I just bought a hot tub shell and want to install it in a deck. The deck doesn’t yet exist so the sky is the limit. Any advice on considerations in the design of the deck or where to get specific advice on this project.
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One issue to consider is do you want to walk on the deck and step down into the hot tub, or do you want to have steps up to the hot tub. Personally, I like the walk down approach, and this may affect the deck height. It possibly has the advantage of allowing the hot tub to sit on the ground, and not having to have the support structure built into the deck.
And of course privacy is an issue.
Since the sky is the limit, I'll offer my opinions at the low, low price of, say $5,000 per incident...
How high is your finished deck above grade? Our deck was about 4' off the ground, and I wanted the tub rim to be at seating height, 18" give or take, to make getting in/out easy.
Tub is 7' square, so on compacted ground below, I formed an 8x8 foundation of 4x6 PT timbers, one foot high. Filled it with clean 1-3" cobbles. Then I built a foundation of 4x6 timbers on that, up to the required height to get the tub rim where I wanted it. Foundation was essentially a square with a + inside of it. Topped it with 3/4" PT plywood. Set the tub, framed the joists around it. Decked with Trex type boards. Done.
In two years, the tub (3000 lb full) is still dead level. I am a happy camper with the results.
Bruce
Between the mountains and the desert ...
I haven't built the deck yet, so I'm probably have an advantage in that I can build the deck to suit. What I'm in need of guidance on is what I need to plan around when building the deck in order to be able to not affect the operation of tub.
The most important thing I have come across in building a deck around the hotub is access. Most suppliers tell you how much access is required around the tub to service it (all of the ones I did were 2ft on three sides). So if you are going to have the tub recessed into the deck make sure that the decking can be removed easily.
Ok, well, you need to have the specific tub in mind if you're going to recess it in the deck, so you know where the access panel is, what size it is, and how you orient it on the deck so that you can get to it and someone can stand there to service it.
The first pic shows the access panel in place, the second one with it removed, the third show a kerf through the deck boards where an entire unite of the deck lifts out, if necessary, and the fourth shows how the lid opens and lands on top of the service side of the tub. Voila!Bruce
Between the mountains and the desert ...