Pool Cover

The top of this tent-shaped pool cover is made from 90% shade cloth. The underlying support structure consists of 4 steel cables, spaced 2 meters apart, that span the width of the pool. These cables are anchored into the deck, and each has a turnbuckle to tighten the cable.

To prevent the shade cloth from sagging into the pool, you'll need vertical 4 posts, one for each cable, about 70 cm in height. A 2x4 should work fine. Drill a hole through the bottom of each post to run the supporting steel cable through.

At the top of each post drill another hole to run 2 guy wires that attach to the adjacent anchors on the deck. These prevent the post from falling over, and also add additional support to the shade cloth.

Lay a pole on top of each pair of adjacent posts to create a backbone that provides additional support for the shade cloth.

More detailed instructions provided below.

FEATURES:

Saves Water:
The shade cloth allows valuable rain water to leak into the pool, but minimizes water loss from evaporation.

Saves Electricity
The domed tent shape stops leaves and other debris accumulating on the cover - they just blow away. Only a small amount of fine dust will fall through the 90% shade cloth. And also blocks 90% of the sun. This minimizes dirt and algae, which means you only need to run the filter pump for about 2 hours per day during Winter.

Saves Chlorine and Other Chemicals
The 90% shade cloth keeps out most of the sun and wind, minimizing chlorine loss.

Saves Time
Apart from adding a cup of chlorine once a week, there is virtually no maintenance.

Pool Filter and Creepy Can Continue Operation
Because the water level does not need to be lowered, the weir will continue to skim, and the pump can work as normal. And because everything is above the water line, the Creepy can also continue running.

SAFETY
Please note, this is not a safety net. This particular construction is NOT child-safe or pet-safe. Please use a proper safety net to safeguard small children or pets.

Materials for a 4m x 10m pool

- shade cloth: 2 x (3m x 12m) sewn together along the "backbone"

- if pool not rectangular, additional shade cloth to cover steps or other irregularities

- 25m polyester lacing cord and needle

- one wife and a bouquet of flowers (if no wife available, try cable ties instead of the lacing cord)

- 14 anchor bolts (2 for each tension cable, 4 for the corners, and 2 for middle at spine (coach nuts with plugs work well)

- 4 turnbuckles to tighten the 4 tension cables - 25m of non-stretchable tension cable (I used 1.5mm braided galvanized wire coated with plastic)

- 80m of guy wire (I used 3mm braided polyethylene cord. But a thin non-stretchable steel braided fishing line might work better to minimize sagging)

- 4 posts (I used 20mm pvc conduit with 4-way pvc electrical junction boxes, to make a rectangular box about 70 cm high, and about 20cm wide, and held together with pvc cement. Very light-weight, cheap, and surprisingly strong. But 2x4 might work just as well)

Tips For Longevity
Dip any metal parts (bolts, turnbuckles, etc.) in oil before assembly to minimize rusting and to make disassembly in Spring much easier. Galvanized parts are not rust-proof - especially in this environment. Stainless steel parts will not rust, but are much more expensive, so best to wait until you've perfected your design before buying stainless.

Wood - if using wooden components, make sure they are pressure-treated, and keep them above water.

Insert grommets into holes in the shade cloth.

You want to lift the shade cloth well above the waterline, and sloping away to the side (like a tent) to prevent leaves etc. from accumulating. To keep it light, I used a pair of 20mm pvc conduit, 70 cm high, connected to form a rectangular box with pvc junction boxes and glued with pvc cement. It's inexpensive, extremely light, and surprisingly strong. Also easy to run the supporting main tension cable through the bottom, and the two guy wires through the top.

Alternate Method One:
A pressure-treated 2x4 wooden post, although slightly heavier, would probably work just as well and be simpler. However the bottom might dip into the water and eventually rot, so a coat of varnish on the wood will improve the durability. And then you'll need a pair of screws sticking out from the top of the post to form a "saddle" to hold the "backbone" in place. But to prevent the cover from catching on the screw heads, first punch the screws through a plastic bottle cap before screwing them into the wooden post.

Alternate Method Two:
Better still, try using a single 50mm pvc drain pipe. Very light, very cheap, and very simple. Simply cut to length (about 70 cm) and drill holes through both ends to run the cabling. The only trick is you need to lay a "backbone" on the top of the pole once it's cabled in place. So you'll need something to keep the pole in place on the top of the posts. Perhaps simply carve a "V" into the top.

Each upright needs to be held up by a strong, non-stretchable cable attached to each side of the pool. Space appx 2m from each other and 2m from ends of pool. Therefore 4 uprights needed for a 10m-long pool.

1) Drill holes in deck every 2m about 30cm from pool edge.

2) Knock in plastic plugs for the anchor bolts.

3) You'll need 4 turnbuckles (on for each upright) to tighten the cable. I used turnbuckles with an eyelet on one end, and a hook on the other end. Make sure your anchor bolts can fit through the eyelets, and slide them on now, before you screw the bolts into the deck. Note: you only need turnbuckles on one side of the pool.

4) Cut the tension cables with a bolt cutter or hacksaw to the required lengths - long enough to span the width of the pool, plus an additional 30 cm at each end to reach the anchor bolt (or turnbuckle) plus enough extra to fasten the cable at each end into a loop or knot.

5) Make a loop at one end of the cable, ideally with a rope clamp or ferrule, or simply tie into a knot. Make the loop big enough to fit over the head of the anchor bolt.

6) Screw the anchor bolt into the plug in the deck (non-turnbuckle side)

7) On the other side of the pool insert the anchor bolt through the eyelet of the turnbuckle, and then screw the bolt into the plug in the deck.

8) Go back to the non-turnbuckle side, and loop one end of the tension cable over the bolt.

9) Slide the upright through the cable, about half way.

10) Walk the cable to the other side, pull the cable snuggly around the hook of the turnbuckle (make sure the turnbuckle is as loose as possible first). Fasten the cable with ferrules or rope clamps to make a loop, or just tie in a knot.

11) Place wooden blocks or other sturdy object (I used a 10cm piece of 50mmf pvc drain pipe) under the tension cables near the pool's edge to lift the tension cable to help lift the whole framework a little higher above the water line. This also helps to tighten the cable.

12) CAUTION: Wear protective eyewear, gloves, and clothing BEFORE tightening the cable. A snapping cable can cause serious injury.

13) Turn the turnbuckle to tighten the cable - enough to make it taut, but no more. Even a steel cable will sag - that's ok. It doesn't need to be super-tight.

The photo above shows the blue plastic-coated tension line in the middle that holds up the post. To the left and right, are two guy wires (light blue and red) that go through the top of the adjacent posts in the middle of the pool and back down to the anchor bolt on the far side.

Each upright needs two guy wires to keep them, well, upright. The guys wires will also help to hold the cover above the water. They do not need to be as strong or taut as the main tension line. I used 3mm braided polyethylene, which is very stretchy, so not ideal because it sags. A thin braided steel fishing line would probably work better.

1) Cut the guy wire to length - it needs to run from the adjacent anchor bolt, through the upright, and across to the other adjacent post on the other side of the pool plus allowing for tying off and tightening. For a 4m-wide pool, 8m should be enough.

2) Right now, your upright will be hanging downward in the water in the middle of the pool. So use a long pool scrub brush to slide it to along the tension cable to the side of the pool (preferably the non-turnbuckle side)

3) Slide the two guy wires through the top end of the upright.

4) Tie a loop at one end and loop it over the adjacent anchor bolt, for each guy wire.

5) Walk them around to the other side and wrap them around, again to the adjacent anchor bolts, and hand-tighten them enough to hold the upright straight up, and reasonably taut, and secure with a slip-knot.

Place a 3m pole on top of two adjacent uprights to create a backbone. I used 3m wooden sticks for the backbone, but a 3m pool tool pole should work perfect.

1) Lay the shade cloth lengthwise along one side of the poll.

2) Pierce holes in the shade cloth and secure over anchor bolts, preferably using grommets (big enough to fit over bolt heads)

3) Carefully drag the other side of the shade cloth over the spine and to the other side of the pool.

4) Pull hand-taut and pierce holes in the shade cloth and secure over anchor bolts.

5) Add an anchor bolt to each end of the pool in the middle and fasten shade cloth same as above.