Ladder Confusion...

[Thinkly]

When i closed last week with the help of the pool guy, the first thing we did was removed the ladder. He had me lift up the covers that go over the bolt on each side. Then recessed down below the cement was ONE bolt on each side screwing down into the concrete on each side.

I am fairly good at understanding mechanical things but couldn't figure this out. He told me to unscrew the bolt just so far, but "not too far"??? What the heck did that mean. Regardless, i unscrewed the first one and everything stayed tight. Then he told me to hit the bolt with the end of the ratchet and drive it back down into the concrete. Huh?

So i did this and the first strike it fell down into the concrete even with its previously existing height. Then onto the next side. THat one wouldn't drive back down but still i managed to pull the ladder up and out with some fuss. So my question is...

How do i re-install this thing in the the spring? I can't understand what those bolts do because they screw down into the concrete seemingly parallel to the ladder rail. I can't see how they ever touch the rail. I do recall him saying there are some kind of anchors down in there but i have no clue.

 

[JohnT]

They don't go into the concrete. It's "V"-shaped piece of metal that is pulled toward the bolt when tightened.

 

[Thinkly]

They don't go into the concrete. It's "V"-shaped piece of metal that is pulled toward the bolt when tightened.

Can anyone link me to a pic of that? Literally, if you look at the holes that the ladder go into there is just a bolt going down into the concrete hole. Bolts are still there, ladder is gone

 

[waste]

Shine a light into the anchor cup or feel down where the bolt goes in and you'll see or feel the wedge that secures the ladder.

I'm gonna assume that you have a stamped concrete deck (for reasons of my own, though I'll gladly share them with you )

I could about deck dudes vis-a vis pools & anchors, but that's for another forum

 

[JohnT]

Here's the only image I can find, but I'm not sure it clarifies anything. It's the most common type used around here. Knowing how they work, I can see it, but you may not

The bolt and wedge on the left are what is actually in the bulge on the left side of the anchor where the bolt is. When the bolt is loose, the wedge goes down into the bulge, which is wider at the bottom, so it takes the pressure off the ladder. Tightening the bolt pulls the wedge upward which squuezes on the ladder rail. Since tightening the bolt wedges the wedge :? between the anchor and the ladder rail, you usually have to tap the bolt head to realease the wedge.