Telescopic Pool Enclosures: 2018 Buying Guide for Your Swimming Pool

Has the thought of improving your pool cross your mind at any given time?

You might either have thought of enhancing pool privacy, reducing your pool maintenance or even just designing your pool to withstand different weather conditions.

But unfortunately, you have no idea on what materials to use, the design to implement or the budget to work with.

Well, this is the perfect guide for you.

Why?

This guide will ultimately cover all factors that you should consider when purchasing your own telescopic pool enclosure.

But first, let me explain to you what we mean by a telescopic pool enclosure.

What is a Telescopic Pool Enclosure?

A telescopic pool enclosure refers to a “pool cover” that can otherwise be opened up or rolled back by sliding the “pool shelter” from one point to the other.

Alternatively, we can say that the pool cover is retractable.

That is, it facilitates the opening and closing of your pool cover.

The pool enclosure can either have wheels to facilitate its movement or be pushed and pulled.

Have a look at this.

Telescopic pool enclosure

Mostly, the telescopic pool enclosure cover is made of extruded aluminum for the frame and polycarbonate sheet for the glazing material.

Usually, the retractable feature that it possesses makes it stand out among all other types of pool enclosures.

Why am I saying so?

This feature comes with several other benefits that I will explain to you later in this guide.

Keep reading.

On the other hand, we have fixed pool enclosures.

Unlike telescopic pool enclosures, fixed pool enclosure will not give you room for opening or closing your pool “shelter”.

As the name suggests, the pool cover is permanently fixed, limiting future movements around the pool.

However, the same type of materials are used for both enclosures.

That is extruded aluminum and poly-carbonate sheet.

This is not enough; I will give you an in depth explanation on how to choose the best materials later in this guide.

But first, let’s have a look at how a fixed pool enclosure looks like.

Fixed swimming pool enclosure

There are a couple of benefits that come with having a telescopic pool enclosure.

As I promised earlier, I will explain why you should install a telescopic pool enclosure, by this I mean the benefits of a telescopic pool enclosure.

Reason for Installing Telescopic Pool Enclosure

In this section, I am going to explain why you need a telescopic swimming pool ensure.

They include:

· Lengthening Swimming Sessions

First, a telescopic pool enclosure will protect youfrom harsh weather conditions.

This will in turn lengthen your swimming sessions, whether it’s summer or winter.

How?

The pool cover will block the inflow of snow and other weather conditions such as winds into the pool.

Telescopic pool enclosure in snowy weather

Furthermore, the use of poly-carbonate will prolong the pool usage over a number of years.

This is because of its durability nature.

· Reducing pool Maintenance

As I explained to you earlier, the “pool cover” will protect your swimming pool from foreign materials.

Meaning, you will spend less in acquiring chemicals used to clean your pool.

This not only reduces expenses and daily cleaning, but also lessens your pool maintenance.

· Ensures Privacy

By this I mean that your telescopic pool enclosure will protect you from intruders or rather on-lookers trying to get a glimpse of your pool activities.

Telescopic pool enclosure with tinted cover

In case you want proper privacy, I would recommend you to install tinted a polycarbonate sheet.

This will be a suitable option for providing full privacy.

· Reduces Possible Accidents in the Pool

Telescopic pool enclosure will control entrance of people in and out of your pool.

Kid is drowning in a swimming pool

Therefore, cases of accidents will be minimized not excluding costs of compensation.

Telescopic pool enclosure safety is one of the reasons this accessory is popular.

· Adds Shade

Harmful UV rays will be blocked by the pool enclosure.

That is not enough, it will as well add shade to your pool.

This otherwise provides a conducing environment for engaging in your pool activities during sunny days.

· Enhances the Beauty of your Swimming Pool

Generally telescopic pool enclosures are not only attractive, but also add a spark to your swimming pool area.

Pool Enclosure enhancing beauty

The glazing material coupled with the different pool enclosure designs will transform your pool making it acquire a classy and elegant look.

You can picture that, right?

I hope you do.

This absolutely adds value to your property.

· Reduces Water Evaporation

Water evaporation is likely to be experienced during hot weather conditions.

In such occasions, water that evaporates is normally blown away by wind leading to much water being lost.

However, using a telescopic pool enclosure will facilitate settlement of evaporated water on the polycarbonate sheet which will later drop back in the swimming pool.

Basically, it economizes on water that could otherwise be lost by blocking convectional currents that lead to pool water loss.

With this information, I don’t see any reason why you should have doubts about installing a telescopic pool enclosure.

But before installing, you will have to be knowledgeable on the best materials to use.

Today, I want to share with you important information on choosing the right choice of materials for building your telescopic pool enclosure.

How to Choose Best Material for Telescopic Pool Enclosure

As I mentioned earlier, we have two types of materials that are commonly used by many consumers.

First, we have a polycarbonate sheet which is used as a glazing material.

Secondly, we’ve got extruded aluminum which is used to construct the frame.

However, you are not only limited to these two.

According to your preference, you can choose to use glass instead of polycarbonate sheet.

However, inthis guide I will extensively focus on polycarbonate sheet and extruded aluminum.

· Extruded Aluminum

Unlike a wooden frame, extruded aluminum frame is bound to last much longer.

Why do I say so?

First, the paint on the extruded aluminum prohibits humidity and color change from interfering with the quality of your frame.

Secondly, aluminum is a strong metal that is resistant to rust.

To add on that, it is quite durable.

This feature makes it to withstand the opening and closing mechanisms effectively.

Extruded aluminum

Apart from extruded aluminum, you can choose to use wood for your frame.

This is more suitable for pools that are located in the woods.

The downside of using a wooden frame is that it is capable of absorbing water.

The question is;

How does this affect your telescopic pool enclosure?

It’s simple, wood absorbs water.

Meaning, the evaporated swimming pool water that settles on the frame gets absorbed.

In the end, this exposes your frame to rotting.

Now you get what I mean, right?

What you don’t know is that there are a number of factors that you should put into consideration when choosing the type of materials to use.

These include:

The total weight it can withstand
How long it can last
The rate of maintenance
The initial investment cost

· Solid Polycarbonate Sheet

Choosing the right glazing material is an important aspect in building a strong telescopic pool enclosure.

In this guide, I will focus much on using a solid polycarbonate sheet as your glazing material.

And this is not all, you can otherwise decide to use glass as your glazing material.

Solid poly-carbonate sheet to telescopic pool enclosure

But for some reasons that I am about to explain, it’s best for you to use a solid polycarbonate sheet.

Solid polycarbonate sheet possesses more advantages not limited to;

Better insulation- Solid polycarbonate material has better insulation as compared to a hollow polycarbonate sheet.
Solid polycarbonate sheets offer strong protection against harsh weather conditions such as tornado and hurricanes.
Extends swimming sessions-this kind of polycarbonate sheet is much stronger giving it the ability to withstand harsh climate changes.
Durability- Solid polycarbonate sheets aredesigned to last for decades, rendering them the best option.
Cheaper than glass swimming pool enclosures.

For a fact, glass is heavier than polycarbonate sheet which alternatively leads to its high cost.

On the other hand, polycarbonate sheets are cheaper as compared to glass.

However, it’s important to note that a tinted polycarbonate sheet will cost more than a transparent one.

Offers safety –Unlike glass swimming pool enclosures, it is hard for polycarbonate sheet material to easily break.

Meaning, it is unlikely to pose any form of danger resulting from broken pieces as compared to glass material.

Having read all this information, there’s no doubt that you can easily be able to decide on the best material that you should use for your telescopic pool enclosure.

But still, you might be wondering;

How much will this cost?

What factors should I consider before making a purchase?

Well, let’s go straight to it.

Have a budget – Telescopic Pool Enclosure Prices

Now that we understand what a telescopic pool enclosure is and materials that you should use.

We can now look at the cost of acquiring a telescopic pool enclosure.

Section of telescopic pool enclosure

But before that, we have;

· Size of the Swimming Pool Enclosure

It is quite simple, the larger the swimming pool enclosure, the costlier it is.

Larger pool enclosures consume a lot of materials as compared to smaller ones.

Meaning you will spend more when making purchases.

· Design of the Pool Enclosure

Basically, high profile swimming pool enclosure cost more than low profile ones.

Reason being, they consume more materials during construction.

Not forgetting that the more complex the design, the higher the cost incurred.

· Type of Materials

Obviously, high quality materials will cost more than low quality ones.

The brighter side is; they last longer as compared to other materials.

· Additional Features of the Swimming Pool Enclosure

According to your preferences, you might decide to add more functionalities to your pool enclosure.

Addition of electronically opened pool enclosures will increase the cost.

That is not enough, you might also choose to introduce furniture, plants, lighting and tinted polycarbonate sheet among others.

What does this imply – you will obviously spend more.

After considering all these factors, you’re now ready to buy a telescopic swimming pool enclosure.

Average Price of Pool Enclosure

The cost of pool enclosures ranges from as low as $2,999 all the way up to more than $30,000. Basically,it’s $6-$8 per square foot.

Telescopic swimming pool enclosure cost

However, most of the people having pool enclosures in their homes realize that they spend anywhere between $5000 and $13000.

This highly depends on the type of swimming pool enclosure of your choice.

Again, as I explained earlier, the larger the pool the more expensive it is.

The good news is:

Once you install a telescopic swimming pool enclosure, it can serve you for more than 10 years!

It is important to know that glass pool enclosures will cost you more compared to polycarbonate sheet enclosures.

On average, the cost ranges from $44 – $64 per square foot,having excluded labor.

Implying that the price might shoot higher.

Now you get why I recommended a polycarbonate sheet, right?

In my next topic, I will explain to you different telescopic pool enclosure designs and sizes to give you guidance when purchasing a telescopic pool enclosure.

Let’s go straight to that.

Consider Designs and Sizes of Telescopic Pool Enclosure

Now, this is one thing that I want you to study carefully.

And, I know you’re probably asking yourself this question:

What determines the size of a telescopic swimming pool enclosure?

· Size of the Pool Area

Normally, the larger the swimming pool the larger the size of the pool enclosure.

Pools come in different shapes and sizes which otherwise affect the size of the pool enclosure.

· Choice and Preference

As a buyer, you will have in mind what size of pool enclosure you prefer to purchase.

This is after considering key factors such as the size of your pool.

· Additional features of the Pool Enclosure

You might prefer to add style to your swimming pool by introducing simple decor such as furniture or plants.

Pool enclosure with LED lights

Such items consume space in your pool area, meaning a larger pool enclosure will be an appropriate choice.

· Budget

Before thinking of purchasing a pool enclosure, it is wise to have a budget.

This makes it easier for you to make a choice on the type of pool enclosure suitable for you.

Smaller pool enclosures are pocket friendly as compared to larger ones.

According to your set budget, you can either choose to settle for a small or a larger pool enclosure.

· Shape of the Pool

In most cases, irregular swimming pools will cover more area space as compared to regular ones.

For instance, let’s say you have a single regular pool and an irregular pool which additionally has a smaller pool attached to it.

Have a look at these examples:

Swimming pool designs

Pool A04 and B04 will require a larger pool enclosure as compared to pool A01.

I hope you now have a picture of what I’m talking about.

But, before I come into a conclusion, I want to show and explain to you the different telescopic pool enclosure designs.

Just stay with me to learn more.

Telescopic Pool Enclosure Designs

In this section, I will take you through the different telescopic pool enclosure designs that you can choose for your pool area.

Without wasting time, there are three main categories of pool enclosure designs.

High profile pool enclosure
Low profile pool enclosure
Medium profile pool enclosure

However, we can as well classify telescopic pool enclosures according to the roofing designs:

Flat roof style
Mansard roof style
Hip roof style
Slope roof style
Dome roof style
Gable roof style

Telescopic pool enclosure roof designs

In this guide I will majorly focus on high, medium and low profile pool enclosures.

· High Profile Pool Enclosure (Model G)

A high profile pool enclosure has its roof high above the pool.

By this I mean that you can comfortably move around the pool without bending or any form of strain.

Have a look at this design:

Model G

With this design, you are free to create more space around the pool which you can add furniture for dining or an entertainment area.

We also have;

· Medium Profile Pool Enclosure (Model C)

Medium profile enclosures come in handy in situations where;

High profile enclosure blocks the view of your garden or rather landscape.
You are neither interested in a high nor low pool enclosure.

With is enclosure, you fully enjoy the same benefits as the high profile pool enclosure.

By this I mean, you can effortlessly walk around the pool.

You can as well introduce furniture for dining and entertainment too.

Look at this:

Model C

However, this particular pool enclosure uses less materials as compared to a high profile pool enclosure.

· Low profile pool enclosure (Model F)

As the name suggests, a low profile pool enclosure has its roof just above the pool.

Alternatively, we can say it has a shorter height above the pool.

Model F

Implying that you cannot freely move around the swimming pool.

As a result,it doesn’t give room for extra furniture or entertainment area.

The brighter side of this design is that it consumes less materials, making it the cheapest of them all.

This is exactly what I am talking about

· Model B Pool Enclosure

This particular pool enclosure is categorized among the low profile pool enclosure.

It is because its features resemble that of the low profile pool enclosure.

By this I mean, its roof is just above the pool, making it hard to move around the pool area.

Again, less materials are needed to construct this pool enclosure model, bringing us to the reason behind its fair price.

Have a look at this;

Model B

· Model D Pool Enclosure

Same as a medium profile pool enclosure, model D pool enclosure design facilitates movement around the pool area.

In short, we can conclude that this model lies under medium profile pool enclosures.

Look at this;

Model D

I hope you now have a clear picture of the different pool enclosure designs and can as well be in a position to differentiate them.

Conclusion

As you can see, there’s a lot you need to know about telescopic swimming pool enclosures before deciding to make your purchase.

However, with is information you are now ready to buy your telescopic pool enclosure wisely.

From choosing the best materials to coming up with a clear budget all this have been transparently outlined in this guide.

There’sno doubt that you will experience an easy time when making your purchase.

Now, it’s your turn.

Tell me more about your swimming pool enclosure.

Or, how do you extend the swimming season?