Deck mounted ladder help

TazJMT · Jul 4, 2019

Hello All,

So we have been using the same ladder that we got from previous owners when we moved into our house in 2011. It just has screw holes in the platform, so every year, I have been screwing the ladder in and removing it at the end of the season. Over time, I feel like this annual in and out with screws tears up the deck in that place. So now, our ladder has a crack in it and we are finally replacing it. I figured I would get something with a flange screwed to the deck so I only need to slide the ladder into the flange each year and not actually unscrew anything from the deck. So we got this one:

Amazon.com : Confer 63552X Sturdy 46 to 56 Inch Adjustable Above Ground Swimming Pool Ladder : Garden & Outdoor

www.amazon.com

Unfortunately, upon putting it together, I see that the flange is assembled onto the ladder before it is screwed to the deck, so while yes the flange is the part that is screwed to the deck, there is no way to get the rest of the ladder to slide out of the flange when removing it.

All of the ladders I saw online with the circular metal flanges that just use a set screw to remove the ladder had bad reviews for other reasons.

What do you all do about this? Do you just screw back into the same spot every year?

RonsPlc · Jul 4, 2019

This is what I did for my AGP ladder to my deck.
It is on it's second year now, and I am happy with it so far.

The Ladder, the BETTER flanges that I purchased at the same time.

I drilled 2 holes into my deck where the ladder goes, and screwed the flanges into place.
I set the ladder to a height that leaves about 1/8" under the bottom of the ladder so that any vibration from the deck doesn't cause the bottom of the ladder to rub on the pool floor.
The added bonus to this is that there is some water movement under the ladder allowing fresh chlorine to get in there.
When someone gets on the ladder, it rests solidly on the pool bottom.
To remove it when closing the pool, I loosen the set screws (bolts), and lift it out of the holes. I leave the bolts in place in the flanges so they don't go missing during the off season.

TazJMT · Jul 4, 2019

RonsPlc said:
This is what I did for my AGP ladder to my deck.
It is on it's second year now, and I am happy with it so far.

The Ladder, the BETTER flanges that I purchased at the same time.

I drilled 2 holes into my deck where the ladder goes, and screwed the flanges into place.
I set the ladder to a height that leaves about 1/8" under the bottom of the ladder so that any vibration from the deck doesn't cause the bottom of the ladder to rub on the pool floor.
The added bonus to this is that there is some water movement under the ladder allowing fresh chlorine to get in there.
When someone gets on the ladder, it rests solidly on the pool bottom.
To remove it when closing the pool, I loosen the set screws (bolts), and lift it out of the holes. I leave the bolts in place in the flanges so they don't go missing during the off season.

Thanks

A quick idea-we bought a clear bathtub suction cup mat and cut it to size and put it under the ladder for added security to not rip the liner

Blacklisted · Jul 4, 2019

You could also put stainless tee nuts under the deck so the screws anchor in them instead of the wood.

RonsPlc · Jul 4, 2019

TazJMT said:
Thanks

A quick idea-we bought a clear bathtub suction cup mat and cut it to size and put it under the ladder for added security to not rip the liner

The only problem I see with that is the water flow is being restricted under the mat.
I was wondering about doing that, and decided that the fewer places for algae to start, the better.

TazJMT · Jul 4, 2019

RonsPlc said:
The only problem I see with that is the water flow is being restricted under the mat.
I was wondering about doing that, and decided that the fewer places for algae to start, the better.

yeah i have thought of that and it if happens, i will report back. but i think that if the water chemistry is good, i should be ok. if not, it is clear and i will see it pretty quickly. just remove the pd and the algae is gone

Teald024 · Jul 24, 2019

@TazJMT , @RonsPlc , can you share some pics of the ladder installed.

RonsPlc · Jul 24, 2019

here you go...