Glass Balustrades as Pool Fencing: Uninterrupted Views and Easy Maintenance
In some parts of the country a pool can be enjoyed year round. In other parts of Australia the pool is mostly decorative. Opting for glass balustrades for your pool fencing ensures that your view is unobstructed, and yet also provides the legally required safety. Your pool is safely fenced off behind a wall of glass. Maintenance of your glass balustrades is not difficult. There are a few things you need to be doing on a regular basis to keep your fencing in top condition:
Soap and Water
Since the balustrades are made of glass, the most time-consuming aspect of maintenance is keeping them clean. You don't need anything fancy, and a mild detergent mixed with water is perfectly sufficient. The detergent will be often be draining onto grass, and so you should avoid using an actual glass cleaner as the volatile chemicals can harm your lawn, and can also harm the local waterways if they were to drain away in large amounts. Just use a sponge soaked in soapy water to clean the glass, and you can then hose the balustrades clean.
Avoiding Streaks
To ensure that there are no streaks, you might also want to run a squeegee across the surface of the glass panels, but only use a plastic handled squeegee. A metal handled squeegee could scratch the glass if not used evenly.
If you don't like the idea of having to clean all that glass, there's an easier way:
Ask the company who installed the balustrades to apply a special film to the glass. This does not affect the look of the product, but repels dirt and grime in a way that uncovered glass does not. You can simply just wash the glass with your hose, and there will be no streaks.
Loose Panels?
Glass balustrades that are used for pool fencing are subject to more wear and tear than their indoor counterparts. They're continually buffeted by the elements, which can destabilise the panels. Every two weeks (or after a storm), just apply some light pressure to the panels and see if they have become loose. Depending on how the panels have been secured, you can just tighten them yourself with a screwdriver.
Be careful not to overtighten, as this can apply too much pressure to the glass. For panels that have become significantly loose, you should contact the company who installed the balustrades, as these panels might need to removed and re-installed.
Looking after your poolside glass balustrades is a breeze and will ensure that this beautiful unobtrusive fencing will do its job for many years to come.