Honestly, I’m not totally sold on aluminum being less hassle. Ours started squeaking after a year—maybe the hinges or something? Plus, the paint faded way faster than I thought it would. Anyone else find glass easier to keep looking good long-term, despite the fingerprints?
- I totally get what you mean about aluminum not being as “set and forget” as people say.
- We just finished our first reno and went with glass mostly because my partner was all about the “clean lines” look, but I was worried about fingerprints too.
- Here’s what I’ve noticed after a year:
- The glass panels definitely show smudges, especially with kids around, but they wipe off way easier than I expected. Microfiber cloth and it’s done.
- Aluminum seemed like less work at first, but my neighbor has it and he’s constantly tightening screws or dealing with rust spots (even though it’s supposed to be rust-proof?).
- The squeaking thing you mentioned—my friend had that too, and she said it was the hinges needing lube every few months. Kind of annoying if you ask me.
- Paint fading is a dealbreaker for me. We get a lot of sun in our backyard, so I figured glass would age better.
One thing I’m still not sure about: does anyone else have issues with water spots on their glass fencing after rain? We’re not super fussy, but sometimes after a storm it looks like a giant kid licked the whole fence...
Is there a trick to keeping glass looking decent between actual cleanings, or do you just live with it?
sometimes after a storm it looks like a giant kid licked the whole fence...
That’s such a perfect way to put it—ours gets those streaky water spots too, and honestly, I just kind of ignore them for the most part. I tried a rain repellent (like the stuff for car windshields) on one panel as an experiment and it actually helped a bit, but not a miracle fix. I guess you trade off the smudges for that open, modern vibe... I’ll take a few spots over rusty screws any day.
Honestly, I’ve always wondered if the glass is worth the hassle. The view's great, but those water spots drive me nuts—no matter what I try, they keep coming back. Did you notice any weird residue from the rain repellent? I tried something similar and it left this strange film. With aluminum, you dodge the cleaning marathon, but then you get the whole “rust roulette” thing... Is there even a perfect choice, or are we just picking our battles here?
Glass vs. aluminum fencing around the pool—what’s actually better?
I totally get where you’re coming from with the glass. I’ve had clients swear by the view, but then call me a month later about the never-ending water spots. The rain repellent thing is hit or miss—sometimes it works, other times you get that greasy haze that just won’t budge. With aluminum, yeah, less scrubbing, but I’ve seen some pretty gnarly rust stains if you’re anywhere near saltwater or don’t keep up with the coating. Honestly, I think it really comes down to what bugs you less: cleaning glass or worrying about corrosion. There’s no perfect answer, just what you’re willing to live with...