section there placing the molding side of the fence opposite the pool. Note that while the majority of sections are 12’ in length (10’ in the 5’ height) your fence may have some 9’, 6’, or a custom length section tailored on one end. Noting the position of the customized section and the number of posts in it will help you ascertain its’ position.

What about Protect-A-Child's Quad Bilt fiberglass posts and patented safety features?

1. A COMPETITOR SAID THAT YOUR FIBERGLASS POSTS WILL DETERIORATE IN THE SUN AND CRACK ALL BY THEMSELVES. IS THIS TRUE?

Parents should know that many competitors who offer only aluminum support posts find their best tactic to sell their fencing when faced with competition from our Quad Bilt composite posts is to disparage the performance of fiberglass support posts. Using common sense to consider examples of fiberglass products and their performance over the past 50 years makes it easy to see the truth. In both building products and the marine industry, the characteristics of fiberglass products have been well proven in terms of strength, weather resistance, and longevity. Consider that nearly all boats are fiberglass. They don’t deteriorate in the sun, crack, and then ultimately sink as these sales people are suggesting. In the building trade, the highest quality, hard working tools such as hammer, ax and pick handles, as well as fiberglass ladders are all made from fiberglass and recognized as the best available. Protect-A-Child's Quad Bilt posts are not inexpensive, imitation fiberglass composite posts. They are manufactured with
a proprietary 4 step process providing significant strength and longevity. The last of these processes is sheathing with a
polyester veil which prevents UV breakdown and the exposure of fiberglass rovings. The process used to construct Quad Bilt posts has been tested and certified to 30 years against UV degradation and in pressures exceeding 15,000 lbs. When you stop and consider the superiority of composite fiberglass materials in the applications mentioned above, we are confident you will realize the truth.

2. THE SAME COMPETITOR SAID WE WOULD BE EXPOSED TO FIBERGLASS SPLINTERS IF THE POSTS BREAK.

We are constantly amazed at the creativity of some salespeople. First of all, let's face it, broken is broken no matter what the post and must be repaired. However, even when broken, Quad Bilt posts still offer superior safety to aluminum posts. First of all, with Protect-A-Child’s Quad Bilt fiberglass posts, they are stronger and have the ability to flex with shock thus avoiding most breakage scenarios all together. But certainly it is possible for one to break if forced past its strength threshold. In this case the fiberglass posts do not crack off nor do they sever from the patio as is the case with aluminum posts. They merely crack along a short length of the post right above the patio yet remain wholly in one piece and continue to anchor the fence to the patio surface. This keeps the fence in place and continues to provide an element of safety until the post can be replaced.

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Because the post is still fully attached to the fence, a child cannot reach any part of the cracked post since it remains fully shielded behind the mesh surface.

Now lets compare that with the performance of aluminum posts when stressed to the breaking point:

When an aluminum post breaks it always cracks off at the bottom screw hole into two pieces. This leaves an exposed metal edge extending up from the deck, and down from the remains of the severed post. Because it shears completely from the patio, it no longer anchors the fence to the patio thus rendering the fence ineffective at that point.

A significant difference between Protect-A-Child aluminum support posts and competing X or Y extrusion posts is our “double wall” reinforced post (see below). Basically a post inside a post. The additional reinforcement in these posts prevents breakage at the weakest point. It forces stress to travel well up the post prior to breakage occurring. This nearly doubles the strength of our aluminum support posts and provides you with a stronger, safer mesh pool fence.

Once again, knowing the facts will help you make the right decision.

3. A COMPETITOR CLAIMS THEIR EXPERIENCE OFFERING FIBERGLASS POSTS IN THE PAST SUPPORT THEIR OPINIONS.

Just as it is true that there are strong and weak aluminum support posts on the market, we have also seen cheap, weak, imitation fiberglass posts introduced into the market in an attempt to compete with the overwhelming success of Protect-A-Child’s quality Quad Bilt fiberglass support posts. The fact that thin, weak, fiberglass posts broke or deteriorated and provided them with their experience is no different than the reality that thin walled, weak aluminum posts also break easily. Let’s face it poor quality is poor quality. In our initial research and development process with fiberglass support posts 12 years ago we tested numerous fiberglass posts against the strongest aluminum posts on the market. Prior to fielding any fiberglass post whatsoever, we used our experience with posts of all types and their relative strength ratings to determine minimal strength levels. We then made certain any composite fiberglass posts incorporated into Protect-A-Child Pool Fences far exceeded the strength of the less expensive aluminum post options. Only posts exceeding our standards were chosen for introduction into our product line and these posts have proven superior to aluminum posts in every category. Sadly we continue to see posts on the market today (both fiberglass and aluminum) that we feel are inadequate for mesh pool fence use.

When faced with outlandish claims and blanket statements about post strength, we suggest that you ask to see the test results that prove certain posts to be superior or inferior. Comparative test results (comparing one type of post with others under the same conditions) obtained under actual use conditions* by an independent test lab will lead you to the correct conclusion.

Actual use conditions mean the posts should be tested only after they are prepared for use as a mesh fence support post. Some test results shown to consumers are not on the company's pool fence posts at all. Rather they are on un-drilled aluminum tubing that will ultimately be drilled and assembled as a pool fence support post. Testing un-drilled aluminum tubing or even testing it such that it is pulled in the opposite direction of actual use such that the screw holes don't come into play is misleading and not representative of the posts actual strength. Actual strength could be only 50% of what is shown.

Let me explain what I am talking about:

Typical cracked aluminum post. Note position of molding screw at point of failure.
(Click to Enlarge)

You see, drilling holes in a metal post weakens the post significantly. The screw holes themselves create an opening in the metal where that metal will ultimately crack. When you consider that the bottom screw hole is at the fulcrum point of the post where it exits the concrete patio, you begin to see how this weakens the post substantially. And aluminum posts always crack off at that bottom screw hole.

Another trick used to misrepresent post strength is to test (stress or pull) the post in the opposite direction of how a child will stress it. If you drill the screw holes, but turn the post around and place the screw holes on the inside of the post instead of the outside (where they will actually be during use) again you get a substantially higher strength. Yet this is also false and misleading.

The third trick is to test the post very low to the ground. The lower the test is performed, the higher the strength number.
As you can tell, it can be easy to claim whatever "number" you want depending upon how a test is performed.

Protect-A-Child independently tests our own and competing fence posts side by side under fair, actual use conditions at a consistent height of 36" above the floor. These are the independent test results we offer to customers that prove our fence post strength superiority. As you might expect, our Quad Bilt fiberglass posts are at the top of the list in strength.
So beware of those who make grand claims with outlandish numbers about their posts' strength without providing concrete evidence of standardized test criterion under actual use conditions.

Be a knowledgeable consumer. Don't let salespeople mislead you when it comes to post strength and your child's safety.

4. A COMPETITOR CLAIMED THAT YOUR PATENTED LOCK- IN- DECK FEATURE AND POINT LOCK LATCHES ARE JUST GIMMICKS.

Once again, sales tactics seems to be that if your product offers no advantages, you must try and discredit the advantages of others. Our patented Lock in Deck System and Point Lock latches speak for themselves. They are clearly superior to other available options. The Lock In Deck system is the only system on the market where the fence posts actually twist lock into the deck and are mechanically held in place preventing removal.

Our Point Lock Latches provide such a superior latching mechanism we are glad that we don’t have to compete against them. Ask to see a demonstration and you’ll be convinced.

5. ONE SALESPERSON SAID YOU MUST SEW YOUR BORDER MATERIAL ONTO THE MESH WITH 4 ROWS OF STITCHING AND INCORPORATE A REINFORCING LINE IN THE BORDER. WHY DOES PROTECT-A-CHILD SEW YOUR BORDER ON WITH TWO ROWS OF STITCHING AND DON'T USE REINFORCING LINE?

We have been the leader in the mesh pool fence industry for over 20 years using the same top quality UV resistant thread and sewing techniques in our fences. In that time we have marveled at how many ways others attempt to differentiate their fences to give their salespeople something to talk about. Few of these differentiation techniques actually increase the safety or quality of their fencing.

With respect to sewing, border materials, and thread, we can't comment on the experience of others with their sewing or thread or why they feel their borders might require 4 rows of stitching. We draw upon 20 years experience and the reality that we have experienced -0- failures of our thread, borders or stitching process. It is simply unnecessary to apply additional manufacturing steps to prevent problems that do not exist in our fences. We offer a lifetime warranty against such defects that back up our claim of manufacturing sufficiency.

Reinforcing line in a mesh fence border was introduced into the market many years ago by a company using a very weak mesh (one tenth the strength of our Textilene). This mesh really needed some reinforcement. The tactic was somewhat successful as this competitors salespeople were able to focus customers more on the presence of the reinforcement line and away from the reason the mesh might need it in the first place. Again, our 20 years experience and the reality that in that time there have been -0- failures of our mesh where any reinforcement might have made any differences show such reinforcement to be unnecessary. Our Textilene mesh far exceeds what is necessary for sufficient strength and UV resistance in mesh pool fencing.

We welcome your calls and emails with any other questions. Contact Us

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