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- Storm-Ready Design > Episode 12: Hurricane-Safe Pool Structures, Pool Mechanicals, and Safety
Removable Swimming Pool Safety Fencing
Project: Storm-Ready Design, Episode 12, Part 2
Starting with the code-compliant pool cage, Bob watches the crew construct an aluminum frame built from blueprints and attach it to permanent structural roof gutters on the house and structural load-bearing columns screwed into the concrete pool deck. This fully screened, aluminum pool cage is engineered to withstand a wind load of 130 mile per hour (mph). Bob Reeves from Blue Haven Pools shows Bob the state-of-the-art microban filtration system that combats mold and fungal growth and lasts up to five years with annual cleaning. The copper and silver sanitation system kills bacteria and germs through oxidation and is 80 percent free of chlorine. The completed pool has an LED lighting system with five colors and multiple light shows. The Baby Barrier Pool Fence is removable when children are not visiting, easily stored, child-resistant, and designed to withstand up to 80 pounds of pressure against it. Finally, the lanai is made hurricane-proof with geosynthetic textile fabric from Armor Screen attached with bolts and clips at the top and bottom. This screen will reduce 100 mph winds to 3 mph behind the screen. With rain, wind and debris are completely blocked, making the lanai a hurricane-safe space that satisfies code requirements.
- Part 1: Swimming Pool Filtration, Sanitation, and Lighting
- Part 2: Removable Swimming Pool Safety Fencing
- Bill Jasper from the Baby Barrier Pool Fence Company joins Bob for the installation of the removable Baby Barrier that will add a layer of protection for young children around the pool. Vertical aluminum poles with steel inserts for strengthening are set in the pool deck to receive the barrier panels. Jasper explains how the construction exceeds code requirements that state the fence be able to withstand more than 53 pounds of pressure. This fencing can withstand up to 80 pounds of direct pressure and has a latching gate that is child-proof by design. The panels themselves are PVC-coated wire mesh. The cost for the full installation with a ten-year warranty is between $1,500 and $2,000.
- Part 3: Hurricane Protection for Porches, Windows, and Doors
When hurricanes strike again and again, as they did in Florida in 2004, the effects are devastating. Bob Vila and crew work to completely rebuild a damaged house, using new standards for storm-ready housing. Along the way, Bob investigates a home's vulnerabilities in extreme weather and learns why some building systems fail and others succeed.
ALL EPISODES IN STORM-READY DESIGN