CONCRETE HOT TUB BASE GUIDE

Once they’ve been filled with water – which is, after all, pretty much the point of them – hot tubs can get very heavy. Obviously, just how heavy will depend on the size of your tub, but you could be looking at perhaps two or three tonnes. It should hopefully be apparent, then, that you’re going to need a good, solid base for it to sit on if you’re planning on getting one installed in your back garden.

This month, we’re going to be taking a look at what makes the best base for a hot tub and what’s the best way to go about preparing and installing it.

What is the best hot tub base?

As we’ve already pointed out, whatever your hot tub is resting on needs to be solid. It also needs to be flat and durable – although placing it on a very slight slope isn’t a bad idea, as that will allow any water that splashes over the top of your tub to run away.

What it doesn’t need to be is anything fancy – after all, it’s just going to have a hot tub sitting on it. You can get creative with the area surrounding the base if you like – some good tiles or stylish paving stones, perhaps – but when it comes to the actual base, it’s best to concentrate entirely on the strength angle.

Concrete does all of this and more.

What other options are there for a hot tub base?

There are other options, of course, such as decking and a patio, but you do need to be 100% sure that they’re going to be able to take that weight we were talking about earlier. Otherwise you’re going to end up having to get a lot more work done than you’d been intending.

Decking in particular can be a problem, because it tends to have a considerably shorter lifespan than concrete and there’s also the potential for noise and vibration from the pump.

Basically, though, if it’s strong, solid and relatively flat, then it will do the job and if you already have something that fits the bill, then that should be fine (although it is worth getting an expert opinion before you go ahead). If you don’t already have something suitable, then you really can’t do any better than having a good concrete base laid.

Where should the concrete base be placed?

The same provisos exist as when choosing your base – wherever you’re putting it needs to be strong and reliably solid. That means trying to place it directly onto grass or soil is never going to work, and although gravel could be an option, you need to check thoroughly what’s going on beneath it before you commit yourself.

You can also sink your hot tub into the ground, but it will still need something to rest on (to prevent it sinking further into the ground), and you will have to make extra provision for your electricity supply and for drainage.

When it comes to laying the base for your hot tub, it is a similar process to laying the base for a shed. You’ll be needing to make your base at least 4 inches thick, but it’s probably better to be safe than sorry, so we’d recommend you aim for 6 inches to be sure.

Whatever your concrete needs, EasyMix has the knowledge and experience to deliver every time – contact our team today for the best advice, fastest delivery and the most reliable and professional service across Hertfordshire, Greater London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northants.