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Now the tips:

My 5 month old son is soon to be crawling. I think it is time to invest in a swimming pool fence. . .but not sure where to begin?

In many areas there are safety requirements for pool fences (i.e. they have to be a certain height - here it's 6 feet etc.). Check with local fencing contractors as well. You want to make sure there is no way a preschooler can break in there when you aren't around, and don't underestimate how curious, capable and adept they can be.

There have been several deaths in our city where a pool fence went around the yard and patio, and was accessible from the house - so if you can, you might want to consider making sure that the fence is totally closable so if a kid goes out the door (and they do escape), there is still no chance of ending up in the pool.

Get a darned good fence. Tragedy can happen in a heartbeat when it comes to kids and water. If you have one of the newer type of pool safety fences, there is no need to also have a pool cover.

We installed a fence specifically designed for pool safety when our eldest was a few months old. It worked great - the locking mechanism was far too difficult for anyone but an adult to open (even mom couldn't unscrew some of the locks!!!) If we were going in the pool with the kids, we opened only one section; for a party, we could take down the entire fence in about 15 minutes.

I would get a new fence. You'll want professional installation. Also, after years of exposure to the elements, the metal locking mechanisms can begin to rust. And the fence has to fit the dimensions of the specific pool, as well as any nearby fencing, landscaping, etc. that it needs to be tied into.