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He Ain't Heavy, He's My Hot Tub

By
Home Inspector with Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC 3380-000723

Hot tubs are heavy.  You cannot put them anywhere you want.  You certainly shouldn't sing, "He ain't heavy, he's my hot tub..."

Clients often ask me how heavy a hot tub is.

A four person hot tub holds 300 gallons, or so.
A six person hot tub holds 500 gallons, or so.
And an eight person hot tub holds 700-800 gallons of water, or so!

A gallon of water weighs 8.35 pounds, if I remember my 9th grade lab science class.

So, looking at this picture, this is a six person hot tub and holds 500 gallons.

That's 4175 pounds of JUST WATER!

This hot tub has a wood exterior, fiberglass interior.  It weighs almost 1000 pounds.

If you fill it with six people, averaging 175 pounds (conservative estimate), that's an additional 1050.

Theoretically, full of people and water, this little fellow weighs well over 6000 pounds.

A 6000-pound anything needs a really sound, strong foundation.

Your basic, average, even professionally-built deck, is not made to hold 6000 pounds in an area of about 50 square feet.  And certainly it cannot hold that weight continually for a long period of time. 

This deck was founded very well.  It is supported by double, built-up beams, resting properly on 6x6" pillars, with 2x12" joists, spaced 16" apart with blocking between each joist to prevent racking!

THIS IS A WELL-BUILT DECK!  BUT DO YOU SEE THE SAGGING BEAM?

I took the picture above by resting the camera on a level step away from the hot tub.  It might be a bit hard to see, but that deck is leaning downward, to the left.

Can you see how far it has sunk below the bay window on the left?  About 4"!  And that sinking is happening just around where the tub is located.

THE TUB IS SINKING.  IT HAS BEEN THERE FOR 3 YEARS.

Another couple of years might have been catastrophic!

So why is it happening?

The column in the immediate vicinity of the hot tub, and beside that bay window, is obviously sinking.

An engineer friend of my says that once something starts sinking, it will usually continue.

Given the professional nature of the deck, I am going to assume it was installed properly.

That means it is 24" deep, with a 12" concrete footer onto which a base is attached and the column is secured.

EVEN IF THIS SINKING COLUMN IS FOUNDED PROPERLY, IT IS NOT INTENDED TO HOLD 6000+ POUNDS INDEFINITELY.

And so it is sinking.

And it's too bad, because this is a wonderful deck and the repair will require a complete rebuild of that beam and column, even after the hot tub is removed.

My recommendation:  before you do something like add a hot tub to a deck, get some professional help to determine what it would need to make it safe and secure in the long run.  After all, gravity works!  Every time.

 

 

Posted by

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC  

Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia.

Office (703) 330-6388   Cell (703) 585-7560

www.jaymarinspect.com


Comments(103)

Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

I figured if I could walk over without consequence, Marshall, I could go under if nobody was up there!

Sep 25, 2011 09:16 PM
Jim McCormack
Nashville Short Sale Specialist - Jim McCormack - Edge Advantage Realty, LLC - 615-796-6898 - Murfreesboro, TN
Nashville Short Sale REALTOR - Stop Foreclosure

Great advice.  Anyone who wants to put a hot tub on a deck really needs to make sure that there is additional framing and footing piers to support that extra substantial weight.

Sep 26, 2011 06:48 AM
Equity Assets Real Estate Inc. - Jason Nenadov
Equity Assets Real Estate, Inc. - Jason Nenadov, REALTOR® - Fresno, CA
expert advice and services to buyers and sellers

another thing I have not considered before....keep the good posts rolling!

Sep 26, 2011 08:55 AM
Gene Riemenschneider
Home Point Real Estate - Brentwood, CA
Turning Houses into Homes

I want to go down with the hot tub and a margaritta.  Good point.  Build it on a slab or make the deck reinforced.

Sep 26, 2011 08:58 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

For sure Jim.  Most people don't go to those lengths unfortunately.

Jason - you're welcome!  I intend to!

Gene - it's best to go down with it, and it makes for a more interesting new story later.  How fun is it if the deck collapses and nobody was home?

Sep 26, 2011 09:35 AM
Monique Ting
INET Realty Honolulu, HI - Honolulu, HI
Your agent under the sun

Jay, that's great information you are sharing with us  I never liked the look of those hot tubs sitting on a deck anyway!

My house has a old (read termite eaten) wooden deck area that used to house a hot tub & my husband wants to put a new one there.  I told him I prefer to have the tub sit on the ground & built a new deck or patio around it... looks better in my opinion. Now your post is giving more amunittion to my argument... thank you!

Sep 26, 2011 10:36 AM
James Quarello
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC - Wallingford, CT
Connecticut Home Inspector

That's more weight than a car with passengers. Good deck or it was.

Sep 26, 2011 10:53 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Of course Monique - tell him it's a no brainer!

Jim - duh...  I don't know what people are thinking sometimes.  If there is thinking at all...

Sep 26, 2011 11:07 AM
Bill Morrow
Keller Williams of Central PA - Mechanicsburg, PA
Bill Morrow, Associate Broker

Great reminder.  As a very qualified and accomplished DIY'er I have observed many decks (even without hot tubs on them) whch were significantly "underbuilt".  Decks are a very common project taken on by DIY'ers that are seemingly easy to build but with little attention to proper structural foundation and bones. Most commonly I see that the attachment to the main structure is improper and footers not being proper. It is a commonly overlooked area in inspections, especially if there is not easy access to the underside. 

Sep 27, 2011 03:07 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Not commonly overlooked here Bill!  I have problems on decks more than any other feature of a house!  In Northern Virginia attachment to the house rules have changed dramatically over the years.  You are right, it is a huge problem.

Sep 27, 2011 10:58 PM
Reuben Saltzman
Structure Tech Home Inspections - Minneapolis, MN
Delivering the Unbiased Truth.

I was in the middle of an inspection yesterday, and the owners had a radio playing the entire time, on a station I wouldn't normally listen to.  

On came a song I had never heard before, and suddenly your post title made a little more sense :)

Sep 27, 2011 11:27 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

You didn't know what it meant Reubs!??  Wow, so they had an OLD GUY station on?

Who's the artist?

Ha!  Gotcha!  The original singers could have decked a hall with their boughs.  The other two who recorded it were mere pretenders.

Sep 28, 2011 10:09 AM
Reuben Saltzman
Structure Tech Home Inspections - Minneapolis, MN
Delivering the Unbiased Truth.

I don't think so... The Hollies! :-)

Sep 28, 2011 02:10 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Right, but you didn't know it until you Googled it...

Sep 28, 2011 09:08 PM
Reuben Saltzman
Structure Tech Home Inspections - Minneapolis, MN
Delivering the Unbiased Truth.

How dare you...

they announced the artist's name on the radio :)

Sep 28, 2011 11:36 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

You still Googled it, admit it.  Triple dog dare you...

You had never heard of the Hollies!

Sep 28, 2011 11:41 PM
Nicky Dou
Collier & Associates - Fayetteville, AR
The BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT in Northwest Arkansas

I am about to get a hot tub - (perk of being a Realtor - a client is moving and giving me a super nice one that buyer didnt want) - thinking about getting an EZPAD to put on grass/yard because I dont want on my patio - any thoughts/tips/advice on this?

Apr 30, 2013 11:59 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

You found an oldie but a goodie Nicky!  Honestly I have never heard about an EZPAD!  You have to make sure the foundation of the earth under the pad is secure however.  Don't assume the ground will not sink!

May 01, 2013 09:36 AM
Sheila Anderson
Referral Group Incorporated - East Brunswick, NJ
The Real Estate Whisperer Who Listens 732-715-1133

Good morning Jay. This is sooooo good. Doesn't take an engineer to figure this out but it does require one to design the deck to support the weight.

Apr 29, 2018 06:04 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Thanks Sheila.  If you are going to add so much weight to a deck it has to be compensated for!

Apr 29, 2018 08:55 AM