# Putting a hot tub on a deck



## swimmer_spe (Feb 24, 2016)

Lets say you have a deck that is built to code. can it support your typical multi person acrylic hot tub? What extra structural work would need to be done so that it will?


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## nealtw (Feb 24, 2016)

You would have to look at the size and length of the joist, and their layout. The size and length of the beam holding them. The size of the posts under that beam and the size of the footing under the posts.

You can post pictures here and we can all make guesses, but this is a call for an engineer.
You have the weight of the water, the tub, and 6 people and what ever the safety factor should be.

We built one house and had the deck started when we informed it would have a tub like that, we over built the deck with double joists, 12" OC bigger beam. After 6 month one footing had sunk 6", easy fix but still not what you want to get into.


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## bud16415 (Feb 24, 2016)

I built a deck with the intent of a tub last year. my tub dry is 800 LBS and with water and people I think comes out around 4500 LBs. where I would have run 2 beams normally I ran 3 and spaced my posts also closer. As an example I have 12 posts under a 12x16 deck each sitting on a precast concrete footing the tapered ones they make with a pocket for the post to land on. I also cross braced the whole side in both directions that the tub sits on. and mine only sits about 3&#8217; on one end and 4&#8217; on the other above the ground. I would suggest you build the deck free standing and not attach it to the house with a ledger as you can calculate the forces much easier on a free standing without trying to factor in the house design. 

So far it&#8217;s made it a couple winters without trouble. There are some photos posted on page 6 of this thread. 

http://www.houserepairtalk.com/showthread.php?t=17318&page=6

Give us more information on the size and the tub and we should be able to give you some ideas. I built mine with an 8&#8217; section of the rail removable and the guys that delivered the tub loved that. Also they crawl under and gave me the thumbs up and I noticed they had a bunch of blocks and stuff they might have used to brace it up if the deck was weak. The guy that sold me the tub asked a lot of questions about the deck, I gathered more than once they got one to the site and said no way. 

I have also seen and I almost did this, where people sink the tub into the deck and then have it sitting on a concrete pad and the deck wraps around. If you do that the easiest way to enter and exit a tub is if it is about half way sunken or just about the height of the top step if you use steps. 

Good luck we love our tub.


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## swimmer_spe (Feb 24, 2016)

Part of me is thinking that I will build a new deck specifically to hold the tub, separate from the current deck.


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## nealtw (Feb 24, 2016)

We have built a deck below that supported the sunken tub and the deck above where it was cut out for the tub.


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## swimmer_spe (Feb 24, 2016)

nealtw said:


> We have built a deck below that supported the sunken tub and the deck above where it was cut out for the tub.



Can you share the plans?


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## bud16415 (Feb 24, 2016)

If you want to keep your space on the deck and stick the tub out like an island and lower than the deck that&#8217;s a great way to go. Our deck got small quickly once the tub was on it. the part I like is its just 2 steps from the door and less snow to shovel in the winter and less cold on the feet. we didn&#8217;t have the pergola at first and loved star gazing at night but it rains here more than it has stars so we did a cover. Really like going out and seeing 2 feet of snow on the pergola roof and none on the tub cover. 

They are not easy to move and get up a flight of steps.


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## oldognewtrick (Feb 24, 2016)

bud16415 said:


> we didnt have the pergola at first and loved star gazing at night but it rains here more than it has stars so we did a cover.QUOTE]
> 
> One word...Skylights.....


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## bud16415 (Feb 24, 2016)

oldognewtrick said:


> One word...Skylights.....



When I built the frame my cheapness over came me and snow was just around the corner. So I covered it with some old tin I had around. I think in the spring I will see if I can find something clear.


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## renoauction (Sep 5, 2016)

Does it have a time machine


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## bud16415 (Sep 5, 2016)

renoauction said:


> Does it have a time machine



Mine does. When Im in the tub I feel 20 years old. Trouble is shortly after exiting I revert back to the year 2016 and my current age.


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## oldognewtrick (Sep 5, 2016)

So, you're saying your hot tube can provide you with hallucinations.


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## bud16415 (Sep 5, 2016)

oldognewtrick said:


> So, you're saying your hot tube can provide you with hallucinations.



Without getting too graphic I have found it works better than a corvette. Then again after drinking a gallon of homemade wine in the tub split 4 ways I very well could have been hallucinating.


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## RafaelMoips (Mar 17, 2017)

Saying that by putting insulation in it versus not putting insulation in it saves 75 energy is concerning. But they have a modern design.


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## frodo (Mar 17, 2017)

bud16415 said:


> Without getting too graphic I have found it works better than a corvette. Then again after drinking a gallon of homemade wine in the tub split 4 ways I very well could have been hallucinating.



try a strawberry honey,  
6 gallon bucket, 14 pounds honey and use EC -1118 Lalvin yeast ,  water to 4 gallon mark
ferment that,

then add 5 pounds of strawberries   and ferment till dry add a yeast nutrient
the yeast is stressed after the honey
I use a cheese cloth mesh bag to put the strawberries in,,

18%--20%  it will kick your *** when you stand up lol

i always start my yeast in a bowl  of warm watter and a couple tablespoons of sugar, let double in size
then dump into the bucket,  works for me


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## nealtw (Mar 17, 2017)

bud16415 said:


> Without getting too graphic I have found it works better than a corvette. Then again after drinking a gallon of homemade wine in the tub split 4 ways I very well could have been hallucinating.



And putting all that water in the Corvette makes it hard to drive.


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