easman61 Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 We just had our patterned stained concrete patio completed and I took delivery of my Caldera Aspire Spa. When the delivery guys showed up we realized the patio is uneven. The back end of the spa (about the last foot of the base) is probably 1/4 to 1/2" off of the patio as it falls away on that end of the spa. My question is - will that have to be shimmed or will the spa settle and be OK with water weight in it? Thanks for any advice you can give me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkweez Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 Our Caldera Martinique was delivered 8 days ago, and installed on a new concrete patio which is uneven to provide drainage in a particular direction. The installers wanted the tub to be level, so they measured a pressure treated board and cut it the same length as the support bracing built into the bottom of the hot tub. Then they spray painted it black to match the bracing, let it dry, and slid it under the tub. If you look under my hot tub, you can't tell it's shimmed because they went the extra mile to make it match underneath. Now the tub is level. Also, the installer said that little bit of lift will give water a path to run off and keep it dry down there. I know the Caldera manual warns against shimming; but this was the local factory-rep folks, who also provide warranty service, so I believe they know what they're doing. A guy I work with has a Hot Springs, which is shimmed in a similar way, and he's had no problems in the 3 years he's had it. That's my experience, for what it's worth. Good luck to you, whatever you decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sinker Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Our patio has the same feature (sloped for drainage), and to prepare it for our new Jetsetter arriving TODAY (yippee), I built an odd little deck -- kind of a giant shim. It felt like a lot of work but I'm happy with it. I made the deck out of pressure-treated, doubled 2x4s "joists" topped with composite ("trex-like") decking boards. I used a table saw to taper the joists on one side -- each joist is a 7-foot-long shim, as it were. To make sure the spa would be well-supported I used lotsa joists -- only 10 inches between each pair of doubled joists. So even though the little deck is only 5-1/2 feet wide it has 14 pairs of 2x4s supporting it. It feels a lot more solid than my house. :-) This is probably the largest "construction" project I've ever attempted, so if I can do it, anyone can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poollady Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Our patio has the same feature (sloped for drainage), and to prepare it for our new Jetsetter arriving TODAY (yippee), I built an odd little deck -- kind of a giant shim. It felt like a lot of work but I'm happy with it. I made the deck out of pressure-treated, doubled 2x4s "joists" topped with composite ("trex-like") decking boards. I used a table saw to taper the joists on one side -- each joist is a 7-foot-long shim, as it were. To make sure the spa would be well-supported I used lotsa joists -- only 10 inches between each pair of doubled joists. So even though the little deck is only 5-1/2 feet wide it has 14 pairs of 2x4s supporting it. It feels a lot more solid than my house. :-) This is probably the largest "construction" project I've ever attempted, so if I can do it, anyone can. That looks good, sinker and should be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easman61 Posted June 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Sinker - this looks great! What an awesome setting you have. My problems is both - too much slope - which your solution addresses and uneveness. The uneveness causes the support frame not to sit squarely on the patio. This can cause the shell to crack evidently. I've shimmed it underneath the frame with some pressure treated trim strips and got stability. When I filled the tub however, I discovered way too much slope. There is probably 2 1/2 to 3" slope in just a 7 ft hot tub. I'm waiting for the spa set up guy from the retailer to come and look at this and sign off on it before I decide what to do. The spa retailer recommended the concrete guy and the concrete guy knew exactly where I was going to put the spa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brulan1 Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Sinker - this looks great! What an awesome setting you have. My problems is both - too much slope - which your solution addresses and uneveness. The uneveness causes the support frame not to sit squarely on the patio. This can cause the shell to crack evidently. I've shimmed it underneath the frame with some pressure treated trim strips and got stability. When I filled the tub however, I discovered way too much slope. There is probably 2 1/2 to 3" slope in just a 7 ft hot tub. I'm waiting for the spa set up guy from the retailer to come and look at this and sign off on it before I decide what to do. The spa retailer recommended the concrete guy and the concrete guy knew exactly where I was going to put the spa. 1/16" per foot is ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Visionair Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 1/16" per foot is ok. Are you saying a patio with 1/16" per foot of slope is ok for a spa to sit on? I'm having my patio poured soon and the spa dealer said have it poured level but I know the construction guy is not going to like doing that becuase it's right up against the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 Having a good foundation is imperative. A fellow that I know also built a deck similar to "sinkers" (great pics!). I would also suggest something similar to this. Porkweeze: If you have any concerns about the delivery crew shimming your spa for you and how that would affect the warranty claim in the future, you may want to speak to your service dept. regarding this issue and have it in writing that if something happens... it would be covered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nownow Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 Hi. First post, but I've been doing a lot of reading here. I have a Coleman 471 being delivered on Sunday, and the site I'm looking to place it on consists of concrete pavers with about a 3/4 inch drop from one side to the other across the 88" length of the tub. Doesn't appear to be compound...just an even, gradual drop. Is a 3/4 inch drop enough to warrant building a platform like sinker's? That's about 1/10 inch per foot. I read somewhere else (I think) that 1/16 was the max acceptable. Thoughts? Thanks in advance. J. (Funny, looking again, I guess I read the 1/16 thing here....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brulan1 Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 Hi. First post, but I've been doing a lot of reading here. I have a Coleman 471 being delivered on Sunday, and the site I'm looking to place it on consists of concrete pavers with about a 3/4 inch drop from one side to the other across the 88" length of the tub. Doesn't appear to be compound...just an even, gradual drop. Is a 3/4 inch drop enough to warrant building a platform like sinker's? That's about 1/10 inch per foot. I read somewhere else (I think) that 1/16 was the max acceptable. Thoughts? Thanks in advance. J. (Funny, looking again, I guess I read the 1/16 thing here....) 3/4" pitch is just fine for your hot tub for less than 8 foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.