An argument for placing step-trim tile on every pool and spa
By Scott Cohen. Originally Publised in Pool and Spa News, July 2024.
I have served as an expert witness consultant for more than 16 years now. An interesting side benefit to this work: It really opens my eyes to potential hazards. When you see a picture of somebody’s bone popping out of their leg, it haunts you — especially if the injury could easily have been avoided.
That’s how the importance of step-trim tile came fully to light for me. I consulted on a case involving someone who slipped on a poorly designed step and became badly hurt. Among the steps’ flaws, they were unmarked. Finished in a tan pebble made to look like beach sand, the top step was nearly invisible, so somebody walked in and got hurt.
I now consider contrasting step-trim tile a requirement on my pools. While it is not mandated for residential projects, I strongly recommend it in all pools and spas. For a relatively minimal cost — typically less than $1,000 per pool in my Los Angeles-area, high-end market — it can improve safety and potentially prevent severe accidents.
AVOIDABLE INJURIES
I don’t think professionals or homeowners appreciate the kinds of injuries that a person can sustain in a step incident — or how commonly they occur. You can twist and crack your ankles, or fall and snap your hip. If you miss a step, you can face-plunge into the coping. If a senior citizen suffers a break like that, they may never walk the same again.
We need step-trim tile because of how the human brain works. We have a mechanism called spatial memory. This cognitive process allows us to remember the locations and physical properties of our environment. It is our caveman brain talking to us to help navigate spaces and avoid dangers. It remembers hazards: It reminds you what spot on the freeway has potholes, or where you’ll need to duck for a branch. It remembers how those pool steps were slippery.
When we walk in our own pool or spa, spatial memory helps our brain recall the position of the steps, so we don’t necessarily need to see them. However, somebody new to the pool won’t know the location of the steps. Certain finishes can obscure the outline of the steps, making them hard to see. Factors such as the time of day and resulting shadows can further obscure them. Then, as we age, our ability to detect such hazards diminishes. And, of course, as soon as you mix alcohol around pools, they become even more dangerous.
Step trim tiles address all these issues by providing clear, visual cues that help prevent accidents.
This safety precaution has become more important than ever. The landscape has changed: Residential pools aren’t just residential pools anymore. Oftentimes, people rent out their homes and pools for short-term use, opening the door to liability. (For one thing, we know people don’t rent houses to not party. They’re there to have a good time.) Once you rent out that space, I believe, your home and pool may need to fall into compliance with commercial codes, not just residential. The issue is currently being debated by the industry standards community.
For these reasons, we automatically include step trim tile on all the pools and spas we design at my firm. In a pool, they go on the edge of all steps, benches and Baja shelves. In spas we place them on the steps and benches.
We’ve had homeowners say, “We don’t want it — we don’t like how it looks.” We explain the importance of making safety a priority, and have them review our one-page step-trim tile disclaimer. It stipulates that they assume all liability so that, if anybody gets hurt in their pool, they’ll pay to defend us. Upon seeing that, they usually say, “Just put the step trim in.”
Step-trim tile is an absolute must if clients plan to entertain or rent their pools, or if people who are over 50 years old or have balance, cognitive or vision issues will use it. This also is especially pertinent with pebble finishes, where steps can be harder to discern.
OUR APPROACH
Step trim tile should be positioned on the leading edge of steps, benches and submerged ledges within the pool to mark transitions and outline the perimeters for enhanced safety.
I prefer to use ceramic tiles in strips ranging from 1- to 3 inches, due to their durability and slip-resistance provided by the grout joints. I find that this strikes the perfect balance between visibility and aesthetics.
We set the tile back from the edge about ½- to 1 inch, leaving enough space to form a rounded edge on the steps.
The contrast can be subtle. But it requires more advanced planning. At our design center, we choose the contrasting tile color — whether darker or lighter — when we choose the interior finish. We pick our coping, waterline and step trim tile at the same time, months before they’ll be installed.
