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Let's Hear From People With Fully Recessed Spas


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I am planning a new deck with spa, and had originally envisioned a semi-recessed tub, with movable storage bench seating around the tub to use as ingress/egress. However, having already decided on getting a Covana cover for the spa, I have since seen some incredible looking installations of fully recessed spas, some with the Covana, and have decided to go that route.

I have read the threads here about the cons of having a spa fully recessed, but any way you look at it you have to climb out of the tub. I understand the having to kneel part to deal with chemicals and filters or whatever, and I do sympathize with whoever is going to be my spa guy, but the look is so sleek and I've just gotta have it. The tub will sit on its own subdeck, and access should be good for any repair guy.

Problem solved as far as the cover, because I am going with the Covana. Tub will be the Optima.

I'd like to hear from people who do have a fully recessed tub, how they like it, any regrets, etc., and will post some pix of both fully recessed and semi-recessed with some comments about advantages/disadvantages - next post, so this one isn't so long.

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First some pix of recessed spas. A few of these aren't really recessed per se, but they have the appearance:

recesseddeck1.jpg

The photo below is sort of how my spa will be, set in on a curving part of the deck.

recesseddeck2.jpg

recesseddeck3.jpg

recesseddeck4.jpg

recesseddeck5.jpg

recesseddeck6.jpg

recesseddeck7.jpg

recesseddeck8.jpg

recesseddeck9.jpg

Note: Not sure if it will let me post the second batch of pix, of the semi-recessed tubs. I got a warning that I posted more than I'm allowed, so I'll see if they post in a second post.

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Below are semi-recessed tubs, and after looking at so many, they just started to look very odd to me, like a mistake was made.

recesseddeckpartial1.jpg

recesseddeckpartial2.jpg

recesseddeckpartial3.jpg

recesseddeckpartial4.jpg

recesseddeckpartial5.jpg

recesseddeckpartial6.jpg

recesseddeckpartial7.jpg

These last two are of a spa overloooking Lake Tahoe (I presume). It looks very inconvenient to clear the snow between the tub and the deck, and I would imagine one might nick the tub or cabinet with a shovel.

recesseddeckpartial8.jpg

recesseddeckpartial9.jpg

So after viewing these pix, does anyone have any comments, pro or con about either? In some of these, I wonder how the heck they can service the tubs when needed, but I am going to make sure my tub and deck are built for access and easier removal if necessary, to avoid headaches down the line. It's the least I can do for my spa guy and spa repair guy. ;-)

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Here are the pix that sold me on the Covana and the fully recessed tub:

13216507.jpg

70991028.jpg

Note in the closed position, the Covana helps protect against the snow, and my tub is smaller than the cover, so I can clear snow away without worrying about nicking the tub. The snow load for the cover is 600 lbs., and it can lift with 250 lbs. load on it. It also has a UV coating that encourages the snow to shed like my steep A-frame metal roof on the cabin.

They are coming out with the Covana III in July, which will have color-matched powder coated posts instead of the aluminum, and you can get a light for the ceiling that can also be removed and can float in the pool. :wub:B)

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I have a question for any construction/engineer/guys who know these things: Since the tub will be fully recessed, is there any reason I can't make a platform on the subdeck to raise the Covana frame say, 2 feet higher than the bottom of the cabinet, which is approx. 36.5" high? This would allow the Covana to rise higher than the current limit of 52" plus whatever the tub height is (min of 34" and a max of 42" on the tub height). I ask because I am tall and my son is taller and many of my friends are quite tall. I suppose this would affect how much coverage the privacy/windscreen shades give, but oh well.

On the diagram pdf the Covana people sent me, it says the cover lifts 8 -1/2 feet, but I think that includes the 21" of the peaked roof, and represents the total height as if the Covana was installed at the base of the cabinet, as in a normal installation. I'll write to them tomorrow and ask.

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I guess I'm having this conversation with myself. Well, maybe some people are just looking at the pretty pictures. :)

Speaking of, here is a pic of the Covana III they sent me. From what I can tell, the new features are:

1) color-matched powder coated paint on the frame (big improvement, although the color of the brown roof just sucks - it should be cedar color to match typical cabinetry). With the tub shown, they should have gone with slate anyway.

2) possibly a new ceiling light from the one I've seen a glimpse of previously.

3) it looks like they are adding a scenic print on the interior of the shades, so you have something to look at. I hope they do something besides tropical fish for us mountain people. Perhaps a meadow of wild flowers? Pine trees?

covanaiii.jpg

I recall one comment, "what about the stars?", and I can see this might not be for everyone. Where mine is going, it will be nestled slightly under some tall pines, so star gazing is not so good anyway, and it will keep the needles and cones out, hopefully. If I wanna see stars, I can hang on the other part of the deck, go out the front door, or just fall off the edge. ;)

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Fully recessed spas are difficult to get into and out of. Basically you have to sit on the "floor" to get into then, then get up off the "floor" getting out of them. It's much easier if the deck is at the same level as the interior step in the spa you use to step into the spa.

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I, too, am a "half-accessed" kind of guy...

Seriously, my tub is set as Doc described and getting in and out is very easy. The deck level matches the highest of three levels in my tub (only the cool down seat is higher), where i usual start my soak. My wife usually just steps in at a different location where she prefers to soak. I like it becasue it gives more options that steps (nice if multiple people are getting in) or flush and is easier as well.

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Yeah, I am rethinking the fully recessed idea, mainly because the Covana would be too low for tall people to get in easily. I found a photo of an idea that looks good, but I'm not sure how to make sure the panels are all accessible for any repairs:

deckbuiltupspasurround.jpg

If I were to do this on my deck, the deck itself is going to be perhaps 8-10 feet off the ground, as it is on a hillside, and the spa would obviously need structural reinforcement to hold it. But it would be fully on a raised deck, not near the ground, and not open on one side like this one appears to be (on the back side.) How can this be built on a raised deck with access to the cabinet? I had originally thought of doing something similar, only with benches all around, but people can sit on steps too. I like the idea of having the steps all around, for people to sit on and visit with the tubbers.

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The Covana will only collapse to the height of a full height spa, (36" or so) if you block it higher, it will not close all the way.

Note the lift out panels in your photo;

13216507.jpg

One on each side.

Especially neccessary if you are going to have a Covana.

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Keeping in mind, don't worry about giving sympathy to your repair guy, we repair folks usually put the screws to people who do form over function, be prepared to pay accordingly.

Anyone installing a spa recessed in stone is as clever as a ziploc bag of fish bait.

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Maybe this will help explain my problem. The deck where the tub will be situated is going to be maybe 10 feet off the ground, over the downslope. The existing deck is only about 4' wide and 8' long, and I want to expand it, with steps down on the left side where it will be only a few steps to the ground. On the right side, because of the slope, it is about 8' off the ground, and there are several large boulders below. At the promontory is where the tub will go, nestled in among the trees, and the slope is fairly steep there. No reason to have steps down, as it will be about 10 feet or more off the ground at that point, and all there is down there is trees.

sideandfrontviewofdeckp.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

I posted this on another thread, but I thought I'd include it here for interested people:

I had a friend visit a showroom where they had both the spa I want (the Optima) and the Covana, and he took a video:

Check out the whisper quiet, seamless performance of the Covana. And later in the vid you can see the ceiling lights. With a snow load of 600 lbs., a hard permanent cover that sheds snow, and privacy screens built in that you can unhitch like a roller screen if you don't need it, but it also acts as a windbreak, which I need here in Mammoth. I'm here now and it is blowing like crazy.

The new model (as shown in the vid) looks so much nicer than the previous versions, as it has the color matched paint on the hydraulics, and the new screens are nice, though I hope they have some with a more natural look for the High Sierras, which are decidely NOT tropical!

After seeing my friend's vid, I've fallen in love all over again with the Covana. I just have to find a way to make it work with a recessed spa. Maybe I will do the semi-recessed as others have suggested. The Covana people did say they could make one that rises an additional 16".

I went to the local spa dealer in Mammoth today. They sell the Sundance. I am looking at the Optima, though I like the Constance (the architectural model with the flat top) too - not sure what the major differences are, as they seem to have the same seating area. The Constance uses less water, is an inch or two less deep, and an inch less wide, though that could be due to the difference in the top. Fewer jets. More efficient. They are so striking I would consider NOT recessing the spa. They have exterior perimeter dusk to dawn lights, which is nice. One thing I'm not sure about is the hard squared edge/flat top. Thinking about maybe hitting my shin getting in. I think it's a pretty new model, so I don't know if anyone here has one. The dealer did not have one.

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spa-ideas-8.jpg

HotSpring tubs can be ordered with "Custom Cabinet" which is a specially designed plywood cabinet that is set back farther from the edge of the spa, allowing you to add your own siding to match the surroundings. Here is one, pictured above, with the optional faux stone siding, available in two colors. But, you could order the tub in CC and add your own materials, including stone, tile, wood, composites, decking material, or just about anything.

B)

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  • 5 years later...

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