How To Build Steps For A Hot Tub: A Quick Guide

There is a huge chance you have overlooked this necessary hot tub accessory. If you have secured the hot tub cover, the hot tub chemicals to keep the water balance, a hot tub cover lifter, or floating rubber ducks, you must not forget that one accessory that will help you in and out of your hot tubs.

Don�t know what it is? Well, ladies and gents, it is the hot tub steps!

Having to build hot tub steps is as essential as keeping your water chemistry balanced because it can also make your hot tub experience easier and safer.

Thankfully, you don’t need to buy a new one because you can build hot tub steps and even save a few bucks. This article is your quick guide to building sturdy hot tub steps. Make sure to stick until the end.

5 Easy Guide To Build Hot Tub Steps

Practically, your hot tub is useless if you can�t get into them. That is why using hot tub steps is ideal for starting your warm bath experience. 

Outlined below is the easy guide you can follow to make sturdy and safe hot tub steps. 

1. Choose the Material For The Hot Tub Steps

Most hot tub owners would prefer to go with a wooden hot tub step. If you plan to be among the hot tub wooden steps fanatic, you first need to pick a wood that best suits your tub. It would mean using the kind of wood and the wood color complimenting your spa. For instance, you can opt for a cedar or redwood.

2. Pick A Design

You can go fancy or minimal, depending on your taste. Listed below are some of the easy but stylish options for your ladder. Feel free to choose one, as this would then determine the next steps for the process.

  • Wood Hot Tub Step. The traditional dual-level step stool gives your hot tub a countryside feel and is crafted from recycled wood boards. These stairs include side grip holes, allowing for portability when necessary. Even if you can create it out of readily available scrap wood, using dependable woodworking tools will simplify the task.
  • Small Stepper. If you are on a tight budget, this design would be ideal. The time, materials, and carpentry expertise needed to build this straightforward step stool are minimal. It’s useful not only for setting up your tub, but it can also help in other rooms of your house, especially in the tight spaces around cupboards and shelves.
  • Spiral Steps. It’s a triple-layer step that works incredibly well in small places for lofty tub walls. The advantage of this do-it-yourself step is that it has a small footprint, tucking the bottom two levels underneath the top step to take up the least amount of space possible whenever your tub isn’t being used.
  • Stump Stool Made Of Wood. It can be perfect for you if your garden design is filled with natural elements. It can serve as a step to raise yourself into your hot tub and a seat thanks to its solid stick legs and construction from a wood stump.

3. Cut the Appropriate Sizes

The length can significantly impact their safety when you’re using them, especially if they’re going to be wet. So, you want to make sure to do this right.

  • For the length, cut it depending on how long the hot tub sides are for which you are making them.
  • Cutting an 8-foot wood piece to meet the hot tub side’s length is ideal.
  • Three steps might be used for the hot tub, so for every 1 1/2 feet, you should add a stringer for stability. Therefore, you will need four stringers for a hot tub that is 6 feet long. 
  • Adjust the numbers if the hot tub is larger or smaller to make enough room.

4. Step Assembly

hot tub with steps outdoors

You can put together the stairs after trimming the steps and gathering the appropriate number of stringers.

  • The first upper step should be placed on the first tread boards after applying wood glue to its vertical and horizontal portions. 
  • Make sure to align the edges. 
  • Put the next stringer 1 1/2 inches away from the previous one to allow a small gap.
  • Continue until each stringer is secured to the top step using glue. 
  • Give it time to dry and place it in direct sunlight.
  • To ensure the wood won’t move, secure it with wood screws or deck screws.
  • Trim the wood to the pattern of the spa step with the hand saw in case there are lapses in the sizes.

5. Additional Safety

The spa step is now ready for use, but you should make them extra safer. Adding no-slip patches to each step is the first step in making the stairs safer. 

  • Trim the anti-slip pads first to the steps’ length and width of about 3 inches. 
  • Next, mark every stage from beginning to end every 3 inches. 
  • Now, along the mark, apply a line of super glue every three inches from the top of the step and the bottom. 
  • One no-slip strip should be positioned a bit higher above each glue line to the two boards.

Why You Need To Have Hot Tub Steps

You have probably thought that making hot tub stairs is just a hassle. Is that necessary?

If you are still having second thoughts about having to build hot tub steps, these are the important reasons you should have one. 

  • Compared to mounting ladders that call for building supports, hot tub steps are simple to install and won’t cost you significant time or money.
  • Hot tub steps can be used as seats for added comfort.
  • Hot tub steps make it simple to enter and exit, especially in an elevated pool.
  • Because the materials are sturdy and can support your body even if you are more than 200 pounds, you will have no concerns about safety in the hot tub area.
  • To complement the color scheme of your hot tub area, you may find them in various hues.
  • Compared to mounting ladders that call for building supports,  a hot tub step is simple to install and won’t cost you significant time or money.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions to guide you in knowing how to make an easy step for your hot tub.

Can You Build Decking Around A Hot Tub?

The quick answer is yes. Many hot tub owners build a deck around their hot tub, preferably aluminum deckings, as this is more sturdy and resistant to rust, scratch, and algae.

How High Should Steps Be For A Hot Tub?

The majority of hot tub steps are 30 to 33 inches in height. Spa steps come in quite handy while entering and exiting a hot tub. These additions are much more than that; they guard against injuries by preventing trips and falls. 

What Is The Best Material To Use When Making Hot Tub Steps?

It is advised to use high-quality plastic steps or a wood specifically designed to operate well while wet, such as teak in a spa step. They are intended to last look beautiful in your spa. In either scenario, you should also spend money on stair covers to ensure you have something to hold onto even if the surface is slick and damp, making climbing safe. Your best option might be a teak canvas or rubber combo.

Conclusion

The last thing you want to do is get injured from poorly made hot tub steps. Pretty sure you also don’t want to suffer injuries resulting from not having one, especially when entering or exiting your hot tub.  Don�t make your hot tub experience a nightmare by building study steps for your hot tub. Make safety a priority by following the guide provided above!