Hot tub built in UNDER the deck

[bernhard]

Hello!

So I have an idea but I can’t find anywhere information about this. My house is on one side built on stilts of about 1.3 metre (4 feet) where a big terrasse is. The space under the Tera’s se isn’t used. I was wondering if I could build the hot tub under the deck. And there are openings (or even an automatic slider) that takes away the wooden planks of the deck and underneath is the hot tub hidden. This way No space is wasted with the chunky hot tub.

i have not found a single hot tub built this way. They always stick out a little but I would like to fully hide it under the deck. Something like what’s going on in this video just with a hot tub. And fully flat to the surface of the deck: https://youtu.be/tDeSEN2d60M

what do you think about this? is this a good idea? A bad idea? Why has no one done such a thing yet?

thanks,

bernhard

[ratchett]

20 hours ago, bernhard said:

what do you think about this? is this a good idea? A bad idea? Why has no one done such a thing yet?

Oh trust me - tons of people try to put a spa into a vault/deck. There are few reasons why it's rarely done these days:

• Tripping hazard - the foam covers will not support the weight of an adult walking on it. And with the cover off, it's a huge liability for someone to slip/fall into the tub and hurt themselves
• Hot tubs need to be maintained - depending on your water chemistry you could wear out seals or jets in a few short years - all four sides of a hot tub need to be accessible by a technician - otherwise you'll need to rent a crane to haul a tub out of the hole sometimes/every-time it needs to be serviced.
• Not all tubs are built to last a lifetime.  The industry average lifespan for a modern mid-range hot tub is 7-14 years. A budget spa will be on the lower end of that scale, while a top-tier flagship spa might last for 2+ decades with proper care/maintenance.   Not all spas have the same shape/size, so then you'll have a hell of a time finding a spa with identical dimensions to replace in the future

All that said if you're still really interested in trying it out, check out Bullfrog's Spa Vault https://www.bullfrogspas.com/spavault/

[bernhard]

Clarification: so there are floorboards above the hot tub. The floor boards will slide, move or lift away and underneath is the hot tub cover and underneath that the actual hot tub.

yes, the sides would be accessible as the entire deck is built on stilts and around is nothing that’s blocks access.

i am wondering about the floorboards above the hot tub. Like anything metal would be attacked by the chemistry. Screws, nails, any sliding mechanism like rails etc. will be metal. Or will this stay all well protected if the hot tub cover is neatly tucked in?

[CanadianSpaTech]

post photos of location so we can see what you are trying to do

[bernhard]

Hello!

Well, attached is a 3D model which is somewhat accurate. So there is a deck on stilts. The stilts are about 1,3m (4feet) in height. The Hot tub will be covered with flooring which I can move/slide/lift aside. 

Something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQOiaaYsr44

With the difference that in the video there is a step and my sliding part will be flat with the floor.

I am more concerned about proximity of the wooden boards above and that the chemistry of the water will do harm to the wood. All sorts of insects that might make home in between etc.. What are your thoughts about this?

 

[CanadianSpaTech]

https://www.covana.com/ 

[ratchett]

19 hours ago, bernhard said:

I am more concerned about proximity of the wooden boards above and that the chemistry of the water will do harm to the wood. All sorts of insects that might make home in between etc.. What are your thoughts about this?

Hot tub covers are not air-tight - vapor does seep out and it will become a perfect host for bugs/mold/algae, etc.  I don't know if anyone has done a false floor like you're imagining - part of the issue is the hassle of removing and reinstalling the components when you actually want to use a hot tub. 

The whole point of of using a hot tub is when it's cold outside - you run out, open the cover and hop in for a soak - then jump out and run in the house - the last thing you want to do is fiddle with the cover and a false floor in the middle of a chilly winter night.