Pool Safety Covers: Mesh vs Solid

Most Toronto pools spend about six months of the year closed. For all of that time, the only thing between the water and a curious dog, a neighbour’s kid, or a pile of wet maple leaves is whatever you put over it in October. That choice matters more than people expect.

A traditional winter cover is a tarp held down with water bags. It keeps debris out, mostly. A safety cover is a different product: a fitted panel anchored to the deck with springs and straps, tensioned so that it can hold the weight of a person or an animal that walks onto it. If you have children in the house or on the street, that difference is the whole point.

Mesh or solid?

Both are anchored the same way. The difference is what happens to rain and melting snow.

Our honest take: mesh is the lower-effort choice for most backyards. Solid covers make sense if your pool sits under trees that drop a lot of fine material, or if you want the cleanest possible water in May and don’t mind keeping an eye on the cover pump.

What a safety cover won’t do

It won’t replace a fence. Toronto and the surrounding municipalities require an enclosure around a private outdoor pool all year, cover or no cover. It also won’t keep the water chemically stable on its own. You still need to close the pool properly, with the water balanced and winterizing chemicals added, or you can lift the cover in spring to find a stained liner.

And it won’t stay tight if the anchors are loose. An anchor that has worked up out of the deck, or a strap that has stretched, leaves a sag that collects water and puts the rest of the cover under uneven stress.

Getting the fit right

Safety covers are made to the shape of your pool, including steps, benches and any odd curves. That measurement is the step people underestimate. A cover that is a few centimetres short on one side will not tension evenly. Brands such as PSP Fabricating, which Poolmaster carries, use an A–B triangulation method so that every point on the edge is located exactly. It takes longer than running a tape around the outside, and it is the reason a good cover sits flat.

Grid size matters too. Covers commonly come in 3′ × 3′ and 5′ × 5′ anchor grids. The tighter grid spreads load across more anchors.

Making it last

• Before you install it in fall, lower the water to the level your closing requires, and make sure the deck around each anchor is sound.
• During winter, don’t shovel snow onto the cover or use a sharp tool to clear it. Let it melt.
• In spring, brush off leaves before you release the straps, so they don’t fall into the pool.
• Store it clean and dry, loosely folded, off the garage floor and away from rodents. Mice chewing through a stored cover is more common than you’d think.
• Screw the anchors flush with the deck when the cover is off, so nobody trips on them all summer.

Most quality covers come with a long pro-rated warranty, but the warranty assumes correct installation and storage. Keep the paperwork with the cover bag.

Questions we get asked

Can I walk on a pool safety cover?

A properly installed safety cover is built to support the weight of a person who falls or walks onto it, which is what separates it from a tarp. It is not a deck, though. Keep kids off it, and don’t let snow build up as a play area.

Do I need a cover pump with a mesh cover?

No. Mesh lets water drain through. Solid covers usually need either a cover pump or a drain panel.

Can you install a safety cover on an above-ground pool?

Safety covers are designed for in-ground pools with a deck around them to anchor into. Above-ground pools use different winter covers.

If you would like a cover measured and installed, see our pool safety cover installation in Toronto page, or ask about it when you request a quote.