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Here are seven pointers for building steps like a Pro:
Pool Warehouse offers as an upgrade the in pool step option by removing the step provided on the Pool Kit at no cost. Customers will order the liner after they have completed the Pool Kit and have formed the steps. Fax
the completed step liner form back to Poolwarehouse. Please see our new
In-Pool Step.
Liner Over Stairs order from.
1 Place the steps.
Placing steps on a rectangular pool is pretty easy. Either put them in a corner or let them span the pool width.
Another tactic is to find a long, sweeping radius and project the steps into part of that area.
2 Size the steps.
Make sure the steps are wide enough to be comfortable, and project out far enough so you don't miss them. Make the first tread at least 16 inches wide at the center, knowing that it will taper off at the sides if it's in a radius
or corner. The lower steps can have a shorter reach, say, 12 inches or more.
3 Form the stairs.
Begin forming the stairs after you've set the pool's wall panels.
In setting the forms, make sure the first step will rest at least 1 or 2 inches underwater. This will help keep the liner down after the pool is filled.
You can build forms similar to the illustration (above). Major components include:
' riser boards, which outline the front of the step
' kickers, which serve as braces to hold the riser boards up
' stakes that hold everything in place
' several different boards to hold the whole thing together.
Regardless of your system, it will need extra reinforcement on the bottom step. With all the weight of the stairs bearing down on those bottom forms, they are most susceptible to falling over. This system includes extra kickers at
the bottom step.
The top of each form also should be supported to keep it from swaying forward under pressure. Here, extra boards tie the riser boards together for additional support.
Set the riser boards first. These are comprised of 2-by-12-inch wooden boards, cut to the length of the front of the step. It's important to set them at the right height and bolt either side to the pool wall for extra stability.
4 Anchor forms with kickers.
Start at the bottom step. Place a kicker at either end, then work toward the center, placing a kicker about every 18 inches. If you're making the kickers from wood, set them at a 20-degree angle from the riser board. Anchor the kickers
with stakes going 6 to 8 inches into the ground.
Move up one step at a time, setting the form's kickers on the step forms below.
5 Add reinforcement and pour the concrete.
With the riser boards in place, you need to provide extra reinforcement. This system includes a crib, a 2-by-2-inch board that spans the top of all three steps. Run the board down the middle of the steps and tack it to the top of
each step form and kicker. This will keep the top of each form from moving during the pour, and when installers need to round out the corners with a trowel.
To make sure the steps don't move after they're poured, stub out four or five pieces of rebar through the wall panel and into the concrete collar behind it.
Pour the concrete. Tap the forms to work air bubbles out of the concrete.
6 Tear forms and prepare steps.
Let the concrete sit at least a couple of hours. Depending on the timeline you want to work in, you can tear the forms the same day or the following day. It's easier to do it the same day, when the concrete is hard enough to hold
its form, because forms and stakes won't be stuck to hardened concrete.
Save the boards to reuse later. After you've done enough steps, you'll have forming boards for all sizes of steps.
When the forms come off, use a concrete sponge float to rub out the surface of the steps. Fill in any pocks with a little extra concrete and rub down any burrs. If you can't tear the forms until the next day, smooth out the burrs
with a grinder, honing stone or even a brick. This will help make the surface more suitable to have a liner on top of it.
Next, use spray glue to adhere 1/8-inch foam sheeting over the steps. This adds a little cushion to the steps and keeps the liner from coming into contact with the concrete, which could cause wearing over time.
7 Place the liner.
With all the up-and-down action of the steps, placing the liner over them can be a challenge. To do this, you need an extra vacuum and some way of holding the liner down on corners and on the top step, where the water is very shallow.
One vacuum should be dedicated just to the steps. Place the vac on the top tread. For better suction, try outfitting the vacuum hose with a 1.5" pipe with a tee. This way, the suction pulls from two sides rather than straight
up from the bottom. This helps distribute the suction better and prevents the foam from getting sucked up.
It can be tough to keep the liner tight against corners where the step meets the wall. You can put sand bags or blocks in those spots to hold the liner in place until the pool is full and the water weighs it down.
The toughest corner is where the pool wall and top tread meet. The water is so shallow, it often can't keep the liner in place by itself. Some installers order their liners with a 'pocket' in this spot. It sits against the pool wall,
right where the top step juts out. They then insert a rod into the pocket to keep the liner stretched and in place against that corner. Other installers use Velcro on the back of the liner and on top of the concrete to hold the liner
in place in tough spots.
Check the steps frequently as the pool fills, to see how the vinyl falls over each step.
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