Patio Pavers Vs. Concrete Slab For Spa

[workerbee]

I'm getting a spa this year but probably won't even be ordering for another 3-4 weeks. In the meantime, I'm planning for site preparations as well as electrical upgrades. I had originally planned to have a concrete slab poured for the spa, but I really like the idea of using patio pavers instead. The area is likely to be one we extend as a patio down the road, as we have a fire pit nearby.

Are patio pavers suitable as a base for a spa? I live in NE Ohio and the ground has a considerable amount of clay, but it seems to be pretty stable. I guess I'm worried that what seems stable might not be with 5000 lbs on it. Are any of you out there using this kind of base? What about cost, is it more expensive to use pavers?

[In The Bubble]

We had the same concerns and ended up opting for an eight inch thick slab. We agreed that our ground too was pretty stable but were really worried about placing a brand new $8,000 plus investent on something PRETTY stable. We got lucky and after calling around a bit found a guy that would take the job AND he was doing a job a street away from ours (putting in a foundation) , he poured a 10x10 slab for $750. We think we got a good deal.

The slab has given us a real peace of mind and we can still upgrade the patio area around it.

Hope this helps.

[Trigger]

Yes. Patio pavers can be used for a base. (Check and talk with your dealer, Some of the larger, heaveir tubs may require a cement pad for the warranty.) Your dealer could also come and look at your particuliar site.

Proper base prep is absolutely necessary for the pavers to hold up over the years.

If you want the best of both worlds. why not pour a cement pad the size of the hot tub, and then use pavers around the cement pad? Once the tub is on the cement pad you wont even see it. The skirting and walkway can then be pavers of you choice.

[Spamaster101]

As Trigger stated if you use pavers the ground will have to repaired properly. Check with your dealer or local contractors to see what is best for area. If you are thinking pavers to save cost it will not (unless you do the work yourself).

[workerbee]

Thanks for the replies. I 'll do the work myself if I use pavers, but from checking around it's not going to save any money. If I went with the idea of making the slab just big enough, that would probably be OK. That will be a lot less work than building a base of pavers just to cover it up with the spa. The only issue there is I'll have to settle on a specific model before I schedule the work for the slab. I'm getting a little anxious to get started, so I guess I better figure out what I'm going to buy.