22×22 Tubular Metal Building as Pool Cover and Storage
A metal building can turn your pool into a year-round retreat but without the right planning, the same moisture and chemicals that come with a pool can eventually take a toll on your building.
Today, Texas metal buildings are not just about spaces for garage, workshop, or storage. With the right design, they can transform a backyard pool into a shaded, protected space where you can relax, entertain, and enjoy the pool more comfortably throughout the year.
But there’s an important consideration that you need to understand before putting up your metal building over or near a swimming pool. Moisture and pool chemicals can accelerate rust and corrosion on steel.
Here’s what you need to know before getting your building.
Why Use a Metal Building Over Your Pool?
Texas weather can make enjoying a pool a challenge. Intense sun, heavy rain, wind, and changing temperatures can limit how often you use your pool.
A properly designed metal building can provide shade and protection while giving your pool area a more finished and functional space.
Depending on your goals, a Texas metal building can be designed as:
- An open shade structure for protection from direct sunlight while keeping the pool area open
- A partially enclosed structure for additional shade, privacy, and weather protection
- A fully enclosed and insulated pool cover for a more controlled environment
Both tubular and red iron metal buildings can be customized around different pool layouts, dimensions, and design preferences. Colors and exterior details can also be coordinated with your home to achieve a more cohesive look.
While it can make year-round swimming possible, a pool creates constant moisture and chemical exposure that can speed up rust and corrosion on a metal building.
Problem: Pools Create a Corrosive Environment
Swimming pools constantly introduce moisture into the surrounding environment. Add chlorine, bromine, salt, and other pool chemicals, and the air around the pool can become significantly more corrosive than a typical outdoor environment.
That matters because prolonged exposure to moisture and chemicals can accelerate corrosion on galvanized steel and other metal components.
Over time, repeated exposure can contribute to:
- Rust and corrosion on the framing
- Deterioration of protective coatings
- Premature wear of metal components
- Reduced longevity of the structure
This becomes an even greater concern when the building is installed directly over or very close to the pool, where the framing can receive continuous exposure to humidity, chemical-laden moisture, and splash.
The photos below show rust build up on the tubular frames as the building was used as pool cover.
This is why putting a metal building over a pool isn’t simply a matter of designing the right size and shape. The surrounding environment needs to be considered before construction begins.
What does WolfSteel think?
At WolfSteel Buildings, we understand why homeowners want to create a covered or enclosed pool area. It can turn your pool into a space your family can enjoy all year long, giving you more opportunities to swim, relax, and spend time together no matter the season.
However, we also believe customers should understand the potential long-term risks before making that investment.
Because constant exposure to pool moisture and chemicals can accelerate corrosion, WolfSteel’s rust warranties do not apply to metal buildings constructed within 5 feet of a swimming pool.
If you’re considering a pool building, the goal should be to design for the environment, not simply design around the pool.
How to Protect Your Metal Building Near or Over a Pool?
While corrosion cannot be completely eliminated when a metal building is exposed to a pool environment, there are ways to reduce exposure and potentially extend the life of the structure.
a. Keep distance from the Pool
- Whenever possible, install the metal building more than 5 feet from the pool to reduce direct exposure to splash.
- Install the metal building on a stem wall so it’s not on the same ground as the pool. This will prevent contact with the ground water and reduce moisture exposure.
b. Maintain Regular Cleaning
- Apply protective oil on the metal surface periodically to remove chlorine, salt or chemical residue that can accelerate corrosion.
c. Use Protective Coatings
- Painting your red iron framing shields it from moisture and oxygen to which it easily reacts causing rust to form.
- Chlorinated rubber-based paint or a specialized polyurethane coating can help minimize corrosion due to exposure to chlorine and moisture.
d. Proper Drainage
- Design the structure so that water (rain, splash, or condensation) drains quickly and completely.
- Avoid flat surfaces or areas where water can pool and stagnate, as this creates localized, highly corrosive zones.
Coordinate the Pool Deck and Building Slab
When a pool and metal building are being constructed close together, the order of construction matters. The pool deck should generally be completed first so the building slab elevation can be coordinated with the deck’s finished height and slope. Poor coordination may leave one surface significantly higher than the other and create drainage or accessibility problems.
- Read through our blog why gutters and downspouts are important for your metal building.
A metal building can make your pool area more comfortable, functional, and enjoyable, however, the pool environment itself can be tough for steel.
Moisture, humidity, chlorine, bromine, and salt can accelerate corrosion, especially when the structure is installed directly over or very close to the pool.
That doesn’t mean a metal building and a pool can’t work together. It means the project needs to be planned with corrosion protection in mind from the beginning.
At WolfSteel Buildings, we want our clients to understand both the possibilities and the limitations before investing in their project. By considering the building’s distance from the pool, foundation, drainage, coatings, and ongoing maintenance, you can make a more informed decision about how to protect your structure for the long term.
Thinking about a metal building for your pool area? Let’s talk about your project!
Call us 844-941-0999
Or email us anytime at quotes@wolfsteelbuildings.com