Pool ladder help (In Ground)

[spoonman]

Hi folks,

I'm having a bit of trouble related to my pool ladder. Hope some fellow TFP-ers can provide some advice

One of my ladder bumpers that touch the plaster doesn't actually touch. I assume that this is due to imperfections in the pool wall or that the ladder was installed ever so slightly crooked.

The issue is that there is about 1/4" space between one of the bumpers and the pool wall. My Barracuda likes to get his fin stuck under this part of the ladder. Once this happens I need to manually extricate him from the ladder.

I've tried looking for some kind of shims or different bumpers, but there doesn't seem to be much out there. Is there something I could wedge under the ladder, or some other way of closing the gap? Perhaps there is a way to adjust the ladder?

Here is a picture of the ladder (sorry about the distance)

Here is what the ladder looks like..

 

[BestJoeyEver]

I had this happen on my deep end ladder when the deck settled a but. You could have the concrete raised and that might fix it, but if you just want to keep Barry (which I assume is your barracuda's name, because what else would it be) safe, then what I did was build a little extension out of PVC, it slid into the end of the ladder and I put the bumper on the end of that. for mind, friction holds it in place, you mileage may vary depending on the diameter of your ladder tube.

 

[Richard320]

If you lift an escutcheon, you'll probably see a bolt for each side of the ladder. It goes to a wedge -- very much like the gooseneck on a bicycle. Perhaps loosening the bolts and having someone lean/stand on the ladder and then retightening will fix things?

 

[Joshii]

but if you just want to keep Barry (which I assume is your barracuda's name, because what else would it be)

 

[spoonman]

Haha...we totally call the Barracuda "Barry".

- - - Updated - - -

PVC is a good idea. I was trying to think of a material that would be durable and that certainly is durable.

I guess trying to adjust the bolts may be my first move. Was a bit hesitant messing with it as I didn't want to not be able to get it back into position, but I'm sure a bit of fiddling will do.

 

[JamesW]

If you remove the ladder, you can lay it on the grass and push down on the legs to decrease the distance. Be careful because if you overdo it, the metal can crimp at the curve.

 

[spoonman]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I was able to bend the ladder a bit so the feet are flat with the side of the pool....no more problems for Barry the Barracuda

Previously I had been looking for some type of spacers for this purpose and couldn't figure out why nobody else had this problem and why there wasn't a solution. It seems that the solution was simple...bend the ladder to fit...lol