teps
are one of those features no one notices — until they’re done
wrong. For more and more package-pool customers, the right way to
make steps is from concrete, and stretch the liner over them.
Because the liner goes over the
steps, it gives the pool a more cohesive, high-end gunite look.
Concrete steps also keep the pool from looking old prematurely:
Any time you update the liner, it’s like you have a new set of
steps as well.
Otherwise, you have to match a
brand-new liner with “that 8- or 10-year old plastic stair that’s
going to have hairline cracks, is going to be stained, [and might]
have settlement where it’s starting to get a little soft,” says
Shane Bosemer, vice president of Gym & Swim in Louisville, Ky.
But to offer concrete steps,
builders must make an investment in extra time to the project and
to training crews unfamiliar with form work. And customers must be
willing to wait because this feature can put off completion for a
week or two, depending on whether you order the liner before or
after building the steps.
But the extra effort is worth it
for builders. “I’m getting $2,500 to $4,000 for a set of poured
steps,” Bosemer says.
Pouring concrete steps involves a
few, well, steps — and an eye for detail. Once you’ve built a few
sets, Bosemer says, it gets pretty easy. “Our guys have it down to
where they can set up steps in about two hours now,” he says.
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Here are seven pointers for
building steps like a pro:
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.
Freeform pools are another matter.
You could choose a radius and fill it up with the stairs. A 6-foot
radius is an ideal place. This leaves a healthy 12-foot-wide step
that doesn’t eat up too much pool space. “It makes a really wide,
comfortable step,” says Mando Insignares, president of Cool Pool &
Spa Inc. in Pearl River, N.Y. “You can step down into the pool
with no problem and sit on each of the steps.”
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.
Additional steps
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Here are two
things to consider before ordering the liner:
When to order: If you order
the liner before pouring the steps, your crews must build
close to the exact measurements you provided the liner
company. “If somebody messes up, then you’re stuck with a
[useless] liner,” warns Mando Insignares, president of
Cool Pool & Spa Inc. in Pearl River, N.Y.
Some builders wait to order
the liner until after the steps are completed. This gives
the crews a little more leeway. But it also prolongs
completion of the pool by however much time you must wait
to receive the liner.
Preventing slippage:
The top step, in particular, can get pretty slippery. With
the water only a couple of inches deep, sun can warm that
area more quickly, causing algae to form. Advise customers
of this fact and encourage them to stay on top of
maintenance.
Also consider ordering the
liner with a special textured material on the steps. Some
manufacturers only offer this material in certain colors,
however, which may not match your client’s liner choice.
If the clients don’t like the color of the textured steps,
consider adhering a textured material to the steps. You
can purchase the same product that’s used on diving
boards.
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“You need to have enough area in the middle so when they step
in, they’ll definitely hit the step” rather than step clear over
it, Bosemer says.
Consider turning the first or
second step into a tanning ledge by expanding one tread. This way,
users have enough room to sit or lay on it.
Figure out how far the set of
stairs protrude into the pool, to make sure the last step doesn’t
land where the slope starts to break. Do this by adding the
thickness of the treads together.
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 11/2-inch 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.
By Rebecca Robledo
