Pool Covers

Pool Covers

• A custom-manufactured cover built to your pool's shape and size, including freeform, kidney, L-shaped, and rectangular inground pools
• Guidance on material selection, comparing the available options against how your yard sheds leaves and how much time you want to spend on upkeep
• Color selection from the palettes available across the Merlin safety cover line, so the cover complements your deck and landscaping instead of clashing with it
• Hardware built to last, including the anchors, springs, and tension straps that give the cover its strength once it is secured to the deck
• Accommodation for special pool features, since covers can be configured for raised spas, waterfalls, and other custom elements
• Straightforward answers on warranty coverage, with limited manufacturer warranties ranging from 10 to 15 years depending on the cover you select

You are not choosing from a catalog alone. You are choosing with people who have handled these covers for decades and know how they perform through a hard winter and a wet spring.

Safety Pool Covers That Do More Than Cover the Water

The reason safety pool covers exist is simple. A pool that is closed for the season is still a body of water sitting in your backyard, accessible to a curious child, a visiting grandchild, or a family dog. A true safety cover is not a floating sheet held down by water bags. It is anchored into the pool deck under tension and engineered to hold significant weight across its surface, forming a physical barrier rather than a loose lid.

That is the standard the industry measures against with ASTM F1346, the specification that separates genuine safety covers from ordinary winter covers. Merlin manufactures its safety covers to exceed industry standards, and the difference shows in the components: brass anchors, custom tension straps, and a patented spring system designed to keep the cover taut season after season.

Mesh pool covers are the most popular choice among homeowners, and for good reason. The woven material lets rain and melting snow drain straight through into the pool, so nothing collects on top of the cover. There is no pump to monitor, no standing water to siphon off after a storm, and no heavy load sitting on the material through the worst months of the year. Mesh is also considerably lighter than heavier cover materials, which makes removing, folding, and storing it a job most homeowners can manage without help.

Where mesh pool covers differ is in grade, and that is where the buying decision actually gets made. The variables worth comparing are:

• Shade percentage. More sunlight blocked means less algae growth under the cover, which translates directly into a cleaner opening.
• Filtration rating. Finer filtration keeps more sediment and fine particulate out of the water rather than letting it pass through the weave.
• Tear and burst strength. This determines how the cover holds up to a heavy branch, an ice load, or years of repeated tensioning.
• Abrasion resistance. Covers get dragged, folded, and stored. The material either tolerates that or it does not.
• Weight. Lighter material is easier to handle alone, which matters more than most people expect on closing day.

The higher grades of mesh have narrowed the historical gap between mesh and heavier materials considerably. Smart Mesh, for example, delivers 100% shade protection while still draining freely, which was not possible in the mesh category until recently.

The best safety pool cover is the one that matches your pool's shape, your property's debris load, and how much off-season maintenance you are realistically willing to do. There is no single model that wins for every homeowner, but there are clear patterns in what works.

For most homeowners, mesh pool covers are the strongest fit because they require the least attention once they are on. Water drains through on its own, so there is no pump to check and no accumulated weight sitting on the material. Among mesh pool covers, Smart Mesh sits at the top of the category because it is the only mesh delivering 100% shade protection while still filtering debris down to 40 microns and remaining substantially lighter than heavier materials. It addresses the traditional weakness of mesh without giving up any of its advantages. Dura-Mesh II is the strongest choice in the standard mesh category, offering 95% shading and 68% greater strength than comparable standard mesh at a different point in the lineup.

Covers wear out, and the failure is usually gradual enough that homeowners live with it longer than they should. It is worth replacing your cover if you notice:

• Visible tears, fraying seams, or worn spots in the material
• Sagging in the center that does not correct when the cover is tensioned
• Straps that have stretched, frayed, or lost their tension
• Anchors that no longer sit flush or have loosened in the deck
• Springs that stay compressed or no longer pull the cover taut
• Significantly more debris and algae at spring opening than in previous years
• Fading or brittleness in the material after years of UV exposure



A cover that has lost its tension is no longer functioning as a barrier, which is the part that matters most.

A safety cover is one of the few pool purchases that keeps paying for itself. Because these covers carry limited manufacturer warranties of 10 to 15 years depending on the model, a single well-chosen cover protects your pool across a full decade or more of seasons.

Each of those seasons compounds the value. Water that stays clean under the cover reduces the chemicals needed to bring it back in spring. Blocking sunlight and debris protects your liner and surfaces from staining and unnecessary wear. Keeping leaves and dirt out of the water means less strain on your filtration system when the pool reopens. And every year, the opening gets faster because the water underneath was never allowed to go green in the first place.



The peace of mind runs on the same timeline. A secured pool stays secured through every off-season your family spends in the house.

• Covers are all we do. We are not a full-service pool company treating covers as an afterthought. Our entire focus is helping homeowners select the right pool cover, which means we know these products at a level of detail most retailers do not.
• 25+ years of pool industry experience. Our team has seen how these covers hold up season after season, and that experience informs every recommendation we make.
• A recognized manufacturer behind every cover. Merlin builds its safety covers entirely with American-made materials and components, including a patented safety cover spring, and manufactures to exceed industry standards.
• The full line, not a single option. Carrying every Merlin safety cover means we can recommend based on what actually suits your pool instead of steering you toward the one product we happen to stock.
• Custom fit for any inground shape. Rectangular, freeform, kidney, L-shaped, with a raised spa or a waterfall, the cover is fabricated to your pool.
• Straight answers. We tell you what each material does well and where it falls short, so you understand the tradeoffs before you commit.

Tell us about your pool and we will help you narrow down the right cover. It helps to know your pool's approximate size, whether the shape is rectangular or custom, and how much off-season maintenance you want to take on.

Call (631) 801-5200 or request a free quote online, and one of our pool cover specialists will walk you through your options..