I hear you on the fingerprints—my neighbor went with glass and now jokes her pool fence is just a giant canvas for her kids’ greasy handprints. I went aluminum a couple years back, mostly because I didn’t want to deal with cleaning, but yeah, those posts are shin-busters if you’re not careful. Wood’s nice for privacy, but I got tired of re-staining every couple summers. If low maintenance is the goal, aluminum’s probably the winner, even if it’s not perfect. At least it doesn’t rust or need much fussing over.
- Totally get where you’re coming from with the cleaning. Aluminum’s a solid pick if you want to avoid constant upkeep—fingerprints on glass can drive anyone nuts, especially with kids around.
- One thing I do like about glass, though, is the way it opens up the space visually. If you’re after that seamless look, it’s hard to beat.
- For aluminum, maybe consider rounded or capped posts? Cuts down on those shin bruises... learned that one the hard way.
- At the end of the day, both are pretty durable. Just comes down to whether you value easy maintenance or a more open feel.
Honestly, I get the appeal of aluminum for low maintenance, but I’ve seen a lot of folks underestimate how much it can heat up in direct sun. I’ve had clients complain about kids burning their hands or legs on hot days. Glass isn’t perfect either—yeah, fingerprints are a pain, but with the right coating, it’s not as bad as people think. Plus, nothing beats that uninterrupted view if you’ve got a nice backyard. Just something to chew on before ruling glass out.
“I’ve had clients complain about kids burning their hands or legs on hot days.”
That’s actually something I hadn’t thought about with aluminum. Is it really that bad in the summer? We get a lot of sun where I am, so that could be a dealbreaker. With glass, does it ever get too hot to touch, or is it just the cleaning that’s annoying? I’m also wondering about safety—like, if a ball hits the glass, is there a risk of it shattering? The view thing is tempting, but I’m nervous about maintenance and breakage.
I’ve worked with both, and honestly, aluminum can get scorching in direct sun—definitely something to think about if you’ve got little kids running around. Glass doesn’t usually get as hot, but yeah, cleaning is a pain (fingerprints everywhere). As for breakage, most pool glass panels are tempered and pretty tough, but I’ve seen one crack from a rock thrown by a lawnmower. Has anyone here actually had a glass panel shatter from normal backyard stuff? That’s the one thing that makes me hesitate.
