You love your deck. Frequently, your family and friends can find you relaxing with a cold beverage in your hand on your outdoor haven. Nothing could be more perfect, right? Maybe you could enhance your existing paradise by installing a hot tub. Yes, that’s a great idea! What better way to shake off the stress of the day than with some hydrotherapy from your spa. It may seem a simple task to have a hot tub installed on top of your deck, but you should not make a hasty decision before ensuring your wooden oasis can handle the extra load this additional feature will bring.
Install your hot tub with confidence when you reach out to the deck builder experts at Schafer Construction. We understand the structural integrity of your deck and can guide you on the next steps to placing your spa on or near your deck. We can design and construct the best reinforcements or add-ons to round out your favourite outdoor spot.
3 Guidelines to Keep in Mind When Preparing Your Deck for a Hot Tub
There is a lot to think about when you want to add a hot tub to your deck. Use these three guidelines as a start to ensure your deck can handle the changes:
- Determine if you need additional structural support. Wood is a strong element. Yet, it has its limits. To determine if your existing deck can handle the weight, you should calculate the load value. This is done by taking the weight of your empty hot tub, adding the water capacity plus the maximum number of people it can hold, multiplied by the average weight per person.
Here is an example. The hot tub is 56 square feet and weighs 855 pounds empty. It can hold about 420 gallons of water and 6-7 people. A gallon of water weighs about 8.3 pounds. The average weight of a person can be calculated at 185 pounds.
The equation would look like this: 855 lbs. + 3500 lbs. water + 1,295 lbs. for 7 people = 5,655 lbs.
Divide 5,655 lbs. by 56 square feet, and you wind up with 101 lbs./sq. ft. - Leave plenty of space to access your hot tub during maintenance. You will quickly lose interest in cleaning and maintenance if it is a struggle to reach panels and pumps. Be sure you have room to move.
- Consider drainage on the deck boards. Spas mean lots of water. Standing water can rot the wood. Think about the spacing you need between deck boards so that you do not lose footing because a toe gets stuck, but also water can drain quickly off the surrounding area.
Get the Hot Tub/Deck Combo of Your Dreams with Schafer Construction’s Help
Expand the enjoyment of your outdoor oasis when you add a hot tub. Not only can you have parties, but you can reinforce relationships in the intimacy of the bubbling water. Schafer Construction is Berkeley’s premier deck builder. Our team will step in and make your dream into a perfect getaway.
Call us today at 510-339-9100 or contact us online to see why homeowners across Berkeley and the San Francisco Bay Area rely on Schafer Construction for their deck construction and repair needs.
