Hot Tub Patio Ideas:
Looking to have a patio built to support a hot tub? There are several things to keep in mind when getting this type of work done. Due to the weight of the patio there will be a few differences between a regular patio and a patio that can support a hot tub.
Can You Put a Hot Tub on a Patio?
A common question out there is from homeowners wondering "can I put a hot tube on my patio?" The answer is "it depends." While an existing patio may support a hot tub, it is probably wiser to custom build a new patio that is designed to put a hot tub on. There are a couple good reasons for this that we will get into next. What may make this question more difficult to answer is if the person asking it is unsure to what specifications their existing patio was built.
Hot Tub Patio Construction in Langley
Hot tubs can weigh several thousand pounds when filled with water, so it's important to make sure the patio is strong enough to support the weight. Concrete slabs and pavers are typically strong enough to hold a hot tub, but it's still important to make sure the foundation beneath these stones is stable.
We started our patio construction by excavating approximately 10 inches down. This is a few inches deeper than we would excavate for a regular patio. The home owner was bringing in a large modern hot tub so we wanted a base material depth of about 8 inches to ensure this hot tub would never move even with 10,000 pounds of water sitting on it. You could probably get a way with a little less, but we wanted to make sure!
A key step many builders skip is to excavate an area wider than the dimensions of the patio. The base should extend out past the edge of the patio equal distance to the depth excavation. The force of the weight will push out on the edges at a 45 degree slope, so if there is no base support there it will transfer that weight to the soil and over time cause the edge to fail. Always ask the person giving your estimate about these details to ensure they are setting the job up for long term success and not just trying to cut cost to win the job. In our case because we went down 10 inches we also had to excavate 10-12 inches wider on both grass sides.
Before the base layer went down we installed landscape fabric to prevent any long term migration of the base material into the soil below. Then we added our road base layer compacting ever 2 inches with water to really firm up the foundation.
Another key difference between a regular patio an a patio built to hold a hot tub is the slope. Regular patios tend to be built with a very slight slope. This is imperceptible but is done so rain water can move in the direction of choice (usually way from the homes foundation).
Hot tub patios are different. The water line in a hot tub should be level and for that reason the patio below should also be level. If the patio slopes then the water will noticeable gravitate towards the lower side. In cases of putting a hot tub on a preexisting patio it may be possible to shim up the low side of a hot tube but this may not be a perfect solution. It may need to be redone over time as well, meaning the hot tube would have to be emptied and repositioned and refilled. It's also was wiser to build a patio custom made for a hot tub. That way you can be sure the base is constructed correctly and the you can design the patio to be level .
Ready to Take the First Step?
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