Deck Planning for Your New Hot Tub

Utopia Cantabria on deck at night

The addition of a hot tub to any home is an exciting event. Hot tubs frequently become home-life hubs for many families. A place to relax and reconnect with friends and loved ones. Sometimes a place to recover from physical activity or even injury. Often a retreat from hectic schedules and busy lives.

Deciding to add a hot tub to your home is the first of several steps a new owner must take. There are quite a few jobs to do in order to prepare for its arrival. An experienced spa dealer will be able to walk you through the entire, step-by-step process and even provide detailed pre-delivery instructions that will make the task very manageable.

Following are a few of the major considerations that you may need to work through.

Where should my new hot tub go?
Some homeowners like the idea of placing their hot tub in a remote area of the back yard. While there may be privacy advantages, be sure to consider usability. As a rule, the more accessible your hot tub, the more it will get used regardless of weather.

Once you’ve identified one or several places where you might want your hot tub, measure and mark off that area. This will help visualize the spa and its surroundings. Will there be enough room to move around all sides of the hot tub? Is there space for steps if you need them? Can you get to the hot tub’s access panel? How about the view?

Is my existing deck sturdy enough for a hot tub or do I need a new one?
If an existing deck is the ideal location for your hot tub, be sure to have a licensed professional inspect the existing structure. Obviously hot tubs and the hundreds of gallons of water they contain are very heavy. Before your hot tub is placed on a deck, you must make sure the deck is structurally able to support the weight of the filled hot tub and the maximum number of people that it accommodates.

If designing a new or replacement deck, make sure that the plans account for adequate a load capacity. Again, your local dealer can provide you with weight specifications and, possibly, scale renderings that will greatly assist you and your contractor with planning and design. And make sure you choose a durable & long-lasting building material for your new deck. There are some gorgeous high-performance woods, including naturally beautiful & rot-resistant Western Red Cedar, to use in construction of a tasteful, personalized deck.

The delivery path
An often overlooked but potentially frustrating issue for delivery of any large household item is getting to its final location. Is there a wide enough delivery path from the road to the selected space? Is there enough vertical clearance between the path and the eaves of the house, wires or cables, tree limbs? Have you accounted for the height of the dolly?

Electrical considerations
It’s highly recommended that you have the electrical work done professionally so that you can enjoy your hot tub to its full potential, for years to come. Most hot tubs run off 220 volts, which a licensed professional can easily install for safe use any time of year. Also plan for additional outlets and lights you may want while enjoying your spa.

Tech tools
As you embark upon the design process, you may want to use an online tool to help with the planning. Caldera Spas offers a 3D Deck Design Tool, an interactive, step-by-step deck planner that you may find useful.

Making an investment in preparing for delivery of your hot tub is well worth it, and will result in a hot tub you and your family will enjoy for years.

Shelly Roberts
Caldera Spas
www.calderaspas.com
Brand Manager