Many kids, especially those living in more temperate regions like California or Arizona, dream of living in a home with a pool in the backyard. The idea of being able to go swimming whenever they feel like it has an irresistible appeal to them, and it’s not hard to imagine why. But some parents are reluctant to put a pool in the backyard because of the safety hazard that it poses. The number one cause of death for children under the age of five is accidental drowning, after all. But you can have a pool and still keep your children safe by installing pool fencing.

Pool fencing goes around your swimming pool, leaving a few feet around the pool so that people can walk around it or lounge next to it. Most of these fences provide gates for access to the pool, and the gate latches are placed high up so that kids can’t reach them and get inside the gate unsupervised. And many of them are also designed so that the gates latch automatically, so that you don’t have to worry about double-checking whether you shut the gate all the way or not. With these innovations in pool protection, you can have a pool for the kids without the constant worrying about their safety around it.

There are also various types of pool fencing available. You can opt for a basic fence that will keep most people out, or you can add other options if you have special needs. Some people have smaller children, so they need the spaces between the fence bars to be closer together so that a child can’t squeeze through them into the pool area. Others have pets to worry about, so they need fences that are lower so that animals can’t crawl underneath and get into the pool.

And just because they’re safe doesn’t mean that they have to be ugly. Pool fencing comes in a variety of colors, materials, and styles. There is a fence style for every home. Thanks to the variety of styles available, this safety measure can also add to the charm and aesthetic of your home. So you don’t need to choose between beauty and safety when you put a fence up around your pool. You don’t need to sacrifice one for the other. As this safety measure grows in diversity and selection, you’ll be able to have it all.