There are a number of pull latches available for glass pool fencing that are designed to suit different fence designs.

All of our frameless and semi-frameless glass gate latches come in either full stainless steel or stainless/matte black finish.

It’s worth noting that the latch will always be mounted on the pool side of the fence. The hinge will always be mounted on the non-pool side of the fence and the gate will always open away from the pool. These measures are in place to meet Australian Safety Standards.

There are different latch styles used for frameless and semi-frameless glass.

Glass to Glass Latch

This is the most commonly used type of latch. Mounted on the pool side of the glass, this latch is designed to connect between two side-by-side glass panels

Glass to Glass Internal Corner Latch

Commonly used when the gate is adjacent to a fence corner.

Glass to Glass External Corner Latch

Also used on fence corner but when the corner runs in the opposite direction to the internal corner latch.

Glass to Wall Latch

Used when a gate must be adjacent to a solid wall.

Glass to Square Post Latch

Suitable when attaching a gate to square semi-frameless glass fencing.

Glass to Round Post Latch

Suitable when attaching a gate to round semi-frameless glass fencing.

Many of our pool fencing customers consider the additional cleaning required for glass pool fencing when it comes time to decide between aluminium and glass fencing.

Frameless and semi-frameless glass fencing looks amazing once installed and cleaning a glass pool fence is a relatively pain free process. In this article we will run through our recommendations for maintaining and cleaning your glass pool fence.

Note: The advice given below is general in nature and is recommended for products sold by Absolute Glass Pty Ltd. Cleaning agents may be detrimental to inferior quality products that are not sold by us.

Cleaning the glass & stainless components

Use a soft bristled broom to make cleaning easier

Firstly, give the glass a quick hose to remove any light blemishes. We recommend mixing up a bucket of warm water combined with some dishwashing detergent. You can use any type of soft bristled brush or even a car washing sponge to apply the detergent mix but we recommend using a soft bristled broom to improve your reach and make the cleaning process easier. If you have tough marks such as bird droppings you may need to use a sponge to remove those.

Use your soft bristled brush and detergent mix to also clean the spigots or fence posts at the same time.

Once you’ve cleaned the surface simply hose off the residue. We recommend hosing off before the detergent mix dries up to avoid streaking.

We find that the above process is enough to keep your glass panels nice and clean. As an additional step you could use window cleaner and paper towel on the glass to create an even greater shine, but this requires alot more effort than simply hosing and brushing.

Renewing the shine on stainless steel spigots, fence posts and accessories

Apply NanoCoat once every couple of years to protect the stainless

The cleaning process above with help keep your stainless components clean but we do recommend re-coating your stainless components every couple of years with a surface protection barrier. Our recommendation is NanoCoat Metal 2 in 1. Not only does the NanoCoat product clean and polish the product but it creates an invisible, non-stick long lasting protective barrier to keep your stainless components looking like new.

Good quality stainless will never rust although it is still possible to get surface dirt and grime that has a rust like appearance. This should simply wipe off when applying the NanoCoat product.

Inspecting your fence for movement and function

From time to time pool fencing panels can become loose or misaligned. There are a number of reasons for this ranging from poor installation and components, to movement created by weather, trees and branches (or people) and general settling/movement of the mounting surface.

Adjusting the gate

The gate panel and panels in the immediate vicinity most commonly may require adjusting. The force created when the pool gate shuts tends to place pressure on the panels and spigots / fence posts.

If your pool gate is no longer closing properly then it is of utmost importance to fix it immediately. A gate that doesn’t close can be more dangerous as a drowning risk than having no pool fence at all as the fence may present a false sense of security to visitors.

The latch and hinge mechanisms generally have the ability for slight adjustment and in some cases this may be all that is required. The adjustment will usually be made with a screwdriver or alan key depending on the type of latch and hinge set up your fence has.

Adjusting glass panels

If you have a frameless glass pool fence with friction spigots then your glass panels will be more likely to become loose over time. Friction spigots hold the glass in place with a grub screw that tightens a plate against the glass, clamping it in place. The grub screw can usually be tightened with an alan key or screwdriver. If you have premium compression spigots then it is unlikely you will need to tighten anything as the glass is physically fixed to the spigot with a bolt passing through a hole in the glass. This is a far superior glass panel mounting system.

If your glass panel has become misaligned then it is possible that the spigot may have shifted. If the misalignment is minor then you may be able to adjust your spigots to fix the issue, otherwise it may be time to call in a professional to inspect whether the spigot or post’s mounting surface is causing the problem. It may be necessary to re-fix the spigot or fence post in place.

If the actual spigot or fence post is wiggling or moving at the base then this will almost definitely require re-installation of that particular spigot / fence post. Do not put off fixing this issue as excessive movement can also cause the glass to shatter in some instances.

When planning a new pool area many people are aware of pool safety certification, for example maintaining minimum pool fence heights to minimise drowning risks. However it is not as commonly known that a pool fence must also meet electrical guidelines.

In instances where your pool fence is within 1.25m of the pool edge your fence must be earthed to prevent the risk of electrocution. Basically if there is an electrical current within the pool water and a person in the water touches a metal fitting then this can cause death or serious injury. This requirement means a earth wire must be run between spigots (underground) and then to an earthing point, usually on the house.

It is a requirement under AS3000 ;2007 that Equipotential Bonding (earth bonding) is required to pool fencing when the fence is within arm’s reach (1.250m) of the pool edge and Zone 1.

• Aluminium fencing must maintain continuity throughout the length of the fence within arm’s reach.
• Glass fencing that has metallic fittings greater than 100mm must also be bonded including metal posts within arm’s reach.

Please ensure that the correct earthing on metal components of your glass or aluminium fencing is done by a qualified electrical contractor.

We often speak to customers who have had a bad experience with a poor quality pool fence. Part of the problem is that buyers don’t know what to look for when making their purchasing decision.

Frameless glass fences may all look similar on first glance but upon closer inspection the difference in quality becomes apparent.

Glass quality and thickness is what most buyers check up on. The glass must meet or exceed Australian Standards to be able to be certified.

Cheaper frameless glass pool fences almost always use friction style spigots which clamp the glass in by tightening against the glass, rather than premium compression spigots that mechanically fix the glass to the spigot. Premium compression spigots reuire the glass panels to have a pre-cut hole where a fixing bolt can pass through. Friction spigots don’t pass through the glass at all, they simply clamp.

Whilst good results can still be achieved with good quality friction spigots it is important that they are engineered correctly as poorly made friction spigots have a tendency to allow the glass to move and come loose. High flex areas such as panels that are either side of the gate are the most likely to come loose.

Cheaper friction spigots have poor quality rubber/plastic spacer systems that don’t contact the surface of the glass properly and in some cases the material that is used to make the spigot may even have flex in it causing poor performance over the longer term.

It is also worth mentioning that it can be difficult to gain certification for your fence if your products have not been purchased from a reputable supplier. For instance, we won’t certify any fence unless it is constructed completely of our own products.

It is important to look around when choosing a frameless glass pool fence.