How to Build Deck Stairs for a Children's Pool

Measure the distance from the floor of the pool deck to the ground with a measuring tape and divide the measurement by 7.5. This will provide you with the number of steps you need to build.

Divide the original height measurement by the number of steps to determine the rise, or the height, of the risers you'll use. Multiply the number of steps by 10 -- 10 inches is the standard depth for steps -- to determine the necessary length of your staircase. The width of a standard staircase is 36 inches.

Mark the area on the ground where your steps will be positioned with colored chalk powder then dig out the area to a depth of 6 inches. Pour in 2 inches of crushed gravel, compact it with a hand tamper, then fill the rest of the hole with concrete up to ground level. Level the concrete with a trowel and allow it to set for two days.

Prepare a 2-by-12-inch, pressure-treated board as a stringer for your steps. Use a framing square to measure and mark the rise of your step and the tread, or depth. Position the framing square at a 45-degree angle from the corner of the stringer and draw a line the length of the rise of your step toward the center of the board. Mark the end of the rise line, then extend the line straight off the edge of the board. This is called a return, and it'll be used to position the top of the riser against the deck face.

Draw a second line the length of your tread beginning at the end of the first line. The new line should be at a 90-degree angle to the first and, it should run off the edge of the board. Repeat the process of marking lines for the rise and tread of your steps, beginning the line for each rise where the previous tread line went off the board.

Finish the stringer by creating a return after the last rise line. Draw the line for your riser but instead of drawing another line for the tread, draw a line perpendicular to the previous tread line, moving in the opposite direction off the edge of the board. The result should look like an open-ended square at the base of the riser.

Cut out the lines with a circular saw or a hand saw. Then, using the first stringer as a guide, cut a second identical stringer.

Set the stringers at an angle so that the return at the bottom of the stringer rests flat on the concrete base and the return at the top of the stringer is flush with the deck face. Check that the stringers are placed correctly by setting a level on one of the horizontal tread surfaces and make adjustments if necessary. If the treads are level, the stringer is placed correctly.

Attach the stringers to the deck face using metal angle brackets and 3-inch galvanized wood screws. Cut a piece of 2-by-6 inch board to the length between the two stringers at the bottom, and secure the board upright between the two stringers on top of the concrete base using 3-inch galvanized screws. The front of the board should be flush with the edges of the stringers. Drive four masonry anchors through the thickness of the 2-by-6-inch board into the concrete to secure the staircase frame.

Cut two pieces of 2-by-6-inch pressure treated board to two inches longer than the step width. If you are using the standard step width of 36 inches, cut two boards for each step to 38 inches.

Position one 2-by-6-inch board against the back of the stringer so that it overlaps the stringer by 1 inch on both sides. Secure the board in place with two 3-inch galvanized deck screws on each side. Place the second 2-by-6-inch board 1/4-inch away from the first, aligning the edges, and secure it in place with two 3-inch screws through each side. Repeat this process until all the steps are attached.