Question:
i'm in the process of designing a hot tub. I've done
extensive research on the internet. I'm going to put 6 jets
around the perimeter and 2 floor drains to supply the pump.
it's going to be 7'diam. i think i've thought about
everything. But I would like to get some feedback on what to
watch for. I'm going to go with no routered edges on the
staves(vertical pieces i.e. walls) with a slight 7.5degree
angle and i'm using 1.5"x5.5" cedar. i'l be using 4
(.25"x1.5") stainless steel bands that i'm going to
fabricate to hold the mother of all tubs together.
(laughing) I'm in michigan and i will be using it year
round, does that mean i want to put a linner in it? i
realize the heating cost and the sheer volume of the tub
(probably around 1000gl) i've been called crazy before, but
i'm more than up for the challenge and most importantly the
accomplishment
Answer:
Sure, there's big swings in humidity in Michigan, but no way will they
affect a wooden tub filled with water. The moisture from all that
water WILL keep the staves swollen. If the owner of the tub drains
it, then yes, definitely will the staves begin shrinking causing
leakage when refilled. But even then, there's ways to stop the
leakage until the wood swells again to a water tight state. The differences between a hot tub and a barrel are immense. There is
freeboard, exposed end grain, huge temperature differentials, etc. In
theory it seems as though it shouldn't leak, but 17 years of practical
experience with spas and hot tubs say use a liner. Hot tubs work in
California but not in most other parts of the country. Of course, that
said, some people just prefer the look and feel of the wood and aren't happy
with anything else.
