pool steps standard height but too steep for me

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S

Sophiat

0
Jul 1, 2018
7
Fort Pierce Florida
Hi All,

I am so disheartened. I hope other seniors in my situation can help.
I retired several months ago & we moved to the Treasure Coast of Florida, & found our forever home.
The beginning of January, I fell backward down some cement steps & broke my left tibial plateau, no surgery,
just bed rest & therapy.
The pool plans were made, & never did I realize steps would be such a problem because of my injury OR our ages.
I didn't think it necessary to change the plans & our pool has had water in it for 3 weeks.
It's a simple 12 x 24 ft rectangular salt water pool with 3 rectangular steps & a railing on the left, and with a depth of 3.5 to 5.5 ft.
It is very difficult to go up & down the steps. I cry from pain & frustration of not thinking ahead.

What can I do that won't cost a fortune? Can the steps be changed from 3 to 5 steps & widened? is the pool long enough for a Baja ledge with steps? Any DIY tips?

Thank you in advance,

Sophia
New gunite pool, rectangular, 12 x 24, salt water, depth 3.5-5.5 ft.
 
Welcome to TFP!

Very sorry to hear about your injury.

If this is something you expect to improve with time, you might consider more substantial railings. Otherwise you might consider a pool lift chair as a painless way to get in and out of the pool.
 
Oh Sophiat, I'm sorry to read this. I feel your pain, truly. I think any change will be very costly and your pool is a bit small to put a baja shelf in.

I think its just that those fractures take time to remodel the bone and pain to subside.

How about talking to a physical therapist who does pool therapy for ideas?

For DIY tips... can you find a progression of chairs that might let you sit on the top edge of the pool, and perhaps using pool noodles or small floats to support the painful leg, then shimmy into in to the water on your tushie??? It won't help you much getting out though :(

Good luck hon. Been there, done that, got the tee shirt.

Maddie :flower:

- - - Updated - - -

JohnT said:
If this is something you expect to improve with time, you might consider more substantial railings. Otherwise you might consider a pool lift chair as a painless way to get in and out of the pool.
Click to expand...

OMG OMG OMG!! Brilliant!! I'd forgotten about those things...surely the solution since it won't shrink the pool and surely can't cost any more than altering the pool.
Thank you John T for being on the ball tonight!

https://www.amazon.com/The-Ranger-Lift-No-Anchor/dp/B00CS5ITI0/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1531277901&sr=8-4-fkmr1&keywords=handicap+pool+lift+chair

Maddie :flower:
 
Thank you for the welcome.
I don't know how much improvement to expect, probably good days & bad days like now, especially at my age; 70.
I have not contacted my pool dealer yet, am first searching for options to go over with him.
I am thinking of a second railing, but no chair lift.

Thank you,

Sophia

New salt water pool, rectangular, 12 x 24 ft. 3 standard rectangular steps, depth 3.5 - 5.5 ft.
 
Hi Maddie,

Thank you so much for your kind words.
I tried to go in the way you suggested & that didn't work. It was hard to stand up from that position too.
Instead of a lift chair, I was hoping to do something to the steps. I am even thinking of adding stepping stones to use as risers for now.

Sophia
 
Sophiat said:
Maddie,

Is that the grounding wire? Thanks for letting me know. The bonding and ground wires are slightly different but yeah, you've got the idea.
I enjoyed looking at your pool pictures, beautiful! Why thank you!
I didn't see how to attach pictures for my initial post. When you make a post click on the "Go Advanced" button and scroll down to the
Add Attachments. You upload your pics there.

Sophia
Click to expand...

Are we gonna get to see your pool?? <say yes! say yes!> We love seeing pics :)

Maddie :flower:

addendum: ground wires protect against lightening strikes, bonding protects against stray electrical current.
 
Wow! Thank you for the hand railing links! Maybe that would work!
I am hoping there is a way to make the steps wider/add a smallish ledge with more steps & less height in-between steps-- for a few thousand dollars.
I am eager to hear if anyone has done that.

Sophia
gunite rectangular salt water pool, 12 x 24 ft. 9136 gallons, depth 3.5 ft- 5.5 ft.
 

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To the OP. I am so sorry for your problems and have nothing constructive to offer by way of advice but let me thank you for posting this. As I plan my pool I was not going to put a hand rail in. However I am in my 50s and may need it in the future! This whole forum is a gem with tons of unassuming posts that are pure gold particularly for those planning a new build. I wish you luck and am convinced the good people here will come up with suitable options for you

Maria
 
hi Marla, thank you for the nice reply. As you plan your pool, you may want to discuss the option of drilling the holes for the railing, but not ordering or installing it right away. There may be plastic covers available for the railing holes, like there are for the safety fence.
This is our second pool, & we rushed it, wanting it ready for summer--we didn't think ahead, which was not smart.
I spoke with my pool company & emailed them links to more accessible railings, so I am hoping for a railing exchange or partial credit on a new one.
That would be a great start, & then we'll see.....
I also asked if there is anything that can be done for a few thousand dollars like a smallish ledge or larger top step to make it comfortable for me to sit in the pool & just relax. As it is now, the steps are not wide enough to be comfortable
Yes, everyone is so helpful here, & I have hope.

Sophia
gunite rectangular salt water pool, 12 x 24 ft. 9136 gallons, depth 3.5 ft- 5.5 ft.
 
It looks like your steps are fairly deep from front to back. I'd be tempted to try to come up with some kind of blocks that were half the depth and half the height of each step to double the number of steps to maybe make it easier for you.

Keep posting and maybe somebody will have a really good idea. We'd hate to see you not enjoy your pool, especially when it such good exercise for soemone recovering from a leg injury.
 
I see that you posted this over a year ago But I wanted to share with you my experience. I put in a fiberglass pool 10 years ago now and it never occurred to me to ask about step height. I did have railings put in. The first time I got in the pool it took me about 15 minutes to get out. My solution was to get a couple of patio blocks and put them on each step. This has made it quite easy for me to get in and out. The only problem is that the concrete in the Blocks we get into the pool and raises the alkalinity. I’m going to buy new blocks and cut them with Epoxy paint. I’ll try to remember to update you.
 
You may need to change the way you climb and go down the steps.

I hurt my left hip when I was a teenager, and this is the way I handle steps everywhere:

Put right foot on step.
Using handrail, balance on right leg and lift left foot to step.
Get balanced on both feet, then put right foot on the next step.
Balance on fight leg and handrail, lift left leg to step.
Repeat until I'm at the top of bottom of stairs.R

The point is you're never putting stress on the bad leg. It's never pushing your weight from step to step. The good leg is taking all the weight and stress. It's not elegant, but it gets you where you're going!

I hope you see this. I really think it's the answer to your problem.
 
Marylfk said:
I see that you posted this over a year ago But I wanted to share with you my experience. I put in a fiberglass pool 10 years ago now and it never occurred to me to ask about step height. I did have railings put in. The first time I got in the pool it took me about 15 minutes to get out. My solution was to get a couple of patio blocks and put them on each step. This has made it quite easy for me to get in and out. The only problem is that the concrete in the Blocks we get into the pool and raises the alkalinity. I’m going to buy new blocks and cut them with Epoxy paint. I’ll try to remember to update you.
Click to expand...
Can you please tell me if this worked for you? I am having the same trouble with steps and if the pool company came and reworked them, it would be almost $5,000!
 
I use a community pool step height 8 inches but the top step is 11 inches since paver surface was installed. I have been using an extra paver on the top step but cannot remove it once I am out of the pool. It’s summer and no one else is around to lift it out for me. Any suggestions for a lift that I can remove myself? My paver is a trip hazard to others if I leave it there. Thanks for any help.
 
Haven’t been in my pool yet this summer because of the one time I did, I couldn’t get out. I think I’m going to try the pavers. And I’ll just epoxy them like someone else said and let them stay on the step. That’s the problem on my pool too, as they put pavers on top and it makes a big difference. Do you have any kind of handrail where you get out? That might make it easier.
 
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