So you have bought a new hot tub; congratulations, that is an excellent investment! Now you are only an installation away from enjoying a warm bath. However, don’t let excitement get in the way of putting your new hot tub in a leveled spot. Many hot tub owners get confused about how to position their hot tubs in a flat area.
Remember that a hot tub holds so many pounds of water plus the additional weight of the people using it, which is why it is essential to have it leveled on the ground.
Don’t know how? This article is your ultimate guide to leveling your hot tub. Make sure to read through the end.
Level Your Hot Tub In These 5 Easy Steps
No hot tub owners would want to risk breaking their hot tubs. You don’t want to spend much money fixing it. That is why you should consider leveling your outdoor or indoor hot tub with these methods ASAP.
Leveling your hot tub is indeed crucial for its smooth functioning because of the huge possibility that an unlevel installation might damage its exterior. There are a few effective methods to achieve a hot tub level, and you will need a few materials and preparations to level your hot tub. So, make sure to take note of the following.
Step #1. Using A Wooden Platform
The first step or method that you can use is to try a wooden deck. You can utilize a wooden slat or platform to level the hot tub’s bottom if you have noticed that the placement area has a slope of about one or two inches.
There are a lot of benefits to using wooden decks. First, it can give the hot tub a solid and sturdy foundation. If you have a limited budget, this is also the perfect choice since it’s cheaper than the other methods, and you can easily access it in your area. Additionally, its installation is quick and easy. Just ensure that the slope’s area is only within an inch. Otherwise, you will not get the best result.
You should do this to level your hot tub using a wooden platform.
- First, ensure the hot tub is moved away from the installation site.
- Buy a piece of exterior grade plywood and the pressure-treated 2x4s.
- Depending on the specific proportions of the slope, cut the planks of wood into pieces.
- Position them at the installation site above the curve or slope
- Cut the additional parts, then attach the external plywood to the wood planks.
- Now that it is ready set up the hot tub once more in the new, leveled location.
Step #2. Using A Paver
Another popular method used in leveling a hot tub is a paver. There are many kinds of pavers on the market available at your disposal, including rubberized pavers, bricks, cobblestones, and concrete ones.
In using the paver, you can benefit from its top-quality density materials. It also offers more solid support than any other material. Like wood, a paver can also be easily accessed in the market. You can also rely on its durability. Additionally, its low absorbance cannot result in salt scaling or other problems. The only drawback to this method is that it can cause excess stress on the hot tub’s exterior.
To use a paver, these are the steps that you should follow.
- First, you have to determine the hot tub’s installation location.
- Prepare a sand bed per the hot tub’s dimensions at the site.
- Make sure that the sand bed has been precisely leveled and compressed down.
- Position the pavers on the top of the prepared sand bed.
- Check that the pavers used are entirely leveled.
- Once done, position the hot tub on top of the flat pavers.
Step #3. Using A Plastic Shim
You can also utilize heavy-duty plastic shims to level your hot tub precisely if it sits on a sloping area of no more than an inch. You may get inexpensive plastic shims in the market following the dimensions of your outdoor hot tub. They can withstand the pressure of the hot tub, and your hot tub shell benefits from pressure-resistant quality. Additionally, they are not costly and will help you save money. However, this works for all hot tub brands, so check with your hot tub manufacturer first.
To use a plastic shimmer, follow the steps below.
- Determine the sloped area beneath the hot tub.
- Completely empty the water in your hot tub.
- Put the shims on the lowest side of the hot tub.
- Apply the plastic shims frequently at the hot tub’s slop area.
Step #4. Using a Customized Pad
You can create a specially customized pad for your hot tub if you do not want to spend your money on the above solutions in leveling your hot tub. You may construct this custom hot tub pad at home if you are skilled and knowledgeable in carpentry.
You only need this step to get the dimensions of your hot tub’s sloppy area, then use gravel and wood to create a pad that can level your hot tub.
Step #5. Using Concrete Pad
Hot tub owners prefer to install most hot tubs directly on a concrete spa pad since this is the most commonly used ground for hot tub installation. However, even if you install a concrete slab beneath your hot tub, you may still encounter slopes and unleveled surface issues.
While it is a rare case, when it happens, simply choose among the methods presented above to help you fix the issue.
Frequently Asked Questions In Leveling A Hot Tub
Here are some frequently asked questions for your reference to further guide you in leveling your hot tub.
Why is it important to level your hot tub?
Why it is necessary to level your hot tub in the first place? So, does it have to be perfectly balanced to the ground?
The answer is a definite yes. By doing this, the water in your outdoor hot tub will be able to rest equally rather than just gathering on one side. But more crucially, the hot tub’s foundation and the shell will be evenly balanced by the several hundred pounds of the hot tub, the water, and the people using it.
When your hot tub isn’t level, it might put extra strain on certain parts of the acrylic shell and wood frame foundation. When it occurs, fracturing and stress cracks may result. An overload of it could damage your hot tub.
While hot tubs can be set up on any consistent, solid, level surface, avoid setting up your hot tubs on plain grass. It shouldn’t be set it down on the bare ground without support.
Is it possible to place an outdoor hot tub on a gravel surface?
Yes. A hot tub is often positioned on gravel. It can be because it is easy to install, inexpensive, and add to most backyards’ visual style.
How thick is a concrete slab foundation required to level a hot tub?
To bear the load from a filled hot tub, the concrete pad should be around four inches thick and support about 115 pounds for every square foot of concrete to level a hot tub.
What’s a hot tub’s highest slope?
You should not install outdoor hot tubs on any slope wider than 0.5 to 1 inch. In this situation, action will be necessary to ensure you level a hot tub.
However, because most patios are made to slant slightly, it is acceptable to install a hot tub there, provided the slope doesn’t go beyond the previously specified half-inch-to-inch restriction.
Conclusion
It is best to find an ideal spot where your hot tub can settle in the level ground even before deciding to buy and install one. It is essential preparation for the best hot tub experience. However, many methods are available if you want to know how to level a hot tub. You can ask hot tub manufacturers or choose to level your hot tub from the information provided above.
