Requirements for pool stairs
The flight of stairs for the font was created with one purpose - to provide a convenient, safe entry and exit from the water. Decorative design is similarly an equally important link.
The structure acts as an element of the pool design. When making pool stairs, both of these factors are taken as a basis. In addition, the product has other requirements:
- Increased strength. The flight of stairs must withstand the weight of a person and not bend under him.
- Reliable fixation. The staircase is secured with flanges or embedded elements. The legs of stepladders must have rubber stops.
- Correct installation. The entrance is always located on the most illuminated side of the pool.
Stairs for children's and adult pools differ in size, which is due to the growth of vacationers. The structures are designed to carry a certain weight. These parameters must be taken into account if you are creating a project yourself.
Key aspects
If the pool is of a self-leveling type, a double-sided stainless steel pool ladder is preferable. It should be as wide as possible, the railings will be mounted directly to the side. It is not always possible to install a solid structure (as for covered pools). In this case, it is more appropriate to purchase handrails and steps separately.
Main requirements for stainless steel structures:
- Any metal structure (like a wooden staircase for a swimming pool) must be equipped with handrails;
- The distance between steps should not exceed 25 centimeters;
- An anti-slip coating should be placed on the steps, and the entire surface should be treated with special compounds that prevent corrosion;
- Any design for both an inflatable and a stationary pool must withstand a lot of weight.
The double-sided or single-sided design can be supplemented with either monolithic or separate handrails. The pipes should be wide enough, but not overly massive. Selecting a design largely requires taking into account the decorative qualities of the product. The staircase descent should fit organically into the design and complement the pool and the area next to it.
What are stairs for outdoor pools made of?
Pool entrance elements are produced in production and made by hand. The place of manufacture often determines what material the structure is made of.
Wood is considered not the best material. Firstly, wood quickly disappears in damp conditions. Secondly, as the wood rots, the instability of the structure and the risk of the steps breaking increases. For these reasons, manufacturers do not use wood. This material is popular among those who like to do everything with their own hands. For the pool, attached flights of stairs with a platform are assembled.
Advice! To extend the service life of the structure, the wood is coated with protective impregnations, painted or varnished.
Stainless steel pipes or aluminum profiles are the best materials for stairs. All manufacturers use it. The finished product is durable, resistant to corrosion, looks aesthetically pleasing, and has a long service life. It is almost impossible to loosen such a ladder.
When assembling with their own hands, craftsmen often use ferrous metal pipes. Their disadvantage is their susceptibility to corrosion. Coloring only briefly slows down the process.
Polypropylene pipes are rarely used for making stairs. Plastic does not withstand heavy loads. This design can be assembled for a child for a children's pool. Sometimes metal rods are inserted inside the tubes for strength.
Most suitable materials
To make a high-quality and reliable ladder, you can use several types of materials. Typically stainless steel , polypropylene or aluminum are used.
Surely many swimming pool owners have thought about making a staircase from ordinary wood. After all, it is much easier than assembling metal structures. But this is not the most suitable option, because when the lumber interacts with water, it will simply be pushed upward, since wood has a much lower density.
In addition, wooden materials will rot fairly quickly if exposed to water. In just a few years, such a device can simply be thrown away and a new one built. But if there is a strong desire to make a staircase out of wood, then you can make an attached structure that will be a platform. To reduce the impact of water on the material, water-repellent paint can be applied to the surface. This option will help preserve the wooden staircase for a long time.
But it is worth noting that usually other materials are used to make the structure, which have more capabilities when interacting with water.
Use of stainless steel
This is the most common option for stairs. Stainless steel retains all its performance properties, even in humid conditions, and also has fairly high strength and can last for many years.
But, of course, stainless steel also has its disadvantages. Over time, a coating will form on the metal. The reason for this is insufficiently clean water, to which various impurities are added. It is for this reason that the product will have to be cleaned of this sediment. But it's not too big of a problem. The second inconvenience is the assembly process, since a metal staircase will have to be welded and then polished so that it has a beautiful and neat appearance. If you have never handled a welding machine before, then making a staircase from stainless steel is not the best option.
Homemade plastic
Plastic is a fairly inexpensive material , and therefore it is often used for the manufacture of such structures. Based on the mechanical properties of polypropylene, it can be understood that this type of material is inconvenient to process independently. The surface will suffer greatly and will look worn.
To create a similar structure at home from plastic, it is best to use unnecessary material. But it is worth noting that such a staircase will not have the most attractive appearance. There is an option to make a ladder from plastic tubes. To make the structure strong, iron reinforcement should be added inside. But this option is usually used exclusively for children's pools, since the ladder simply cannot support the weight of an adult. If you want to make a fairly durable structure, it is best to use stainless steel or a channel.
Pool ladder dimensions
For frame pools, double-sided stepladders are in demand. Before production begins, a drawing is drawn up indicating all dimensions. The parameters depend on the age for which the structure is designed. The step step for the stairs to the pool is 35-40 cm for an adult, 25 cm for children. The width of the structure remains the same for any age, from 50 to 70 cm. With these parameters, the stepladder is stable and allows you to move freely along it.
To determine the height of the stepladder, measure the distance from the bottom of the font to the top point of the side, add a margin of 30 to 40 cm. For optimal structural strength, you need to select the optimal size of the tubes. Their diameter cannot be less than 40 mm. The parameters of other additional elements are selected empirically. For example, handrails are adjusted to the height of people so that they can hold on comfortably. If desired, the stepladder can be equipped with a platform, the size of which depends on personal preferences.
Various designs
Each type of pool requires a special approach, so there is no universal option that would be suitable for a frame and a regular stationary one. Below we will consider the designs that are most often used.
For inflatable or frame pool
A frame or inflatable pool is purchased due to its mobility and the ability to be stored in a garage or storage room in winter. This means that the ladder that will be used with it must be transportable. Usually it looks like a stepladder; these pool stairs are double-sided. The height will depend on the height of the pool side. Differences between models may lie in the number of steps, as well as in the step between them. If there are children in the family, then it is necessary to take care of more steps with smaller steps.
The price of stairs for frame and inflatable pools also depends on the material used. Most often, a metal frame with plastic steps is used. The front side of each step is covered with a rough pattern or a special rubber pad. This increases safety because it prevents your foot from slipping. It is better to opt for a product with railings. Where there is water, it is always slippery, so it is better to protect yourself and your family. It is easier to store a staircase in which the steps can be dismantled and placed separately from the frame. For older people, it will be easier to enter the pool using stairs that have a platform, since you won’t have to lift your leg high.
Note! It is better to buy a ladder with a frame made of aluminum or stainless steel. These metals are highly resistant to corrosion, so you can leave the ladder in the pool without fear that it will rust.
Stationary option
In stationary pools that are located in a recess, the use of ladders in the form of stepladders is impossible, so other solutions are used. For some pools, the fastening is made directly to the wall; in others, the handles are made in the shape of an arc and they serve as a lock or simply grip the top edge. It doesn't have to reach the bottom. It should be comfortable to swim up to such a ladder and rest your feet on it. The pitch of the steps is selected depending on specific needs. The material for the manufacture of such stairs is stainless steel. It perfectly withstands even significant human weight, and also does not fail from exposure to water and chemicals that are used to clean the pool.
Note! If the pool will be used by elderly family members, then it is worth considering installing an inclined ladder that will rest at the very bottom. It will require additional space, so its installation should be considered during design.
Some pool owners prefer a monolithic ladder. In appearance, it resembles a regular staircase that is used in buildings. It is very easy to handle, but the laid tiles can be quite slippery, making it easy to get injured. To prevent this from happening, stainless steel railings are installed, and anti-slip rubber mats or tiles with a special surface are laid on the steps. This option should also be included in the project, since it can radically change the shape of the finished pool.
How to make a pool ladder with your own hands
After developing the project, you can begin manufacturing the structure. At this stage, you already need to decide on the material, calculate all the dimensions, and find a way to install it on the pool.
The video shows an example of a pool ladder:
Do-it-yourself pool ladder made of wood
Wood is considered one of the cheapest and most affordable materials. Wood lends itself well to processing and does not require welding. It is optimal to make a ladder for a frame pool with your own hands in the form of an attached stepladder with an upper platform. The height of an outdoor frame bathtub usually varies from 76 to 100 cm. Based on these parameters, material for assembly is prepared.
For supports, boards with a section of 50x120 mm are prepared. You can use timber. The steps are made from boards with a section of 30x120 mm. It is better to cut the platform yourself from moisture-resistant multi-layer plywood. To fix all the elements you will need self-tapping screws and mounting angles. A standard set of tools is prepared: saw, screwdriver, tape measure, grinder or sandpaper.
Assemble the stairs for the pool with a platform in the following order:
- Blanks are cut from the timber for the base of a flight of stairs. There should be two identical ones. One part of the march will stand near the pool, and the other will be in the water. The frame is assembled from blanks. Triangles cut from a board are attached to an inclined beam. The elements are placed strictly opposite each other to create parallel stringers.
- Blanks for steps are cut from the board. The parts are attached to the triangles of the stringers. Each element is reinforced with a mounting angle.
- When the two parts of the flight of stairs are ready, they are connected at the top with board overlays. Wide mounting angles are placed under them, because this is where the platform will be located, which will bear a large load.
- A fragment of the required size is cut out of plywood. It is usually made in a rectangular shape. The plywood is attached to the overlays. The site is ready.
- To ensure that the flight of stairs is stable and does not sink into the ground under the weight of a person, the lower part of the legs is connected by jumpers. They form a kind of emphasis on the ground and stiffening ribs.
- The finished structure is thoroughly polished. In places inaccessible to the grinder, use sandpaper. The wood is well impregnated with solutions that protect against fungus and moisture.
- Painting gives the product additional protection from moisture and aesthetics. To make the entrance to the pool look beautiful, the structure assembled by yourself is opened with varnish. You can use stain to highlight the natural beauty of wood.
The flight of stairs to the pool is ready. If desired, you can upgrade it yourself. If you sew up the sides on the outer part of the structure, then a niche is formed under the steps where equipment for caring for the pool is stored.
Do-it-yourself pool ladder from a stepladder
It’s easier not to make a metal ladder from scratch, but to remake a stepladder. The peculiarity of the design is that it already consists of two parts, and this is ideal for a frame outdoor pool. According to the standard, stepladders have steps made of 8 cm wide slats. They are comfortable for the foot and do not put pressure even when walking barefoot.
There are two ways to remake a stepladder with your own hands. If the walls of the pool are strong, make an extension ladder. The stepladder is cut to the required height at an angle of 25°, as shown in the photo. The cutting areas are sharp. To prevent them from damaging the walls of the pool, they are covered with homemade plugs cut from rubber 1 cm thick.
Advice! For plugs, it is optimal to use rubberized fabric.
The ladder is leaned against the bowl from the outside. To prevent it from moving, a depression of up to 20 cm is made under the legs. A similar structure can be leaned against from inside the pool. However, due to the lack of a groove at the bottom for support, it is capable of moving out.
The ladder will be more reliable if you remake the stepladder using the second method. If necessary, only the legs of the structure are shortened. For a stepladder installed over the side of the pool, its native platform should rise from the top of the fence by 30-40 cm. On the outside, under the legs, stops in the form of recesses are similarly made with your own hands. The upper handle of the stepladder in the shape of an arc is cut off. The cut area is covered with plugs.
The disadvantage of a stepladder is that there are steps on only one side. To get out of the pool, you will have to weld the steps yourself on the second side. The design is more complex, but more reliable in terms of stability.
DIY stainless steel pool ladder
If you have a welding machine and experience working with it, then the stairs to the pool can be welded in any configuration. It is better to take a stainless profile from the material. First, use a grinder to cut 4 long blanks for the stands. Two ladders of the same size are welded from them and lintels. They are connected at the top by two more jumpers to form a pyramid that resembles a stepladder when unfolded.
Arc-shaped handles are welded from pieces of round pipe and bends. Attach the handrails to the upper lintels. The area is sewn up with a rectangular sheet of corrugated iron. All welding joints are cleaned with a grinder or grinder. Rubber plugs are placed on the bottom of the legs to prevent damage to the bottom of the pool. If desired, the stainless steel structure can be painted.
Making steps from metal
There are a lot of options for chrome stairs, both in terms of external design and functionality; you can buy a ready-made one. Or you can do it yourself using a welding machine and metal. Select a suitable drawing, measure the parts and weld them to each other. Parts can also be secured with galvanized bolts. Typically, such a ladder looks like a stepladder. The metal is treated with anti-corrosion substances. The steps are covered with anti-slip material. A rubber pad is placed on each leg of the metal ladder to prevent damage to the bowl lining. Such a ladder will be reliable and can withstand heavy loads.
The minimum cost of a ladder for a stainless steel pool is 5,000 rubles.
Features of manufacturing stairs for inflatable pools
Externally, ladders for inflatable bowls are similar to ordinary stepladders. One side of it rests on the ground from the outside, and the other inside the pool rests on the bottom. For children's shallow inflatable swimming pools, manufacturers sometimes provide stairs in the form of a slide. They are made in the same way as inflatable ones.
There are stairs for inflatable pools with removable plastic steps, a height adjustment mechanism, with or without railings, as well as with or without a platform.
If you are making a homemade ladder for an inflatable pool, then there should be no dangerous components on it that could damage the bowl. A design made of polypropylene pipes may be in demand here if the font is designed for children.
Making steps from plastic
The simplest option, which is bought ready-made and assembled according to the instructions.
The minimum cost of a ladder for a plastic pool is 1,800 rubles.
Whatever ladder you choose, it must be reliable and safe first and foremost. This staircase will be convenient and pleasant to use for many years. Even if it is stationary. By the way, a portable wooden or metal ladder, in winter, can serve as an excellent stand for flowers in the winter garden!
How to install a ladder in a swimming pool
A special feature of the installation of a staircase entrance to the pool is the reliable fixation of the structure. This can be done with flanges or using embedded elements.
Flange mounting is unable to withstand heavy loads. This installation of stairs to the pool is suitable if children or non-obese people will walk on it. Flanges allow you to move the flight of stairs to another location if necessary.
To install it yourself, the ladder is leaned against the pool and placed in its permanent place. Flanges are placed on the legs, and drilling locations for mounting holes are marked. It is important here that there is a solid base, for example concrete or wood. Plastic dowels are inserted inside the holes, and the flanges are screwed with threaded stainless steel bolts.
The second do-it-yourself installation option is the most reliable and is suitable for all types of pools. Embedded elements (hooves) are used as fasteners. They are embedded in the concrete floor at the stage of pouring it. If this is not done, you will have to use a hammer drill to select recesses under the hooves. The mortgages are installed at the same level with the plane of the font's bypass path. After installing the ladder on the hooves, you first need to walk on it so that the structure is leveled and finds its place. Only then are the legs of the metal ladder welded to the embedded elements. The disadvantage of installation is the inability to move the structure to another location. If there is a strong need, it will have to be cut off and the hooves re-embedded in a new place.
Compatibility of the ladder with various types of pools
When building a pool, the developer is interested in various questions - how often to change the water in the pool, what to do with the chemicals for the water, how to reduce the cost of heating the bowl in the cold season, etc. Also relevant is the question of what types of pools can be combined with a homemade pool. hands ladder made of plastic. A positive point is the versatility of the constructed structure.
With proper installation, this element will be an excellent addition to a concrete pool made using the monolithic pouring method using reinforcing rods, a pool made of plastic, acrylic and even wood. The staircase is suitable for capital stationary models, as well as collapsible frame-type structures that are installed on the site temporarily and disassembled at the end of the season for storage in dismantled form.
How to strengthen a ladder for a frame pool
Most often, amplification requires steps. To do this, auxiliary angles or bars are placed at the junction of the support and the slats. For wooden stairs, grooves are cut out on the supports and steps are inserted into them. If the structure turns out to be shaky, additional jibs and spacers between the posts will provide strength.
How to paint a pool ladder
When the assembly of the ladder for the frame pool is completed, it must be painted. Decorative treatment will protect the structure from the harmful effects of moisture and give it aesthetics.
To paint metal you need a zinc primer, a degreasing solution and paint. As the final material, it is optimal to use enamels in cylinders. In extreme cases, they can be applied with a spray gun. The metal surface is first rubbed with sandpaper and degreased with a solution. The next step is to apply primer. When it dries, cover all areas with paint in even layers.
Preparing for painting a wooden structure similarly begins with sanding with sandpaper. To protect the wood from grinder beetles, moisture, and mold, it is treated with an antiseptic. After drying, use varnish based on alcohol, alkyd, formaldehyde or nitrocellulose. Varnishes are transparent and colored. Choose at your own discretion. You can use clear varnish after pre-staining the wood. For application use a paint brush.
Metal models
The side ladder is installed to the edge of the pool without any fastenings.
The simplest and most commonly used option for a pool is a metal structure that is installed at the edge. You can assemble such a circuit with your own hands, using only metal pipes and a welding machine. For example, it is not so easy to make Roman steps yourself, unless you purchase a ready-made structure that is carefully selected to fit the shape of the pool bowl.
Metal pool ladders are the most common; with their help you can quickly and easily go down into the water or climb up. Most often they have an emphasis on the upper platform and bottom, but there are options when the structure is attached only to the walls of the pool. In their shape, such structures resemble the letter “A” or “P”.
The first option is a metal stepladder, for which stability is ensured by resting on the walls of the pool. The second option is a ladder, the fastening of which is located on the platform. The structure itself is assembled from metal pipes, which serve as handrails and a frame; pipes or plastic, metal corrugated crossbars are also used as steps. It is quite easy to assemble such a staircase with your own hands from pipes.
For an inflatable pool, a metal ladder must have legs with tips to ensure its stability on the ground. For large pools, mounted models are used. They simply “slide on” to the side and have comfortable handrails. This option is used for pools buried in the ground.
The width of any metal staircase should not exceed half a meter (for most models) to make it convenient and safe to use the structure.
A gymnastic wall made by yourself is approximately 10 times cheaper than a purchased one. Although it is not much different from the store bought one. You don’t need to be a great expert in soldering pipes to assemble it from polypropylene pipes. I made this wall bars for my child. It can withstand up to 80 kilograms, which is quite acceptable for school-age children. It’s not for me to explain to you how useful gymnastics is for children, especially for strengthening the spinal muscles. And the prices for such gymnastic installations leave much to be desired... These criteria pushed me to think and make this wall from polypropylene pipes for my son.
My son drew a picture; he had wanted one for a long time.
Let's get started
What you need:
- Pipes are inch, diameter 33 mm.
- Fitting for pipes.
- Soldering iron for polypropylene pipes.
- Paint if desired.
You will have to calculate everything yourself according to your needs. Take into account the height of the ceiling, etc. things. Once you have calculated everything, we cut the blanks. And we begin to solder the nodes. You can remove the black markings from the pipes with alcohol in advance so that you don’t have to do this later. But you can, of course, erase it in the end - it won’t be any worse.
It took me about an hour to do everything and the wall was ready. I recommend doing soldering in open areas, as it all stinks terribly if you work for a long time. Also, be sure to use work gloves - the soldering iron is very hot and you will definitely get burned if you do not have much experience in welding polypropylene pipes. Please note that all ends of the pipes are sealed with plugs.
I painted the base blue. To ensure smooth transitions, I used masking tape.
The gymnastic wall bars are attached as follows. We make holes in the tees along the entire length on the sides. On the back side we place pre-cut and painted pieces of the same pipe and screw them to the wall with long bolts. Before doing this, we make holes in the wall with plastic inserts.
Gymnastic rings are also made of pipe. To bend them into a ring, you need to heat the pipe along its entire length, and use a wide-diameter pipe like a template to cool it. Next we solder it with a jumper. I bought the ropes, there’s no escape. The child really likes it - he is simply delighted!
Control tests with a mass of 75 kg.
The result met all expectations. It turned out that making something beautiful and necessary is not at all difficult. Thank you all for your attention!
