Getting into the pool: ladder, steps or bench

Stainless steel ladder

The classic solution: two handrails fixed into the paving around the pool and treads that go down into the water. It takes up very little space inside the pool and is easy to remove for the winter or for cleaning. What to look out for:

• Number of treads. This follows the depth; with 1.50 m panels you usually need one more tread than with 1.10 m panels.
• Grade of stainless steel. In pools with salt electrolysis or near the sea, AISI 316 stainless steel is usually preferred, as it resists corrosion better.
• Protecting the liner. The points where the ladder touches the wall or the floor must have rubber buffers so they do not scratch the lining.
• Treads. Wide treads with a textured surface are more comfortable for bare feet than narrow tubular ones.

Built-in steps

Steps within the outline of the pool, in a corner or across the full width of one side, make getting in gradual, like walking in from the beach. Children, older people and anyone not at ease in the water use them with confidence, and they double as a seat. They are lined together with the rest of the pool, so they have the same colour and a seamless look. A stainless steel grab rail beside them is a big help for anyone who needs support. How they affect the shape of the pool is covered in pool shapes.

A bench in the water

A bench along the wall is not an entry, but it is often combined with the steps as a continuation of them. It gives you a place to chat with the water up to your shoulders, and a spot where children can rest between games without getting out. In villa pools it is one of the most popular spots, because it makes the pool a place to linger and not only to swim.

Which option for whom

Many pools combine the two: steps at one end for an easy, everyday way in, and a ladder at the other to get out after your laps.

Caring for a stainless steel ladder

Rinse the ladder with fresh water when you take it out for the winter and clean it with a mild cleaner, without wire wool or abrasive powders. Near the sea, brown spots may appear on the surface; they come off with a cleaner made for stainless steel. Every spring, check that the fixings in the paving are tight and the rubber buffers are in place.

Where the entry goes and safe footing

• Put the entry on the side you approach from the house, close to the pool shower, so you rinse off before getting in.
• Keep it out of the way of anyone swimming laps.
• In a long, narrow pool, consider a second exit at the other end.
• On the steps and the bench, a SOPREMAPOOL membrane with class C slip resistance gives firm footing; see anti-slip surfaces.
• If you have a dog, make sure there is an exit it can find and use on its own, such as the steps.

Questions

See also