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When it comes to decorating the outdoor space of your home, a hot tub is a prominent and popular choice for the modern homemaker.
An inflatable hot tub can be a stylish addition to any home, as it provides a great place for enjoying and relaxing after a long day.
Picture those hot bubbles enveloping your body and releasing all the tensions from your muscles. Feel your worries float away as you unwind in the comfort of your own yard.
Adding a hot tub to your deck or garden is a great way to build a recreational area for chilling with your partner or entertaining guests, and it can look sophisticated and impressive as a part of your home.
There are so many different types of hot tubs to choose from that it can be difficult to pick one that suits you.
Inflatable hot tubs are a great option as they look good, do the job and are far more cost-efficient than luxury top tier spas and tubs.
So, a hot tub on the deck?
Inflatable hot tubs are far more wallet-friendly than static or built-in hot tubs, and can be put up and assembled wherever you need them.
Inflatable hot tubs have become the homeowner favorite as they can be portable, moved and taken down if you no longer wish to use them.
You can even place an inflatable hot tub on your decking if it is strong enough.
Most decks that are less than 2 feet from the ground can withstand an inflatable hot tub.
However, if your deck is located more than 2 feet higher from the ground, then it may require additional support to maintain a full inflatable hot tub.
The average deck can withstand a weight of about 100 lbs per square foot.
Keep this in mind when purchasing an inflatable hot tub for your decking.
The main question to ask yourself is; how much does an inflatable hot tub weigh? There are three contributing factors:
- The weight of the inflatable
- The weight when at water capacity
- The weight of the individual users
You should also evaluate the weight of the inflatable hot tub when at full capacity.
It is all good in saying that an inflatable is lightweight enough to place on your deck, but you need to consider how it will fare when the tub is full of water and people.
This can add up to a substantial amount of weight to be concentrated onto one section of decking.
If you do not take these factors into consideration before putting an inflatable hot tub on your deck, you can run the risk of damaging the decking or suffering breakage.
First, you should consider the weight of the empty hot tub, then find out its water capacity, considering that 1 gallon of water is 8.34 lbs. In the next step, you should ask yourself how many people will be in the hot tub at one time and their estimated weight.
This will all add up to a considerable amount of weight and strain on your deck.
Finally you should check the size and amount of square footage the inflatable hot tub has.
You should then combine these factors together to see whether an inflatable hot tub is a great option for the strength of your decking.
Making an informed decision
Once you have done this, you can decide whether your decking is structurally tolerant enough to withstand the added weight. Generally speaking, decking that is under 2 feet from the ground will be able to support heavier inflatable hot tubs without any issues.
If your decking is elevated over 2 feet from the ground then you may require extra support or have to reinforce your decking.
Smaller inflatable hot tubs are a lot safer as they are lighter and have less capacity and will therefore not cause a strain upon your decking.
Although inflatable hot tubs can be a lot less substantial than built-in or permanent hot tubs, it may still be a good idea to reinforce your decking just to be sure.
Who knows?
You may become a hot-tub addict and getting an inflatable tub has just made you want a permanent one even more!
Reinforce your decking
To reinforce your decking, there are a number of things you can do so that an inflatable hot tub will be safe on top. We strongly advise that you hire a professional carpenter to assist with your deck reinforcement.
One way of strengthening your deck is to add joists where you intend to put your inflatable hot tub. This can help with the weight distribution greatly.
Additionally, you could use joist hangers to improve your deck’s weight capacity.
However these can look quite unsightly if not implemented properly. If those options do not satisfy, then ledger board fasteners could be used to do the trick!
Remember that buying and installing a hot tub is no small feat, and redoing your decking would be costly and time-consuming, so we recommend that you always consult a professional before altering any structural components of your decking.
If you are still left wondering whether you can put an inflatable hot tub on your deck, here is the low-down.
Low Down
You should always familiarize yourself with the unit weight of the inflatable, plus its water capacity, plus its user capacity before purchasing, to make sure that it is a viable option to place upon your deck.
It is paramount to remember that an inflated, water-filled hot tub with 4-6 people inside can weigh up to 3,500 lbs.
So you should do your math homework prior to purchasing to see whether your deck can withstand the overall weight of an inflated hot tub.
Generally speaking, most modern decking can withstand around 100lbs per square foot.
With this in mind, if a full inflatable hot tub or spa is below that weight, then the average deck should support it with no problems.
