Hi,
We, too, have a 2 year old and a 5 year old (and a 7, 16 and 18!!!) We are brand new pool owners, and the safety issues are definitely something to deal with!

We have an uncaged pool, and we went with the 'Baby Barrier" pool safety fence. We will be enclosing our yard with a chain link fence, too.

Here are some pictures of our pool with the Baby Barriers up:

We, of course, keep them up all time. We did take portions down for a party this weekend, and I really like our deck with out it! But for the next few years, that's the way it'll have to be.

Good luck!

We are planning to have a net installed. I like the idea of having the actual pool covered when I go out for an evening or on vacation.
If you do a search for 'pool net' you will come up w/a few threads.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pools/msg0813180932323.html

Thanks for the link to katchakid. In retrospect that looks like a more appropriate product for our needs than an actual removable fence.

First, it looks better when on the pool than the removable fence and doesn't constrict the yard.

Second, it will actually keep a lot of junk out of the pool. I can just see my 2 year old tossing every ball in the yard over the fence into the pool.

Third, it will keep all the kids out of the pool except when I want them in the pool. A gate will only keep out the very youngest and maybe even not then if she manages to pile up enough debris next to the fence or move a chair over to climb over.

The drawback I see to the net is that it will be somewhat more of a headache to get the pool ready for swimming. And it will require more vigilance to keep the net on all the time when the pool is not in use.

The advantage I see to a removable fence is that you can leave it in place permanently and never worry about whether the pool is protected (assuming the gate stays closed). The disadvantage is that I suspect a clever toddler will find it easier to defeat than a net.

For those of you who have explored both options, how did you find they compare on both price, convenience, and safety?

I'm an advocate of the katchakid net too. Without the ratcheting tool, not even a grown man could get into that pool. I have a 34 by 20 inch free form gunite pool. The net cost about 2K.

The advantage I see to a removable fence is that you can leave it in place permanently and never worry about whether the pool is protected (assuming the gate stays closed). The disadvantage is that I suspect a clever toddler will find it easier to defeat than a net.

I disagree with that. We had a baby barrier fence installed at our last pool...and the only way to defeat it is with a ladder on both sides of the fence. The way the door works is that the two last poles are pulled together and a latch installed. If properly installed the force required to pull the poles together is required to both close and open the door and any length of the fence. The entire fence pieces are joined in this identical fashion. It was so difficult to close and open our baby barrier fence that even "my wife" could NOT do it. So it was actually a baby/wife barrier fence. And honestly, on a few occassions of trying to close it and not being able to, I would have to rest my fingers for a few seconds and try it again.

When they drill the holes for the poles, the more they are separated, the more force is required to bend the poles together to latch them. The entire fence is under a constrained force.

If you read that thread, it appears even the 7 year old toddler was able to figure out how to remove the net.

I have "Pool Barrier". Very easy to put up and take down. And it looks very nice. We have ours go across our patio from fence to fence but they can set it up any way you want.

i like that idea where did you get the pool barrier fence.

I went to "poolbarrier.com" and got the local dealer's number and called them. It took them 2 hours to install.

Dawna

The katchakid type nets are very effective, but you have to be honest with yourself about how diligent you will be about putting it back on after every swim.

For an average 100 ft perimeter pool, it takes about 10 minutes to take it off and 15-20 minutes to put it back on. Do you really want to do that 2 or 3 times a day? (Especially when you've got wet/tired/hungry/crying kids?) That's how many times my kids (also aged 2 and 5 last summer) wanted to swim. If you don't put the net back after every swim, then what's the point of having it in the first place?

We have both the net and the fence. We left the net on all winter, but during the summer we didn't use the net at all.

I can't disagree with peter - takes about 5 to take off and 10 to put on. But I have total piece of mind no one is getting in that pool when it's on.

strangely I can't find a dealer that installs nets in the Waco area. I called katchakid and they told me they had no dealers in this area and neither did all-safe.

What I did find was the Central Texas dealer for "protect-a-child" who says he doesn't do nets anymore but only safety fences. He recommends a 4' black safety fence with fiberglass poles.

Anyone have experience with protect-a-child? He says he doesn't do nets anymore because too many people leave them off