# Reinforcing Deck for Hot Tub



## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

I don't see retrofitting a hot tub on the existing deck. Either put the tub on a deck engineered for the weight or cut a hole in this deck, reframe around the tub and put the tub on the ground.


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## getzjd (Jun 25, 2009)

How high off the ground are you? Unless you plan on rebuilding your current deck, I would cut a hole in the existing deck and drop the hot tub in on a separate platform, preferably a concrete slab beneath.


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## Anti-wingnut (Oct 18, 2009)

Contact an engineer or architect. Sight unseen, anyone who would tell you what to do is mistaken


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## Daniel Holzman (Mar 10, 2009)

5000 lbs on a wooden deck, what could possibly go wrong?
Ditto previous comments, either hire an engineer to design this for you or put the tub on the ground.


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## Tom Struble (Dec 29, 2008)

water, elect.. your going to need a permit anyway,BI is going to want to see drawings,footings


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## Joer189 (Jun 3, 2010)

The deck is 10ft off the ground. So no chance a nice solidbeam across the joists with 2-3 posts set onconcrete pries then?


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## AfterDinner (Jun 6, 2011)

Joer189 said:


> ]I have a 12 x 18 foot deck attached to my house with lags through the rim joists and sitting on two posts at the far end.


What size are the posts?


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## getzjd (Jun 25, 2009)

If you really want to have it on the deck 10ft off the ground I would suggest 3 rows of double 2x12 beams sitting on 6 6"x6" posts directly under the hot tub 2 at each end and 2 in the middle. I would also set 2x10 joists 12 OC. Obviously, for the remainder of the deck you can span your beam posts as you normally would. Make sure to build in knee bracing for lateral support.

At no point should any weight of that tub be placed on the ledger board of the house/deck. It should be entirely resting on the beams.

Even then, double check with your local building department for their suggestions.


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## Joer189 (Jun 3, 2010)

The posts are 10-12" diameter ponderosa pine logs, so they are pretty stout.


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## Joer189 (Jun 3, 2010)

After dinner,
To clarify, the existing posts are the logs but I was going ot use 4x4 or 6x6's for the support posts under the planned new beam to run under the tub. 

Thanks

Joe


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## cbzdel (May 11, 2010)

something to think about is, does the tub have a uniform load of the 166 psf or does it only bear on the perimeter of the tub frame?

I can take a pic of my neighbors deck, it was a wood deck on a second floor, they bought and stuck a hot tub on it without having the deck checked out. Well the wood did not fail but the footing it was above dropped almost 4"  they took off the tub but the deck now looks like it will be falling off any day now!


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## Rob1975 (Apr 30, 2011)

I agree with those saying to seek an engineers advice, get plans drawn up, permit for the work, electrician, and have the darn thing inspected and passed by your local building department.


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## Tom Struble (Dec 29, 2008)

Joer189 said:


> The deck is 10ft off the ground. So no chance a nice solidbeam across the joists with 2-3 posts set onconcrete pries then?


 
maybe,but no one here knows your soil or site conditions are,so no one can say how many or how deep or how wide they need to be


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