Hey all:
I am thinking about building a hot tub. Growing up, my family had a redwood hot tub, about 5 feet in diameter and 4 feet deep, and it was great. I want to build something similar, and was wondering if anyone has done this. As far as the design and joinery, it should be no problem. I’ll build a small deck around it. I’ll purchase the heater/pump and plumbing.
I was wondering what types of wood I could use. Redwood is the classic choice, but ‘all heart’ clear redwood is expensive. Could I get by with clear Western Red Cedar? Are there any other types that would work?
Thanks in advance,
charlie
Replies
Hello,
I believe that some of the water tanks used with windmills here in North Texas were made with cypress. Chuck
Why not choose a reasonably priced species and simply fiberglass the interior? Keeps water out of canoe's, ought to keep water in a tub.
My .02
John Ersing
Veneer Systems
Jersing:
Intersting.
I've actually built a wooden kayak using the strip-built method, which uses strips of western red cedar and fiberglass. I'm not sure if the standard West Sytem type of epoxy resin / fiberglass combination could stand up to the high temperatures and chlorine. Any ideas?
Maybe I'll try this same question on the boatbuilding forum.
-Charlie
Building a hot tub out of wood is *not* as simple as it might appear. A few years ago I demoed out an old hot tub and it was amazing how it was built.
First of all, every vertical stave was milled to the proper angle o be parallel to the radius of the circlular footprint of the tub. Each edge of the staves was double toungue & grooved. There were 3/8" diameter steel rods with specially shaped shoes at the ends that allowed them to be tightened up acting as hoops around the circumberence.
The bottome was double toungue & grooved 2x6 with a cirucular dado into which the staves sat to create a waterproof joint between the bottom and the sides.
That said, I would *not* use fiberglas as a finish on a hot tub. Unless there have been some improvements in the materials since I made a fiberglas darkroom sink, I found that contact with the fiberglas finish caused itching on the underside of my arms where I would rest against the lip of the sink. Has something to do with microscopic pieces of the glass fiber being exposed, dunno. Wouldn't be worth risking if it were my project.
Dennis in Bellevue WA
[email protected]
Wouldn't the wood tend to hold onto crud and never come clean though??
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