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Surround Your Hot Tub with a Deck

Which came first - the hot tub or the deck?

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Redwood decks turn backyards into garden retreats and the addition of hot tubs makes them even better. Building a deck for a tub is very much like building any other deck. The most important thing to remember is that water is extremely heavy and the tub will need support independent of the deck.

The major elements for this deck around a tub are:

Footings: Concrete pillars or pier blocks which support the weight of the entire deck.

Posts: Vertical supports for the deck, attached to footings by drift pins or by toenailing. Construction Heart is recommended for its decay resistance. Bottoms of posts should be 6 inches off the ground.

Stringers: straddle the posts and are attached with carriage bolts or lag screws.

Joists: Horizontal supports nailed to stringers 2 feet on center, with 16d nails which support the decking. Blocking may be nailed between joists for stabilization.

Decking: The surface of the deck; can be economical Construction Common grade lumber. Nail with one 16d nail per joist bearing in a staggered nailing pattern. Allow 1/8-inch space between deck boards for drainage.

Raised seating area can also serve as storage and can conceal plumbing. The basic element is the wall unit which rises 24 inches above the deck. The decking should be 1/2 inch below the tub rim. Build the five wall units first and then attach the other members following standard nailing methods in this order: ledgers, joists, blocking, facing and then decking.

The access hatch consists of 2 x 4s or 2 x 6s attached to a simple box frame. The frame should measure approximately 22-1/4 x 20-3/4 inches so that it fits securely into the stud wall. Although the hatch can be removable, a hinge is the easiest way to attach it to the stud wall unit.

	Project Plan

Deck Around Tub Materials
Construction Heart Redwood

Description	Quantity	Size	Length
Posts	9	4x4	height of deck
Stringers	4	2x10	16 feet
	2	2x10	7 feet
	22	2x10	2 feet
Joists	6	2x6	12 feet
	1	2x6	12 feet
	6	2x6	26 inches
Blocking	12	2x6	3 feet
Angle Braces	4	2x6	8 feet
Headers	2	2x6	16 feet

Construction Common Redwood

Description	Size	Length
Decking	2x6	240 lin. ft.
Trim	1x2	56 lin. ft.

Raised Seating Area Material
Construction Heart Redwood

Description	Quantity	Size	Length
Plates	2	2x4	12 feet
	4	2x4	8 feet
Studs	4	2x4	2 feet
Joists	2	2x6	12 feet
	5	2x6	4 feet
	2	2x6	3 feet
	2	2x6	2 feet
Ledgers	2	2x6	6 feet

Construction Common

Description	Size	Length
Facing	1x6	124 lin.ft.
Decking	2x6	124 lin.ft.

Other Materials

Description	Quantity	Size
Nails	5 lbs.	16d common
(non-corrosive)	12 lbs.	16d box
Lag Screws and Washers	36	3/8 x 4 inch

Text by California Redwood Association
© 2001 California Redwood Association

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