[TriMT7]

Though this is an old thread, I have a pool without a screen, and enjoy the open pool look better. However, it does require a bit more cleaning than if there was a screen!

[Andrea Mills]

Our pool isn't screened in. One advantage of it is that our pool warms up a lot faster in the spring than a screened in pool wood. Disadvantage is we have lots of crawly critters, leaves and "stuff" we need to skim out of it on a daily basis. I would rather do with cooler pool temps in the spring but say good bye to the skimming. It's a personal preferrence I guess.

[doggiebus]

My parents had a screen in pool, then Andrew blew it away, they never put the screen back up, their backyard is much nicer looking with out the screen. And they get to use the pool longer because the pool temp is warmer longer than with the screen. When we bought our house we took down the pool screen, it was just an eye sore in our opinion.

[daytonadewd]

Originally Posted by Momma_bear

There are plusses and minuses to having a screen. It really is a matter of preference. IMO here are the plusses and minuses

Plusses
Pool stays cooler in summer
Pool stays cleaner most of the time
Can get rid of screens on sliding glass doors.
Outdoors is more part of the house
Cuts down on bugs

Minuses
Pool gets colder in winter and costs more to heat
Pool takes longer to warm after winter (if there's no heater)
Screens are ugly
Expensive to repair after storms (insurance doesnt always pay)

I prefer a pool w/o a screen.

Nobody has mentioned having a pool cover instead (which would deal with "minuses" listed above, plus the issues of floating bugs and leaves).

The main issue would be how you use your patio and if bugs are a problem for you when you do. Bugs can be a problem either regularly or during certain swarming times of the year. You can choose to have just a screened lanai area as an option, while leaving the pool covered. This would allow you to have opened french doors without the bug problem.

The other main issue would be safety and liability. You are legally liable if a child were to climb your required safety fence and drown in your pool, even if you weren't home to do anything about it. The pool screen acts as an additional barrier from a child gaining access to your pool.

This situation can be lessened (but may also "punish" your own children/grandchildren as well), by using landscaping barriers that include thorns which would be unfriendly to children at possible access perimeters, such as bouganvilla, crown of thorns and cacti, etc. Florida has the highest rate of child drownings in pools per year!

If you also have an unscreened pool, it can be located in the middle/back of your backyard lot, which allows for more use of the space, by putting landscaping and paved surfaces (instead of grass) that are ideal for entertaining and sunbathing (difficult w/ the screen). This idea also cuts yard maintenance, but could actually create more pool maintenance if you don't cover the pool when not in use, because of leaves, debris from the landscaping.

There is also nothing like viewing your entire back garden at night illuminated by the pool light and landscape lighting! Paradise.