Pool Deck Planning & Building
- Thread starter D45
- Start date
Homerr
Well-known member
The stainless screws would have been great for this wet use area on the deck boards.
On to safety -
What is your railing going to be? How is it attached? Looks like you're more than 30" above grade. What about the safety gate? Are you going to use a Type D ladder for access from the pool?
I'd just like to throw in one other issue relating to pools from the architect's perspective that I'd hope is also in the homeowner's best interests. Codes are made for reasons and around pools the reason is death from drowning. Kids are drawn to pools and will do dumb stuff around them pushing the boundaries of common sense and safety. Then there are toddlers who, without some really basic barriers, can wander to the pools edge and fall in easily.
It's incumbent on anyone installing and building access around a pool to build in this safety. The easiest thing do do in this situation is add the aforementioned railing and put a gate on the stair. Code does allow for no barriers at the pool if there is a fenced yard and alarms on doors with access to the yard with the pool.
"There are no codes"
That might technically be true. But there is liability. And responsibility. And if Timmy next door wanders in to your yard and drowns in your pool without any barriers your homeowners insurance may leave you holding this one.
https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/ISPSC2018P2/chapter-7-onground-storable-residential-swimming-pools
D45, I'm not indicting you or saying you haven't thought about these things. But I skimmed this thread and it seems like you're winging it on a lot of this build and I hadn't noticed any talk of the accessibility and safety around the project you've taken on. I just wanted to point some of this out as reasoning to complete the build and not just have an open platform next to a pool.
On to safety -
What is your railing going to be? How is it attached? Looks like you're more than 30" above grade. What about the safety gate? Are you going to use a Type D ladder for access from the pool?
I'd just like to throw in one other issue relating to pools from the architect's perspective that I'd hope is also in the homeowner's best interests. Codes are made for reasons and around pools the reason is death from drowning. Kids are drawn to pools and will do dumb stuff around them pushing the boundaries of common sense and safety. Then there are toddlers who, without some really basic barriers, can wander to the pools edge and fall in easily.
It's incumbent on anyone installing and building access around a pool to build in this safety. The easiest thing do do in this situation is add the aforementioned railing and put a gate on the stair. Code does allow for no barriers at the pool if there is a fenced yard and alarms on doors with access to the yard with the pool.
"There are no codes"
That might technically be true. But there is liability. And responsibility. And if Timmy next door wanders in to your yard and drowns in your pool without any barriers your homeowners insurance may leave you holding this one.
https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/ISPSC2018P2/chapter-7-onground-storable-residential-swimming-pools
D45, I'm not indicting you or saying you haven't thought about these things. But I skimmed this thread and it seems like you're winging it on a lot of this build and I hadn't noticed any talk of the accessibility and safety around the project you've taken on. I just wanted to point some of this out as reasoning to complete the build and not just have an open platform next to a pool.
couch67
Well-known member
For railings, might be dependent on local codes but 36" high and no more than 4" spacing are the norm here. 24 " wide ladder is usable but agree 32" is nicer to use.
rlwhitetr3b
Well-known member
Code might require a special lock on the gate to the pool.
Local code:
Guard rails are required wherever the deck is 30 inches or more above the surrounding grade. Guard rails on residential decks must be at least 36 inches high; the railing must also be filled in with vertical balusters, and the balusters can't be more than 4 inches apart. Stair hand rails are required on any set of stairs with four or more risers; the hand rails must be between 34 and 38 inches above the stair treads and have a diameter of between 1 1/4 and 2 5/8 inches. Stairs more than 30 inches above grade must also have a guard rail.
I am surprised its 4" apart...…...seems like a lot.
Oh well, time to build and plan!
Guard rails are required wherever the deck is 30 inches or more above the surrounding grade. Guard rails on residential decks must be at least 36 inches high; the railing must also be filled in with vertical balusters, and the balusters can't be more than 4 inches apart. Stair hand rails are required on any set of stairs with four or more risers; the hand rails must be between 34 and 38 inches above the stair treads and have a diameter of between 1 1/4 and 2 5/8 inches. Stairs more than 30 inches above grade must also have a guard rail.
I am surprised its 4" apart...…...seems like a lot.
Oh well, time to build and plan!
couch67
Well-known member
rlwhitetr3b
Well-known member
This is the type of lock/latch I was thinking about.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K7Z0JWQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20
When we had ours built last year the builder had an inspector say that if the latch was on the pool side of the gate so a child could not open it he would pass it. I guess the logic was that the kid would have to be big enough to know better.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K7Z0JWQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20
When we had ours built last year the builder had an inspector say that if the latch was on the pool side of the gate so a child could not open it he would pass it. I guess the logic was that the kid would have to be big enough to know better.
couch67
Well-known member
6 foot spacing should be adequate. For the runs that are parallel with the joists, install blocking between the joists close to the posts - this will prevent the joist from twisting and stiffen things up.
rlwhitetr3b
Well-known member
Are you going to notch the 4x4 or the decking? What I have seen online is the deck board are cut back so the decking wraps around the posts.
rlwhitetr3b
Well-known member
I see how you are notching your post. What I was thinking about is that the deck boards extend a few inches beyond the framework so they would need to be cut back to allow the post to extend straight up.
Milzo
Well-known member
don't gap wet boards. install them tight. when they dry out you will have nice 3/16" gaps. I work for a deck building company, we build 350 decks a year. if you need any advice shoot me a message.
The z brackets you used for the posts are fine. if you actually read the installation on simpson's website you don't even have to use carriage bolts in those, just hanger nails so your will be fine.
also I would suggest you install the 4x4's for the rails to the inside of the joists/rim and block them in both directions. will be much stiffer than notched 4x4 fastened to the outside
12 vertical 4x4 PT posts installed for the railing......took me about 6 hours
I bought 15, 2x4x8 PT boards for the horizontal railing, to attach to the 4x4 vertical posts
I also bought 105 of the 2x2x36 spindles
See how much I can get done tomorrow and then start planning the stairs
It will be pool season soon!!
I bought 15, 2x4x8 PT boards for the horizontal railing, to attach to the 4x4 vertical posts
I also bought 105 of the 2x2x36 spindles
See how much I can get done tomorrow and then start planning the stairs
It will be pool season soon!!
Pool deck, railing, and stairs have been done for about 2 weeks now
The gate is a slider, that I might need to redo...…….
I added solar LED post caps to every 4x4 railing post, that is very nice for at night time and the batteries last 6 hours
I also added 4 side mounted solar LED lights for each of the 4 posts for the stairs...….very bright and you can see every step as well as the concrete pad at the bottom
Bought a huge plastic deck box to hold the pool auto cleaner, some hoses, the leaf nets, and some pool toys inside
Also bought a 2 pack of aluminum hangers, to hold the pool cleaning pole and the hoses on
…………….the next project will be removing all of the ole timbers around the pool and deck, removing all the river rock...………so I can put some a lot of weed fabric, and the shovel back the rock and buy new timbers
All of the 4 outlets work...……..one is hot all the time and the other 3 work on a switch from inside the house. There are two 4x4s posts (also with a solar LED post cap light), that each hold 2 gcfi outlets
Pretty big project overall that I am glad I am, almost, done with...……...not going to look forward to shoveling all that rock!
The gate is a slider, that I might need to redo...…….
I added solar LED post caps to every 4x4 railing post, that is very nice for at night time and the batteries last 6 hours
I also added 4 side mounted solar LED lights for each of the 4 posts for the stairs...….very bright and you can see every step as well as the concrete pad at the bottom
Bought a huge plastic deck box to hold the pool auto cleaner, some hoses, the leaf nets, and some pool toys inside
Also bought a 2 pack of aluminum hangers, to hold the pool cleaning pole and the hoses on
…………….the next project will be removing all of the ole timbers around the pool and deck, removing all the river rock...………so I can put some a lot of weed fabric, and the shovel back the rock and buy new timbers
All of the 4 outlets work...……..one is hot all the time and the other 3 work on a switch from inside the house. There are two 4x4s posts (also with a solar LED post cap light), that each hold 2 gcfi outlets
Pretty big project overall that I am glad I am, almost, done with...……...not going to look forward to shoveling all that rock!
couch67
Well-known member
Nice. Did you end up putting a sealer on? What did you use, and how is it holding up?
