Non-permanent pool railing?

[miles267]

Strange request. Am looking for some type of non-permanent hand railing to assist an older relative getting in and out of shallow end of our in-ground pool.

We have steps but are in need of some support, balance and stability for them to hold onto.

Candidly my wife and I weren't aware of this need during construction of our pool and aren't especially fans of the appearance of pool railings and ladders - so we didn't add any.

Does such a thing exist for older pool owners? Perhaps something similar to a baby gate that can be attached and removed as needed?

Thank you.


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[JoyfulNoise]

I don't have an answer but I have the same exact situation. Our elderly parents always complain about getting in and out of our pool because we built it with no rails (at the time, they did not live anywhere near us). I absolutely did not want big rails sticking out of the limited deck space we had nor did I want to have them just eventually rust and make a mess. So now that our parents live closer to us and visit a lot in the summer, all I hear are the endless complaints about how they can't get in and out of the pool easily....

I suppose you could look into purchasing the type of temporary stairs and ladders that are used in above-ground pools but they are a hassle to take in and out and eventually become home for algae films not to mention they would all look ugly no matter how discreet you make them.

 

[miles267]

Glad I'm not alone [emoji6] yes, this will be our first year with the pool and remarks from our family members are constant. Just saw those stairs you mentioned. Can see how that monstrosity would both breed algae and been an eyesore.

At least I know I've not overlooked any obvious options. For time being I'm researching and stalling!


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[pooldv]

LOL! Us too. We decided to be the hand rail because it isn't all that often. But, if it is a regular thing then that is a pain. Two ideas jump to mind. A post in a 5 gallon bucket filled with concrete. Core drill a hole or two and stick a post in as needed. Sort of like umbrella sleeves/basketball hoop/volleyball net.

Or maybe just something sturdy on the edge of the pool to lean on. Not sure what, chaise lounge, tractor, bench, kid ...

 

[kimkats]

Not sure if this would work?????

 

[JohnT]

Are there any structures near the stairs like a deck, house wall etc. that you could anchor something to?

 

[miles267]

Unfortunately not in my case. I was hoping there might be a more temporarily permanent option that could be installed as needed. Like a baby gate analogy. Though wouldn't it expect it to be anywhere near as stable as an anchored, grounded aluminum railing...

Probably too good to be true.


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[chiefwej]

A carefully placed umbrella sleeve could serve two purposes.

 

[JamesW]

You could core drill and install Saftron cup anchors and rails. They don't need to be bonded. You can remove or install the rails as needed. There would be the open cup anchor in the deck when the rail is not in use. But you should be able to find something to cover the holes.

Anchor Socket Cover

Does my railing need to be grounded/bonded?
SĀFTRON polymer rails are non-conductive. When used with SĀFTRON anchor sockets and bases, or installed directly into the deck, no grounding/bonding is required. SĀFTRON has been tested to be non-conductive by STR Laboratories. The current NEC code shows that SĀFTRON pool rails do not need to be grounded or bonded as the rails are sealed at the time of manufacturing. We have also received a letter form NFPA (NEC Codes) stating that they feel SĀFTRON pool rails are not required to be grounded or bonded.
Pool Rails

 

[JoyfulNoise]

You could core drill and install Saftron cup anchors and rails. They don't need to be bonded. You can remove or install the rails as needed. There would be the open cup anchor in the deck when the rail is not in use. But you should be able to find something to cover the holes.

Anchor Socket Cover

Yeah...I don't think I like my parents enough to go and core drill my deck. Plus, if i took away one of the few things in life they can legitimately complain about, they'd be miserable

Interesting idea though...thanks for the links.


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[JamesW]

Since you have a gunite pool, you can do a deck to pool rail or a return to deck rail.

It's not that difficult to do. You can rent a core drill rig and cut the holes. Then you use cement to secure the anchors.

If you want to have one end of the rail in the pool, then you would need to lower the water level to work.