spa pad or concrete slab?

[beaugart_mr]

would someone please tell me if a pad is a bad way to go?  Looking at a Sundance Chelsee or Hot Springs Vanguard and not sure if a pad would work for either, or if a pad works at all.

thanks

[drewstar]

When you say "pad"  what do you mean?   A plastic portable pad that some dealers sell or a cement pad?

A renforced cement pad is considered to be on of the best foundation for a hot tub and is usuall the prefered methods by the manufactuers.


Those spa pads are a different story. You will still need a solid level surface to put the spa pad on.

[beaugart_mr]

yes, that is what I mean, a portable plastic pad.  I will be installing the tub on grass...it is level, but nevertheless it is on grass.

[drewstar]

I would put down a base (crushed stone or compaceted sand) and then the base.

I have a compacted sand on top of pavers and it's worked out fine for me.  

What did your dealer say?

[Brewman]

Yup, you still should have a solid base under whatever pad you use.  
Especially if you live in the frost belt.

As for the pads themselves, I'm aware of 2 EZ Pad installs, both over 4 years old, and both doing okay.  But both have a solid level base underneath.

[Taddtx]

I am very intetrested to see where this thread goes....

I just put down a deposit on a Sundance Cameo yesterday.  We got home and looked at our proposed locacation a little closer, and disconvered that it might not wotk at all.   It would have been partially on the pool deck and partially on the patio.  The probem is the the pool desk has aslight slope away from the pool and the patio is flat.  After laying a 6 foot straight pice of metal across teh area, there is about 1/3 inch free space under the metal,wher the patio and pool deck come together.  

So started looking at the yard.  Whick honestly is probably better, the pool deck/ patio area would have been very crowded.

So I called my dealer and asked about alternatives,  ( I had already checked out some plactic type pads on the net).   He was all for the portable pads, said they worked fine.  It would take 4 pads, 50x50, $150 each.  Suggested that I atleast cut the grass as far down as possible and then take the weed eather and get it done as far as possible.   Of course removing the turf and putting in a sand or gravel base would probably be better.

But right now, the more that I have to do, the longer this is going to take.

So lets hear from some users that used the protable pads?  

I really dont want to pour concrete.  

[beaugart_mr]

that is where I am with this...I want portable to be portable...not worry that if I decide to move the spa that I have a concrete slab I need to knock out.  One outfit was pushing the pad and another was not (they lay their own slab). I live in Southern California so elements are not extreme.

So what I am gathering is that if I do put a pad down, it would be smart to lay it on pea gravel instead of directly on the grass.

[Chad]

that is where I am with this...I want portable to be portable...not worry that if I decide to move the spa that I have a concrete slab I need to knock out.

I'm not sure of your current patio configuration but adding to what's already there will not only give you the space you need for a spa but will actually add to the value of your house. The second best thing to raise your houses value is outdoor living space.

[GoBlue]

I've had my spa a little over a year.  I put mine on a plastic pad.  I wasn't positive that the spot where we put it wasn't going to change.  We knew it would be easier to move if it was on a pad.  We used a gas powered sod cutter and removed the grass, leveled with sand and put the pads down.  Very fast installation and it's still level and stable.  I don't regret the decision at all.  We have since installed a brick patio around it.  Looks great.

[Mez]

I also looked into the plastic pads but opted against it mainly do to cost. I would highly recommend that you get down to the dirt, use sand or a crushed limestone base, compacted and leveled and then place the plastic pad on top of it and you should be fine.
I ended up pouring a concrete slab using Sakrete but did things a bit differently and it ended up costing me far less than the plastic pads and looks alot better in my opinion. My tub is 7X7, so I made a 10X10 frame out of treated lumbar and bolted it together. THem I put cross pieces of wood inside the frame to seperate it into smaller sections so I didnt have to mix all the concrete at one time for ease of working with it. Over 4-5 days I poured it all and then I took the same wood decking I have on my deck and covered the entire slab with it by screwing it into the frame and the cross members. I then stained it to match my elevated deck and put in a 2nd set of stairs down to it. The entire cost was about $500. Then I decided to offset the tub into the corner leaving a 3 foot area down 2 sides, leaving room to walk down one side to open the cover and 3 ft in front of the tub for steps/platform that I just built.
It turned out pretty nice, not as easy as the plastic pads but I think the end result was better.

[Brookenstein]

We have our Envoy on the portable pads.  We have had no problems.  We removed the sod, put down a buttload of sand, tamped it down, then put the pads down.  It was/and is (18 months later) completely level.

[anne]

I didn't want to pour concrete, so I did this:

[Mez]

Anne,
that looks FANTASTIC! Wanna come over to my place and redo everything Ive just done??

[tony]

Whether you use concrete or a spa pad, the key is what is beneath it.  Do not place pads on grass.  Remove grass and topsoil, replace with a crushed gravel, compact and your spa pads should work fine.

[loosenupspas]

as i recall, when i was looking at a sundance booklet that described how to get ready for delivery, i believe that there was a mention of spa pads as not advisable.  i no longer have that booklet but it probably still exsists if you want to go out and find it.  i could be totally wrong however.  anne's solution is good by the looks of it.  pavers are another way to go.  i cannot imagine that a grass surface is dead level, but it is i am sure.