Pool Covers You Can Walk On In Canada: Is That for Real?

By the Pool Patrol Team | Based on an Interview with Allan Horwood, owner of Pool Patrol

Pool Patrol gets a lot of questions about pool covers you can walk on in Canada. Can you really walk on one? Not for fun, no. It's not a patio. But a good automatic safety cover is built to hold serious weight if a toddler, a dog, or a curious bear ends up on it. Here's what that means, and how an easy check every so often keeps yours in top shape.

The Quick Answer: A pool cover isn't a deck. It's a safety barrier, built to the ASTM F1346 industry benchmark to hold weight if someone or something ends up on it by accident. Pool Patrol covers are engineered to that benchmark, and fabric typically lasts 7 to 9 years with a little attention along the way.

What Makes A Pool Cover Walk-On Safe?

A safety cover is a barrier that holds if a toddler wanders onto it, a frisky dog trots across it, or a curious bear takes a shortcut. Built from reinforced fabric and anchored at the deck, it carries a load without letting anyone through to the water underneath.

That's what separates a true safety cover from a solar blanket or a basic debris tarp.

How Swimming Pool Safety Covers Earn Their Rating

The benchmark most manufacturers build to is ASTM F1346, a US performance standard for safety covers. It calls for a cover to support 485 lbs across the surface of a pool wider than 8 ft.

Canada doesn't mandate it. It's an industry reference point, and it's the one reputable BC installers, Pool Patrol included, build to.

A golf cart parked on top of a closed automatic pool safety cover, backyard setting.

Keeping Your Cover In Great Shape

Allan Horwood has run Pool Patrol since 1995. He explains it with something every driver already knows. He describes it as "when you have an old cover, it's not always safe. When you have bald tires on your car, it's not safe. A vinyl automatic pool safety cover is recognized as a safe product, but only when it's in good condition."

Like tires, a cover does its best work with a little attention. Here's what to look for:

• Cracking, fraying, or thinning fabric, especially along fold lines

• Water pooling on top instead of draining off

• Sagging or gaps where the cover meets the deck

• A cover approaching 7 to 9 years old

• Anything that just looks or feels off to you

Allan's rule of thumb is simple.

"Like any safety product, your pool cover should be inspected on a regular basis. Think of a lifeboat. Anything that has to do with safety should be inspected." — Allan Horwood, owner, Pool Patrol

Pool Patrol makes that part easy. Someone from the team comes out, looks over the fabric, the track, and the seal at the deck, and tells you straight where your cover stands. There's a small callout fee for the inspection and service.

"We get ahold of you. We answer. We're experts. We're not perfect, but we're here for you." — Allan Horwood, owner, Pool Patrol

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can you walk on an automatic pool cover?
A: It's not designed for regular traffic, and Pool Patrol doesn't recommend using a cover as a walking surface. What it's built to do is hold weight if someone or something ends up on it unexpectedly.

Q: How long do pool safety covers last in Canada?
A: Most fabric lasts 7 to 9 years, depending on water chemistry and how much sun and weather it sees. Not sure where yours is at? Here are the signs your pool cover fabric might need replacing, or contact Pool Patrol for a quick inspection.

Q: Is ASTM F1346 required in Canada?
A: No. It's a US benchmark that manufacturers reference voluntarily. Canada doesn't mandate it, though Pool Patrol's covers are built to meet it.

The Bottom Line On Pool Covers You Can Walk On In Canada

A walk-on rating isn't a one-time thing. A quick check every so often keeps it where it should be. If you're not sure where your cover stands, Pool Patrol is happy to take a look.

Contact Pool Patrol for a quick assessment of your safety cover.

Pool Patrol has installed automatic pool safety covers across the Lower Mainland, Okanagan, and Vancouver Island since 1995. Processed and assembled in Canada. Learn more about automatic pool safety covers.