Retractable swimming pool enclosures are extremely popular. Reduced maintenance, safety benefits, and the ability to extend your pool usage all season long are some of the biggest benefits of a pool enclosure.
However if you happen to live in a cold climate with harsh winters and heavier snowfall, it’s critical to purchase a retractable swimming pool that is designed for winter use. This means you need to make sure you have a swimming pool enclosure that can withstand heavy snow and high winds.
This article walks you through the most important considerations when selecting a swimming pool enclosure for cold climates.
Pool Enclosure Considerations for Cold Climates
Some of the northern regions in the US have very intense winter seasons. According to Weather.com, the six cities in the US with highest average yearly snowfall include:
- Syracuse, New York: 126.3 inches of average snow per year
- Cleveland, Ohio: 68.5 inches of average snow per year
- Denver, Ohio: 53.5 inches of average snow per year
- Boston, Massachusetts: 45.4 inches of average snow per year
- Chicago, Illinois: 35.6 inches of average snow per year
- New York, New York: 26.7 inches of average snow per year
If you happen to live near one of those cities, you might wonder whether a retractable pool enclosure would be able to withstand that type of heavy snowfall during winter.
How to Evaluate Pool Enclosure Durability
Every region of the country has building codes that set minimum requirements for wind speed and snow load. New buildings being constructed need to meet or exceed the minimum requirements for wind and snow to be in compliance with the building codes in their region.
Before selecting a pool enclosure for your home pool, it is very important to make sure the pool enclosure meets or exceeds the wind and snow load requirements in your township.
Finding Wind and Snow Load Requirements
A good reference for determining snow and wind requirements for different areas of the country is the Applied Technology Council’s (ATC) Hazards by Location map. The ATC created the hazard map to determine design loads for buildings and other structures in different areas throughout the United States.
Keep in mind, that the ATC Hazards by Location map is not a substitute for legal requirements that might be different in your local township. The ATC Hazards map is a great first step in estimating wind and snow load requirements in your region.
Note: It is important to always confirm the minimum building and structure requirements with your local township in addition to initial estimates provided by the ATC Hazards by location.
Your local township may require a permit prior to you installing an outdoor pool enclosure on your property. As part of your local permit process, make sure you know the minimum snow and wind requirements for buildings in your township.
Wind and Snow Load Examples
Let’s use Cleveland, Ohio as an example since that was listed as one of the 6 highest regions with the highest annual snowfall.
The ATC Hazards map defines minimum wind and snow load requirements based on ASCE 7. The American Society of Civil Engineers defines ASCE 7 as Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures.
So when looking at the ATC Hazards map, you want to find the wind or snow value listed next to the ASCE 7-05 value.
ATC Hazards Map Values for Cleveland, Ohio
- ASCE 7-05 Wind Speed: 90 miles per hour
- ASCE 7-05 Ground Snow Load: 20 pounds per square foot
In this example, if you lived in Cleveland, Ohio, you should only consider a pool enclosure that had a minimum snow load rating of 20 pounds per square foot or higher and a minimum wind rating of 90 miles per hour or higher.
You would also need to confirm what the minimum snow and wind requirements were in your local township. It is always possible that your township may have higher requirements than what is estimated by the ATC for safety reasons that are specific to your region.
Wind and Snow Load for Atlanta, Georgia
As a comparison, let’s look at the difference in building requirements with a southern part of the country like Atlanta, Georgia.
ATC Hazards Map Values for Atlanta, Georgia
- ASCE 7-05 Wind Speed: 90 miles per hour
- ASCE 7-05 Ground Snow Load: 5 pounds per square foot
In this example, you can see that southern regions in the US, have significantly less snowfall which is reflected in the lower minimum snow load requirements for buildings.
How Sizing Impacts Wind and Snow Load Ratings
Pool enclosures with larger sizes in square feet tend to have slightly lower wind and snow ratings. So as you increase the square footage of a pool enclosure, the enclosure will gradually have slightly lower wind and snow load ratings.
Likewise, smaller and more compact pool enclosures will tend to have higher wind and snow ratings than taller and wider pool enclosures.
Best Pool Enclosures for Cold Climates
Now that you have a better understanding of how to evaluate the wind and snow load requirements for buildings in your region, we can apply that information when evaluating retractable pool enclosures.
We offer a full line of retractable pool enclosure types made by Pool & Spa Enclosures.
Universe Retractable Pool Enclosures
The Universe line of pool enclosures are specifically designed with extra durability for regions of the country with heavy snow fall and higher winds.
The Universe pool enclosures are designed with polycarbonate panels which fully enclose your pool and create a greenhouse effect which retains heat inside the enclosure even during winter.
All Universe pool enclosures come with one lockable door. The lockable door is a great way to increase safety inside your pool by preventing animals and small children from accessing your pool.
Polycarbonate Panel Thickness
All Universe pool enclosures offer the option of 10mm or 4mm polycarbonate panel sizes.
4mm Polycarbonate Panel
- 4mm Panels: Smaller and more compact with 13% higher insulation value than the 10mm panels.
- Because of the compact design, 4mm panels mimic the appearance of clear glass.
10mm Polycarbonate Panel
- 10mm Panels: Larger and slightly thicker than the 4mm panels and have slightly less insulation value than 4mm polycarbonate panels.
If you live in a colder region of the country, we recommend the 4mm polycarbonate panels on the Universe pool enclosures because they have the higher insulation value than the 10mm panels.
This means pool enclosures with the 4mm polycarbonate panels will retain more heat in winter than pool enclosures with 10mm polycarbonate panels.
Keep in mind that the 4mm polycarbonate panels are slightly more expensive than the 10mm panels. However, if you live in a colder region, the 4mm panels will provide better insulation during winter than the 10mm panels.
- For more information, see our heated pool enclosure guide.
Available Colors
The polycarbonate panels on the enclosure are available in 3 color choices:
- Transparent – Clear see through panels similar to glass
- Translucent – Highest level of tinting and privacy
- Smoke – bronze shaded panels for partial privacy
The Aluminum frames are also available in the following color choices:
- Silver
- White
- Anthracite
- Bronze
The Universe pool enclosures include six available sizes of pool enclosures. The smallest sizes which include Type I through Type IV have the highest wind and snow load ratings.
Keep in mind all Universe enclosures are available with panel sizes of 4mm or 10mm. We are highlighting options with the 4mm panels because they have higher insulation values which are beneficial for colder climates.
Universe Pool Enclosure Type I
- Wind Speed: 150 miles per hour
- Snow Load: 70 pounds per square foot
Universe Type I Dimensions: 17 feet 2 inches wide x 35 feet long x 6 feet 7 inches tall.
Universe Pool Enclosure Type II
- Wind Speed: 150 miles per hour
- Snow Load: 70 pounds per square foot
Universe Type II Dimensions: 18 feet 8 inches wide x 41 feet 8 inches long x 6 feet 7 inches high.
Universe Pool Enclosure Type III
- Wind Speed: 150 miles per hour
- Snow Load: 70 pounds per square foot
Universe Type III Dimensions: 20 feet 6 inches wide x 41 feet 8 inches long x 7 feet 3 inches high.
Universe Pool Enclosure Type IV
- Wind Speed: 150 miles per hour
- Snow Load: 70 pounds per square foot
Universe Type IV Dimensions: 20 feet 6 inches wide x 48 feet 8 inches long x 7 feet 6 inches high.
The two larger sized Universe pool enclosure options have slightly lower snow load ratings than the smaller sized options.
However, the difference is only 10 pounds per square feet and these larger enclosures still offer substantial protection against snow and wind in colder climates.
Universe Pool Enclosure Type V
- Wind Speed: 150 miles per hour
- Snow Load: 60 pounds per square foot
Universe Type V Dimensions: 22 feet 2 inches wide x 41 feet 8 inches long x 7 feet 6 inches high.
Universe Pool Enclosure Type VI
- Wind Speed: 150 miles per hour
- Snow Load: 60 pounds per square foot
Universe Type VI Dimensions: 22 feet 2 inches wide x 48 feet 8 inches long x 7 feet 6 inches high
Swim Spa Retractable Pool Enclosures
The Swim Spa line of retractable pool enclosures include 6 specialized design options. The swim spa enclosures tend to be smaller in length than the Universe line of pool enclosures.
The Swim Spa line of pool enclosures is a great option if you have a smaller sized pool area or larger sized outdoor hot tub.
Keep in mind that we are only highlighting the Swim Spa models with the highest ratings for wind and snow load.
Universe Type I Swim Spa
- Wind Speed: 150 miles per hour
- Snow Load: 70 pounds per square foot
Universe Type I Swim Spa Dimensions: 9 feet 8 inches wide x 17 feet long x 3 feet 6 inches high
The Universe Type I Swim Spa is a pool enclosure with the lowest high from the ground at just 3 feet 6 inches high.
This is a great option that is less expensive than some of the larger Universe models while still offering substantial protection against wind and snow.
Laguna Swim Spa
- Wind Speed: 140 miles per hour
- Snow Load: 70 pounds per square foot
Laguna Type I Swim Spa Dimensions: 13 feet 1 inch wide x 20 feet 10 inches long x 7 feet 7 inches high.
The Laguna Type I swim spa enclosure is a great option for people looking for an extra tall pool enclosure that still offers heavy durability against wind and snow.
Laguna Type II Swim Spa
- Wind Speed: 140 miles per hour
- Snow Load: 70 pounds per square foot
Laguna Type II Swim Spa Dimensions: 14 feet 8 inches wide x 20 feet 10 inches long x 7 feet 7 inches high.
The Laguna Type II swim spa offers slightly larger width than the Laguna Type I swim spa while still retaining very high wind and snow ratings.
For more design ideas, see our full line of swimming pool enclosure kits for sale.