Every year in Puerto Rico there are at least 5-10 drownings on the island of children that were left unattended for a small amount of time resulting in an accident. Those numbers do not include the children that fell into a pool and have severe disabilities from almost drowning. In virtually every situation the parent or grandparent says "the child was just here next to me". This is probably a true statement however children move quickly and certainly do not sit still long. Pool safety is not something to take lightly. Preventative solutions include pool safety fences, pool safety net and pool safety covers. Most people purchase one, some people will get a pool safety net and pool safety fence (depending on the pool and the financial committment needed). Certainly each product has it's respective benefits but it is very important to take notice that the most common and most respected is the removable pool safety fence because it provides a larger vertical barrier keeping the kids away from the pool and thus conditioning them to not be tempted to get in the pool due to the obstruction. Pool safety starts with keeping "attractions" out of the pool. Beach balls, inflatable toys, and anything that may attract a child to the pool other than the water itself is defined as an attraction. All of these items should be placed outside the fence so as to keep the children from being tempted from trying to get over or around the fence to get to those objects. If you elect to got with a self closing gate (American Academy of Pediatrics recommends this) then make sure that the baby gate has a proven track record of solid construction. Many gates for pool fence are made out of double poles that are dependent on the tension of the fence and over a year or two the fatigue begins to make the gate go out of alignment. If the gate is out of alignment it will not shut properly. This could become a safety hazard so make sure that you check your gate for opening and closing obstructions and or problems each time you place you fence in the ground for usage. Whatever type of product you choose, make sure you use it because the product will not work if not put in place and put in place properly.

The amount of Iguanas in Puerto Rico is growing to epidemic portions. Where did they all come from? They came from the residents who bought them in the local pet shops back in the 1990's when it was cool to have them as pets. Well as the "fever" as they call it here to own iguanas as pets wore off many were left with these dinosaurs and no place to put them. So what is the best solution that comes to mind? Let them be free on the island. Well, now they are a huge pest especially for owners with swimming pools. The solution is a pool safety cover. It keeps all the foilage out of the pool and the iguanas too. The problem or byproduct of the iguana is that they leave feces both in the pool and on the pool deck. It smells and often if the owner of the property has a dog, the dog may digest the feces and become sick. A simple solution to protect your pool is to add a pool safety cover. Contact Pool Guard today for your free estimate. 

Buying a new home certainly has enough associated stresses and if you have children and you are purchasing a home with a pool without any form of safety product to keep the children out of the pool then that can be an added layer of stress. While there are a tremendous amount of products you can use ranging from door alarms to pool alarms it is important that a product be used that actually provides security around the pool before a child is in the water. Pool alarms simply alert you to the fact that a child has fallen into the pool after the fact. A door alarm will simply alert you that a child is going into the back yard. A pool safety fence keeps the child out of the pool because it creates a physical barrier. Multiple layers of protection certainly is the best policy or guideline but for sure if you ahve to pick one product that makes the most sense then we recommend a removable pool safety fence.  

Pool safety fence is the most sought after solution in Puerto Rico for the protection of children from drowning. The benefits of a pool fence are that the pool itself is surrounded by a barrier. Pool fence typically comes in four feet tall or five feet tall options. The most commonly used is four feet (this is the height recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics). The pool fence is installed using a core drill.  A core drill is a drill that has water pumped through it so that it cuts a clean hole intot he surface of the pool deck. A pool fence sleeve is then inserted into the pool decking (the hole that was cut with the core drill) and then the fence is inserted. The fence is attached together using latches. It is very important to look and ask about the type of latches that are used when looking for a pool safety fence installer because some latches are nickel plated while others are brass. The best product for this type of security is a stainless steel latch. The weather will simply fatigue anything else. Brass will last but the finish will become rather ugly over a period of time. Stainless steel latches remain very aesthetically pleasing over time. You should attempt to purchase a self closing, self latching lockable gate with your new pool safety fence. Again, this is what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends because opening and closing the fence will eventually lead to a situation where the fence gets left open due to someone having their hands full, being on the phone or the pool person not closing it back. A self closing gate will eliminate that problem. Some companies claim that they have an "unclimbable gate". If you really want to investigate that,we suggest looking on YouTube and google "non-climbable pool gates". There is a customer of one of the companies that has shown a video that the gate can be climbed...quite easily. The key factors you should seek when looking for a pool safety fence is the material, warranty and certainly the reputation of the company installing the fence. The pool fence should have a lifetime warranty, the poles should be made of marine grade aluminum and all components should be stainless steel. Watch out for outrageous claims like unclimbable gates because they are simply just a marketing ploy used and there is proof posted on the internet. Be safe and make sure your pool is guarded!.      

As the "winter months" ascend upon us here in the of Puerto Rico the increased in recognition for pool safety covers becomes more pronounced. The electricity costs of living on an island (particularly this one) can really limit the use of a pool heat pump resulting in the need for pool owners to close their pools for the "winter". Pool safety covers come in an assortment of colors, materials and with a variety of warranty offerings. Some companies offer 15 year warranties but you must be aware that the fine print on the warranty usually says that it is the first year full warranty and then the other 14 are pro rated. A strong warranty in the industry consists of a 12-15 year warranty. The best in the industry will offer a full warranty on the first two to three years. ASK before you purchase so you know what you are purchasing. The materials come in two different types. The first is a mesh that is very simiiliar to trampoline material. This will or is offered in a residential grade and a commercial grade. The second type of material that is offered is a solid type material that does not allow any light or debris through. It will/should have a drain hatch in the center to eliminate pooling on top of the pool (this is obviously not safe). The range of cost on a pool safety cover can be $800 to $2,200 depending on the size of the pool, the materials used and last but certainly not least the number of obstacles in the pool (ladders, water falls, slides, diving boards/rocks etc.). The last and most important aspect is the installers experience. Ask to see photos of local jobs. A good number of installs would be about 30. This is an installer that really knows what they are doing and has expereienced most everything resulting in a good source to purchase your pool cover for in Puerto Rico.