Before I can get my "portable" spa. . .

[Altazi]

I have what I call "Not Tub", an old, non-functional, built-in tub that is going to be hauled off; the deck it's in will be removed and rebuilt.  I would like to replace it with a portable spa, but am a little confused about what to do, what comes first, and how it should be done.  I can't decide whether to put the new spa IN the deck, ON the deck, NEXT to the deck, or what.  If the spa isn's sitting ON the deck, what should it sit on - some pea gravel, a concrete slab, or its own wooden deck?  FYI, I envision the spa as sitting anywhere from ground level to no more than 24" above grade.  Additional info: the location is my vacation home in Central Oregon, the ground is bare, sandy soil (with a few big rocks) , the outside temperature will remain below freezing for days at a time, and snow accumulations can reach 36".  I can be away for weeks at a time.

I am still researching the spas, and haven't made a decision as to brand & model.  Is this something I should decide first?  I do feel that I have a handle on how to choose the spa - stick with major brand, wet test, comfort, good local dealer support.  Did I miss anything?

Are there any questions that I should be asking?  What other advice and suggestions do you kind people have?

I would really appreciate your advice and suggestions.  I'd also love to see pictures of your installations (time to show-off your set-ups!)

Thanks in advance for your help!

Regards,

Altazi

[Brewman]

It's your call on how to install.  You can do pretty much anything you suggested, assuming such an installation is allowed in your area, and applicable codes are followed- deck needs to be able to support the spa's weight if you decide to install it on the deck.

 For ground install, it recommended that a 4" concrete slab be used, but others have used pea rock, pavers, spa pads, etc....
 Make sure what ever base you choose adequately supports the spa, and make sure the spa warranty allows whatever base you choose.  No spa warranty will cover damages due to a faulty foundation.  

[Altazi]

Hi Brewman,

Thanks for responding to a topic that is of paramount importance to me, but, alas! Has not caught the eye of the other members of this forum.

What I was hoping for would be comments & suggestions based on your own experiences in getting your spa installed.  What worked well, what didn't, what would you do differently?  What are the issues with the various approaches I mentioned?

Is there a particular sequence?  Spa first, spa last?

I'm sure that I can't be the only person who would like to see a discussion on this subject.

And again, please share your pictures!  They are, after all, worth a thousand words!

Regards,

Altazi

[MarKee]

I would get the spa first so you know how big to pour the pad, where the electrical needs to hook up, and what the dimensions/corner radius are if you are planning on incorporating it with your deck.

[anne]

I think you may need to ask more specific questions. Each installation is just so different, and probably super dependant on location and taste. Brewman hit the biggies about a few practicalities (concrete slab thickness, deck strength, etc). Perhaps you could get soem ideas from people if you posted pics of the area, so they could envision you little spa-topia.

I'd first make sure you have a clear idea of any important things that HAVE to be a certain way:  for example, you said you want the spa no more than 24" above grade. If you mean the top edge of the spa, then perhaps you put the spa in and build a deck around it so that part of the deck comes up to just a bit below the spa edge for easy entrance/exit. If you have a lot of snow, then maybe you have to consider what sort of surface is easiest to maintain, and whether you want the spa under a gazebo or in the open (You'll find most people here prefer to enjoy the stars and dont mind cleaning off the spa cover). How close do you want it to the house? (close is good for cold nights) What sort of privacy issues do you have? What do you want to look at when you are in the spa? Do you want a big deck or patio area with a BBQ, etc, or a smaller, simpler set up? Is this a DIY with a limited budget, or a big contracted dream house project?

All you HAVE to have is a good base and a safe electrical hook up. The rest of it is personal. Gravel as a base has the advantage of being very DIY and easily removable, while concrete is probably easier to maintain (no loose gravel). Some here put gravel/sand in and then pavers on top. If I had concrete, I would not want any of it to show, so it would have to be a "footprint" of the spa, maybe with just room for steps, and would have to be surrounded by something much more attractive than concrete. But some people have really pretty decorative stamped concrete, which can look great. I went with a gravel base for the tub, and flagstone all around it because it was cheaper than nice pavers, natural looking, I could work with the slight slope that the area had, and I could do it all myself. (I literally did 90% of it alone, and I'm not all that skilled in building or landscaping). In retrospect I wish that I had poured concrete, but the rest of it I'm happy with, given the space and $$ that I had. Pics:  (there is also my avatar)

[imp etc]

Anne, that's a beautiful set-up! I'm impressed that you were able to do so much of it yourself! How hard was it to do that flagstone? I'm thinking of something like that to replace a rotting wood deck in front of our house, it would nicely match the stairs coming down from our driveway.

Altazi, we were lucky that the site was basically prepped for us because there was already a tub there when we bought our house. The hardest part was preserving the old gazebo (for privacy, and because the redwoods overhead drop a LOT of stuff onto the site) and getting the new tub into the existing site.

The one concern we had that no-one has mentioned yet is that we also wanted to be sure there is access all around the tub in case it needs service.

[Altazi]

Anne,

Thanks for the wonderful information - the pictures are just what I'm looking for.  You have a very nice set-up - great job!

FYI, I was referring to the bottom of the spa as being no more than 24" above grade.  Also, our community has CC&Rs that require some sort of privacy wall.  I expect that my set-up will have my spa sitting on or next to a wooden deck.  There are already two other small decks attached to the house that the spa deck will have to connect to.  Maybe I should try to get some pictures up so you can see what I am stuck with working with.

Imp etc. also mentioned access - that is one of my unstated concerns, as well.

Where do you all get your ideas on how to do your spa installation?

Regards,

Altazi

[Vinny]

Here's my opinion/info on spa setup.

Having a spa in the deck is a great idea but remember that if you go to sell the house the next owners may not like it. If you do put it into the deck don't flush mount the spa leave it sticking up about seat hight to make it easy to get in and out. You also have to leave access to work on the pumps.

With that said I did sink the tub and have access for repair and figured maybe the next owners will appreciate a spa. It's funny how I hear a lot of stories about people buying a house and they remove the spa and I have no clue why. Of course maybe the previous owners let it rot or something ...

As anne said everyone is different and some people made it a scenic oasis. Mine is not at all scenic but it is quite functional and close to the house for winter access. I sometimes wish it were more scenic but how much do you see at night!

Here's some pictures of my install for ideas:

This is before the deck



This is the tub on it's own deck



And this is the almost finished product ... almost still like this a year later.

[anne]

Imp, thanks for the complement. The flagstone is not really hard to do in a technical sense (or else I would not have done it) but just took time and patience and I spent a lot of evenings REALLY sore. My personal limitation was that I wanted flagstone pieces as large as possible for stability (they are easier to work with, require less fussing with sand and gravel underneath, and I think end up looking cleaner than lots of small pieces) but I had to personally lift, carry and position each one, so they could not be too huge. A bigger person woud not have that issue, I guess. My boyfriend had a broken ankle in a cast while all this was going on, and I was NOT going to wait weeks and weeks for him to be able to walk!

Altazi- as far as where ideas come from, I would start by looking at what you are stuck with- I mean have to work with -and go from there. If you need a patio to fit some sort of weird shape, and you like rock, then flagstone is perfect. If you already   have redwood decks and need to connect with that, then maybe you do redwood decking, but get creative with making it multi- levelled, for something new. If you have a green thumb, maybe planter beds go in along the edge. If you dont, and you like stark archetecture, maybe you have a rock garden....or a fountain, or statues. Anything goes, right?

Throw a party and have friends brainstorm with you. Maybe you need a fresh set of eyes, and you may have looked at your backyard so much that you cannot think of it in a new way.

[Altazi]

Hello to All,

Here are some pictures of what I have. . . You can see why I call it the "Not Tub".






See why I want to replace it with a portable spa?

[Bill_Stevenson]

Based on your photos I recommend that you first look at spas, pick the one you want and then come back to the best way to install it.  Several companies make spas that are designed for inground, or in deck installation.  As you shop for spas, take the photos of your present installation with you to show to the dealers.  The dealers will be in a better position to help you with a clear idea of what you currently have.  If you decide to put your new spa on the deck rather than in it, then the choice of spas will be greater.  Make sure that the deck is in good shape and able to handle the considerable weight of a filled spa.  Recognize the tradeoffs of built in versus above grade spa installations.  Built in looks nice, but in every other respect above grade is better.

Regards,

Bill

[anne]

Karl, who I have not seen here for a while, had some photos of a cool install where he had a big "hole" in an expansive deck from where a pool used to be. He rebuilt the deck over the hole (very well braced, it appeared) and put the tub on top. You may try to seaerch for those photos....... I'll give it a try too.....

[jfish63]

That looks like an old Sta-rite industries pump and filter setup. As far as the install if you want to use it in the winter I would suggest you keep it close to a door.

[anne]

If this doesn't work, the thread was called Deck 'n tub tales, from March 18 '06, posted by KarlXII:
 
http://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1142729463/0

[Altazi]

Here's my opinion/info on spa setup.

Having a spa in the deck is a great idea but remember that if you go to sell the house the next owners may not like it. If you do put it into the deck don't flush mount the spa leave it sticking up about seat hight to make it easy to get in and out. You also have to leave access to work on the pumps.

With that said I did sink the tub and have access for repair and figured maybe the next owners will appreciate a spa. It's funny how I hear a lot of stories about people buying a house and they remove the spa and I have no clue why. Of course maybe the previous owners let it rot or something ...

As anne said everyone is different and some people made it a scenic oasis. Mine is not at all scenic but it is quite functional and close to the house for winter access. I sometimes wish it were more scenic but how much do you see at night!

Here's some pictures of my install for ideas:

And this is the almost finished product ... almost still like this a year later.

Hello Vinny,

Very nice installation.  May I ask how you get access to the spa's innards?  How many panels open up?

Thanks!

Altazi