How should you stretch and secure a pool cover?
The protective pool cover, designed to protect your pool from pollution and from impurities season-in, season-out (insects, dead leaves, etc.), from the spread of algae and loss of heat, and to ensure your pool remains safe if the cover complies with NF standards, can only be effective if it is installed correctly. Discover the right way of stretching and securing this pool cover using best practices, based on the type of cover to be installed.
Precautions to take before installing your pool cover
Installing a pool cover is something that can't be improvised. To make sure you do it with total peace of mind, it's better to think about it and prepare it beforehand. Normally, when laying a cover like this on your pool, you should think about:
- getting help from a second person, especially when the size of the pool is rather large and, in turn, the weight of the pool cover is greater, meaning the cover's more difficult to install;
- respecting minimum overlap for the pool cover of at least 35 cm around the edge of the pool (for pools under 70 m2) and 40 cm minimum (for pools larger than 70 m2);
- thinking ahead about installing the fastening pitons (pegs, spikes) on resistant support.
Lay the cover out well over the pool
The success and effectiveness of your installation will largely depend on how you place your cover over your pool. If your cover's incorrectly placed, dirt and impurities may pass through and promote the development of algae that's harmful for the quality of your pool water, your cover won't protect your pool water enough from weather conditions (namely freezing if you're installing a wintering cover) and won't be able to fulfil its role as safety equipment to prevent drowning. Generally-speaking, installing a pool cover requires you to roll out or unfold the pool cover across the pool surface. When you do this, it's important to make sure that you:
- lift up the cover and don't drag it across the ground, which could damage it;
- centre the pool cover and balance out all the excess hanging over;
- place heavy objects at the angles or corners of the pool cover to make sure it doesn't move before you secure it.
Today, a host of manual-winding and motorized pool cover models exist that mean you can install a pool cover alone, effortlessly. To make installing and positioning a pool cover as easy as possible, it's often advisable to choose a pool cover you can roll up rather than fold.
Stretching and securing the cover based on the type of cover
The steps for securing a pool cover are significantly different depending on whether you've chosen a bubble cover (or flexible cover), a wintering cover or a motorized pool cover.
Securing a bubble cover
A bubble cover is the name given to the type of pool cover that's the easiest to install. You just need to roll out the pool cover over the water surface and secure it under the coping or under the pool edge using elasticated bungee cords threaded through the eyelets. This type of pool cover is generally suitable for above-ground inflatable pools, yet can tailor to in-ground pools. In the latter case, you'll need to use pegs or pitons (stakes) to secure the pool cover.
Securing a wintering cover
The wintering cover protects your pool effectively from freezing and from pollution during the winter season. As it's designed to remain in place for months on end, it's better to secure this wintering cover soundly. Generally-speaking, when installing a wintering cover, you'll need to fix bungee cords first of all to your pool cover, then to pitons (pegs, stakes) staked in the ground the whole way round your pool. To ensure your wintering cover stays optimally in place, you can also use extra support straps. Please note that when installing a wintering cover on a wooden above-ground pool, special fasteners are used to secure it to the wood of the pool. In any event, it's highly-advisable to read the instructions provided by the manufacturer in the instruction booklet.
Securing a motorized cover
The motorized pool cover, extremely practical for covering and uncovering a pool without making any effort, requires special know-how to be installed. Unless you have appropriate technical skills, you should generally entrust the installation of your motorized pool cover to a professional. Only a professional can guarantee that your motorized pool cover is correctly installed (and safe). And, once a professional has installed it, they'll give you lots of advice about using your pool cover on a daily basis and about looking after it.
