Ladder recommendations

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Monkeydoodle08

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Jun 9, 2023
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Coleman/Bestway Powersteel Pool

I am in need of a replacement ladder for my pool. I cant donthe metal ones anymore because they all seem to rust and make a mess of my liner. I love the drop in steps, would need one with an outside ladder until my deck gets done. Problem is they majority of them say not to use on a soft sided pool. I inquired as to why and was told they dont want to be responsible if the ladder tears your liner. That being said, I wanted to know if anyone has purchased one of these, did it work out and what type did you buy? I am looking at one like this. Just dont want to buy it and it not work out.

Also, has anyone used deck designer software? I need help designing my deck and I dont even know where to start. DH is working all the time so I am trying to figure out how to design it myself and he can just build it. Any suggestions would be wonderful. Thanks!Screenshot_20240402-153534_Walmart.jpg
 
I believe @kellyfair had one similar in her intex for quite some time without issue.
She now has it in her permanent above ground pool.
So long as you secure it so it can’t rub against the liner it will be fine.
My neighbors had a similar one in theirs for years as well.
You can always use a pad underneath it if you’re concerned.
You’ll want to weigh it down independently if it tries to float. With some sort of weights hanging underneath.
What I mean is - don’t pour sand in the ladder- no matter what the instructions say.
you won’t be able to get it out & it will get gross. Then you will have super heavy, un removable gross steps that you can’t clean.
I used sand filled bleach jugs as weights for years but they did allow some water in even with me sealing the tops with tape & they cracked over time. Algae city.
I changed course last season & decided to use some sealed plastic weights that are filled with concrete (the kind you put on a barbell)- a bit more robust than the jugs.
I have them hanging from a poly rope underneath my steps. They don’t touch the floor.
 
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This is what we inherited when we moved and I really liked it. I'm a big dude and the ladder was plenty sturdy. The wide stairs wouldn't wouldn't work on the round pool but much narrower ones would. Build a simple set of stairs that the ladder bolts to, just a hair above the pool.

Ladder link



20210820_120818_IMG_7713.PNG
 
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When we had our above ground pool, we had those same plastic steps but had them on both outside and inside the pool (i.e., no ladder). They were very sturdy and did NOT touch the side of the pool. We did place a mat on the floor of the pool to set the inside steps on so as not to hurt the liner. However I have no idea why you would not use this on any AGP unless your pool sides are very wide. This stair system was designed to be self-standing and sit above and off the sides of the pool.
 
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I have the Confer entry system I think it's called the 2X (basically a 1X with 2 of them, the center connecting bridge and all the required safety things). It's very sturdy, has space at the top rail that's 52" high and I would recommend it. When we bought our pool the dealer included a mat for inside the pool which is huge; our last pool we just used bath mats on the inside. Personally I have always likes steps vs a ladder, now that I'm older even more so. I'm a big guy and it's able to hold my weight fine.

What @Mdragger88 said about weighing steps down is so true! I drilled a few holes in the ladder to help fill it with water and used 2 one gallon bleach bottles filled with pebbles to weigh it really down - it doesn't move. On the Confer steps the sides have contours and I cut a 1/2" PVC pipe to the "exact" measurement I needed and hung the bottles through the handles and it was held in place by the contour - easy install and removal!
 
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Monkeydoodle08 said:
Coleman/Bestway Powersteel Pool

I am in need of a replacement ladder for my pool. I cant donthe metal ones anymore because they all seem to rust and make a mess of my liner. I love the drop in steps, would need one with an outside ladder until my deck gets done. Problem is they majority of them say not to use on a soft sided pool. I inquired as to why and was told they dont want to be responsible if the ladder tears your liner. That being said, I wanted to know if anyone has purchased one of these, did it work out and what type did you buy? I am looking at one like this. Just dont want to buy it and it not work out.

Also, has anyone used deck designer software? I need help designing my deck and I dont even know where to start. DH is working all the time so I am trying to figure out how to design it myself and he can just build it. Any suggestions would be wonderful. Thanks!View attachment 562079
Click to expand...
I have those exact same steps, but mine are on a traditional ABG with a deck, so that is not going to help you.

However, two things will help you.

1) When you are putting those steps in, and taking them out, with a soft pool I highly recommend at least two people, and one of them in the pool. Those steps are bulky and heavy and will easily slide up against the sides and top rail of your pool when putting them in, or taking them out.

2) You can go the route of making your own weights out of jugs, or PVC pipe sections, or whatever, if you want. However those steps have weights available that are designed to attach right to the sides of the steps


Again, fill them with pea gravel, not sand. Mine have finally started to crack after 6 or 7 seasons. The pea gravel does not come out (yet) but sand would be. Before they cracked, I used to add a 1/4 C of bleach, then fill the rest of the space with water and seal them up. That kept anything from growing in there. Now that they have cracks they are pretty much free flowing :)
 
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Holydoc said:
When we had our above ground pool, we had those same plastic steps but had them on both outside and inside the pool (i.e., no ladder). They were very sturdy and did NOT touch the side of the pool. We did place a mat on the floor of the pool to set the inside steps on so as not to hurt the liner. However I have no idea why you would not use this on any AGP unless your pool sides are very wide. This stair system was designed to be self-standing and sit above and off the sides of the pool.
Click to expand...
That was my question. Inthink it is more of them covering themselves in case your liner gets damagedHere is my convo with one reseller on Amazon:

I am curious as to why this isnt supposed to be used on Coleman/Bestway pools? This listing is the only one I have seen that says that so I am glad I ran across that before purchasing, but I would like to know why. It seems like it would work fine. Thanks

Hello
Thank you for reaching out to us. The reason this above ground steps will not work well on Coleman/Bestway pools is due to the fact your pool has soft walls with no actual support. This Pool step is made to work with an above ground pool that has actual structural wall support. If you have any other questions please feel free to reach back out.
Thank You

I understand, however the ladder is not relying on the pool for support, it should be supporting its own weight therefore I dont understand why it matters. So, it will work but is not recommended is that correct?

Hello,
Thank you for reaching out to us. Theoretically, this idea is viable. Our only concern is that this will void the warranty on your item. Please reach back out if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank You
 
phonedave said:
I have those exact same steps, but mine are on a traditional ABG with a deck, so that is not going to help you.

However, two things will help you.

1) When you are putting those steps in, and taking them out, with a soft pool I highly recommend at least two people, and one of them in the pool. Those steps are bulky and heavy and will easily slide up against the sides and top rail of your pool when putting them in, or taking them out.

2) You can go the route of making your own weights out of jugs, or PVC pipe sections, or whatever, if you want. However those steps have weights available that are designed to attach right to the sides of the steps


Again, fill them with pea gravel, not sand. Mine have finally started to crack after 6 or 7 seasons. The pea gravel does not come out (yet) but sand would be. Before they cracked, I used to add a 1/4 C of bleach, then fill the rest of the space with water and seal them up. That kept anything from growing in there. Now that they have cracks they are pretty much free flowing :)
Click to expand...
Thank you! I will look at those. When I read about people filling the weights with sand I was a little surprised. Not sure why people would do that.
 
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