Which materials should you choose for your pool enclosure?
Wood, aluminium, PVC, polycarbonate, glass, etc. A wide range of materials exist for the structure, the glazing and the roof of this type of pool cover. All have advantages and disadvantages. Here's all the information you need to know to choose the right material for your pool enclosure.
Pool enclosure structures: advantages and disadvantages of different materials
Aluminium, light and resistant
Advantages: highly-resistant, tailors to all models and offers you bespoke design. It's light and makes it easy to open and close the pool enclosure, even without motorization. It's used for retractable and sliding enclosures, and is great value for money.
Disadvantages: its thermal insulation is limited.
Service life: it depends on the material used for the glazing, but an aluminium enclosure can last over 15 years as it's really weather-resistant.
Maintenance: it's easy to clean and has no special requirements.
Wooden pool enclosure, stylish and insulating
Advantages: wood, used for full-height and large-width pool enclosures, is a noble material that boasts a lot of style. It's highly-insulating so you can enjoy your pool season for longer and it ensures the pool water temperature is just right.
Disadvantages: a wooden pool enclosure is quite expensive and has to be looked after meticulously.
Service life: its lifetime depends on the quality and treatment of the wood used, but it's by all means a solid structure that will last for several years.
Maintenance: It's advisable to go for autoclave-treated wood to ensure it's humidity-protected. Its woodstain will need to be renewed regularly, above all to keep it looking attractive.
PVC, for a cost-effective, removable installation
Advantages: foldable and inflatable PVC pool enclosures are inexpensive and very light and can be used to cover above-ground pools and spas in the shape of a dome. However, it's used less and less for in-ground pools.
Disadvantages: removable structures can be fragile and the look of PVC may not please.
service life: whenever the enclosure is well looked after it can last for several years.
Maintenance: It just requires regular cleaning with a garden hose and mild soap.
Stainless steel, for its robustness and its finishes
Advantages: although it's rather rare to see steel enclosures, it can be used for full-height ones. A steel enclosure can shelter a veranda near the pool and create a stylish space for living. It's a sustainable material and easily recycled.
Disadvantages: It's quite an expensive material and requires specific care.
Service life: well-looked-after steel can last for several decades.
Maintenance: because of humidity and chlorine from the pool water, it needs to be specifically treated with a special product to prevent rust and corrosion.
Which material should you choose for your pool enclosure glazing?
Polycarbonate, a highly-popular material
Advantages: the assets of polycarbonate honeycomb sheet are its highly-affordable price, its thermal insulating properties, and its ability to ward off UVs, which means your pool liner colour won't fade and algae won't develop. For Mathieu Joulé-Charpentier, Abrisud Sales Director, it's "a material that's virtually unbreakable and, as such, to be favoured, and all the more so as Abrisud now proposes polycarbonate glazing with ventilated honeycomb cells, which means the glazing remains transparent and clean for years on end."
Disadvantages: less transparent than glass, it can also be considered less stylish.
Service life: it can last for more than a dozen years.
Maintenance: you need to clean the panels at least twice a year with water, soap and a soft cloth, and clean any marks quickly as they can become ingrained.
A plexiglas pool enclosure
Advantages: plexiglas, or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), is used less and less today, but this type of partitioning is highly shock- and scratch-resistant, and isn't affected by chemical products.
Disadvantages: solvents can damage it.
Service life: it can last for up to 15 years.
Maintenance: you need to use products specially for this type of glazing.
Glass panels
Advantages: glass is elegant and light-diffusing, and comes in several forms, with laminated glass being the most commonly used.
Disadvantages: glass products are fragile and quite expensive.
Service life: difficult to estimate as it depends on the type of glass.
Maintenance: To keep a glass panel translucent, you need to clean it with mild soap and a garden hose.
