Pool fencing: a frame for the water or a wall around it?

Pool fencing isn’t just about ticking compliance boxes, though that part’s unavoidable. In New Zealand, it needs to be at least 1.2m high, with no gaps wider than 100mm, no easy footholds, and a gate that swings shut and latches itself like clockwork. The rules make sense. What doesn’t make sense is why so many fences still look like something borrowed from a public swimming complex.

That’s where aluminium changes the game. It’s the kind of material that doesn’t ask for attention but still gets it. No rust, no warping, no endless maintenance. It holds its own in the elements and doesn’t need a full-time cleaning schedule to stay looking good. Unlike glass, it won’t turn every splash and fingerprint into an eyesore. Unlike timber, it won’t fade, split, or demand another coat of stain every few years.

And when it’s done right, it frames the pool in a way that makes the whole space feel intentional. Strong, sharp, and modern, without feeling like it’s trying too hard. Black for contrast. Custom colours to disappear into the background. A fence that enhances rather than encloses.

Mako Swim and Mako Blade are built exactly for this. Safe, stylish, and solid without being overbearing. The kind of fence that finishes the space rather than closing it in. Because when everything else has been designed to be just right, why should the last piece be an afterthought?