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Spa Gravel Base Over Pavers Okay?


mscdman

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I’m attempting to install a hot tub.  The area I was going to place it has what looks to be flagstone pavers over dirt that have settled.  And are no longer flat.  Some areas of the pavers stick up higher than others due to minor settling.  Also in the photo below the pavers were sloping away from the house for drainage.  No ideal for a hot tub.  
 

So what I’m attempting to do is build a wooden frame on top of the existing pavers and fill that now level frame with 3/4 crushed granite.  Will this work putting this gravel over the existing pavers?  They would be hard to remove as they are almost grouted in or something.  
 

Also do you need to top with the pea gravel or can I just use the 3/4 gravel up to right below the top? Is it hard to level 3/4 crushed granite?

 

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3 hours ago, CanadianSpaTech said:

I would add a few cross stringers (4-6) for more support and put down a layer of 3/4 crushed gravel and then a layer of limestone on top of that. Is there a reason you didn't just level the existing pavers? Are you using pressure treated lumber?

Yes pressure treated lumber.   The pavers would need to be jack hameredy out or chiseled out as there is some kind of grout between them. Very labor intensive.   Also I need to maintain the slope of the pavers away from the house for proper grading so water doesnt slope towards the house or stay level 
 

can it be done without the stringers?  I was hoping to add gravel 1 inch or so LOWER than the frame so it wouldn’t wash over and stringers would also complicate the leveling in my opinion....

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think your idea is great, and I think 3/4 gravel that has been tamped every 2 inches is going to be pretty darn good at distributing the load and providing a base on top of those old pavers. Some smaller stone is probably a good idea for the top layer to make sure it's flat. Level is not a problem it's how flat the surface is, you don't want and high spots or ridges causing the tub to deflect.

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3 hours ago, PNW Soaker said:

I think your idea is great, and I think 3/4 gravel that has been tamped every 2 inches is going to be pretty darn good at distributing the load and providing a base on top of those old pavers. Some smaller stone is probably a good idea for the top layer to make sure it's flat. Level is not a problem it's how flat the surface is, you don't want and high spots or ridges causing the tub to deflect.

Thank you.  I added stringers as well.  Going to use 3/4 crushed granite chips all over tamped and level with the stringers so it should be flat

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  • 7 months later...

Looks good. Did you finish installing your hot tub? I think in black and white colors it must look great. For real, granite is a durable, multifunctional material. We also used crumb for the foundation of different installations in our yard. I also made kitchen and bathroom surfaces from dallas white granite countertops. On a large surface, in white, it looks incredibly gentle and noble. In addition, the characteristic dot pattern is very profitable and practical in operation.

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37 minutes ago, Rozanegols said:

Looks good, did you finish to instal your hot tub?

Thank you.  Yeah I did finish it thanks  for asking.    I painted the frame black and filled with a small crushed granite between the stringers.  Added mulch around the outside edge and some planters and electronic tiki torches for ambiance. 
 

only thing I would have done different is lay plastic under the whole thing to make it a little easier to catch leaks (vs. emptying to the ground and extremely hard to tell)
 


 

 

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36 minutes ago, mscdman said:

only thing I would have done different is lay plastic under the whole thing to make it a little easier to catch leaks (vs. emptying to the ground and extremely hard to tell)

You wouldn't know leaks from rain... If you are loosing water you have a leak.

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6 minutes ago, CanadianSpaTech said:
6 minutes ago, CanadianSpaTech said:

You wouldn't know leaks from rain... If you are loosing water you have a leak.

True but the water loss (per another post) is minimal and I can’t tell if it’s from a leak or normal loss from evaporation and carry out.   I wrote a whole other post about that.  

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