I'm impressed with the great responses.
I just wanted to add that Joey would wake us about 3 times each night. After he used the pee pad it got harder and harder to put him back in his crate. We covered the bench at the end of our bed with pee pads, and now he sleeps with us. I think if we had used steps instead he would have just peed on the carpet and not the pee pad. He always uses the pee pads and now we can sleep through the night.
Nancy