Hi all...
After extensive shopping of most brands to find the right spa for us, I've put a deposit down on a Hot Springs Aria. Now comes the tough part of site prep. In a nutshell, I have a room off my detached garage (not heated in MA) that used to be an outdoor kitchen. It's 9 by 19 with a tin roof, windows and a concrete slab. I've already had an electrician give me an estimate to get the needed power into the room (to code as well). I'm meeting with a contractor next week to come up with a plan for the room. A wall will be taken down to get the tub in and the room will be remodeled. First of all, I'm not certain of my existing concrete slab as I don't know it's thickness. I can see in the doorway that it's at least 3 inches thick (I'll try and dig down to see for certain). We are hoping to put a plywood sub floor over it and then cover with a sheet vinyl. Is this thinking a red flag? If need be, could I put a mesh reinforcement over the existing concrete and add another 2 inches? I've also been reading about spa pads. Maybe I should just put an 8x8 EZ Pad over my existing concrete for an even load distribution. This would seem to be a simple, low cost, peace of mind solution... Is it?
The other concern is with ventilation and wall/ceiling choice. There will be two large windows near the spa, a wall mounted exhaust fan and an outdoor ceiling fan in the room. Is that sufficient ventilation? The walls aren't insulated as this is really a 3 season room of a detached garage. It seams knotty pine (with a poly finish of course) would be the most cost effective choice. Is there any issues here to worry about?
All advice is appreciated!
