- Been down this road myself—did a glass fence for our first pool, then switched to aluminum after a few years.
- Glass looked killer at first, but honestly, every splash, every fingerprint, every bit of pollen showed up. With two kids and a dog, it was a losing battle.
- Spent more time cleaning than actually enjoying the backyard.
- Aluminum isn’t as flashy, but it holds up. No rust, no endless wiping, just a quick hose-down now and then.
- Only thing I’d say is, if you’re set on glass for the look, maybe just do a small section where you want the view? That’s what my neighbor did and it’s a decent compromise.
- End of the day, I’d rather be swimming than scrubbing. Low maintenance wins for me too, hands down.
Honestly, I hear you on the glass—looks amazing in photos, but in real life? It’s a full-time job keeping it spotless, especially with kids and pets. I ended up mixing materials: aluminum for most of the fence, then a glass panel right by the patio for the view. That way, you get the best of both worlds without all the hassle. If you’re handy, swapping out a section later isn’t too tough either. Just make sure you anchor the posts well and double-check your measurements before ordering panels... learned that one the hard way.
Honestly, I get the appeal of mixing materials, but I’ve found that once you start adding glass—even just a panel or two—it’s tough to ignore the fingerprints and water spots.
Couldn’t agree more. Personally, I’d rather just stick with powder-coated aluminum all the way. Less maintenance, still looks sharp, and you don’t have to worry about swapping panels down the line. Just my two cents—sometimes simpler is better.“It’s a full-time job keeping it spotless, especially with kids and pets.”
I totally get the headache with glass—my neighbor’s pool fence looks amazing but she’s always out there with a squeegee. I’m leaning toward aluminum too, just because I know I’m not the type to keep up with all that cleaning. But part of me still wonders if I’ll regret not having that open “resort” vibe glass gives. Is aluminum really that much less maintenance, though? I keep reading mixed things about it corroding over time, especially near saltwater pools.
Had the same debate at my last flip. I went with aluminum for the pool fence, mostly because I knew I’d never keep up with glass cleaning either. You’re right about the “resort” vibe, though—glass looks killer when it’s spotless.
Is aluminum really that much less maintenance, though? I keep reading mixed things about it corroding over time, especially near saltwater pools.
Here’s what I found: aluminum is way less work day-to-day. I just hosed it off every now and then, no big deal. But you’re not wrong about the corrosion thing—my place was a couple blocks from the beach, and after about three years, I started noticing some pitting on the lower rails. It wasn’t falling apart or anything, but it didn’t look brand new anymore.
If you’re super close to saltwater, powder coating helps a lot. Still, nothing is totally bulletproof. For me, the trade-off was worth it. I’d rather deal with a little touch-up paint down the road than be out there scrubbing fingerprints and water spots every weekend. But yeah, glass does have that wow factor… just depends how much you want to work for it.
