If you’re lucky enough to have a hot tub in your garden, you’ll know just how irritating it can be to have your soaks interrupted by bad weather, nosy neighbours or leaves and dirt landing in the water! Today we’ll cover how to fix this by teaching you how to build a hot tub shelter!
Hot tubs can be tricky to maintain, so in our ten years of spa research, we’ve learned a few tips to help better protect them. Building a hot tub shelter or roofs for hot tubs takes a bit of work, but once completed, you’ll be free to enjoy all-weather dips without a worry!
How To Build A DIY Hot Tub Shelter
Here’s our super simple 5-step guide on how to build a DIY hot tub shelter.
Drill the posts
First off, you’ll need to decide where you want the posts to go. They’ll have to be positioned so that the resulting canopy is able to cover your entire hot tub and provide a little overhang to shelter you when you’re getting in and out of your spa.
Drill 4 holes into the ground at least 2ft deep; this is where your posts will be installed. You’ll want to ensure that the back posts are 2cm taller to create a slope in the finished shelter.
Remember to treat the base of the posts with bitumen stain or paint to prevent the wood from becoming damp and rotten over time.
Attach the side beams
With your posts in the ground, you can now attach the side beams and battens with hammer plugs. Secure the side beams to the lengthways beams at the side and front of your installation using metal brackets, and employ a spirit level to make sure they’re straight!
Once your beams are attached and straight, fill the holes around the posts with quick-drying cement.
Fit the intermediate beams
Now fit your intermediate posts between the four main ones. Secure one hardwood batten every 75cm to provide ample structural integrity.
Secure the canopy
Take your plastic sheets and place them onto the canopy, making sure that each sheet is perfectly aligned with your previously installed side beams. Drill holes into the side beams and pop in a screw with a rubber ring every 25cm.
Now position your H-profile over the first panel and secure it in place with screws. This will allow you to take the next panel and slide it into the H-profile before fastening it down with more screws. Repeat this step until the entire canopy is covered with plastic sheeting.
Make it watertight
To ensure that you’re fully protected from the elements, you’ll want to seal the edges along the H-profiles with water-resistant adhesive sealant. You may even want to attach a gutter to the lower end of the roof to collect and divert rainwater.
When cleaning your plastic roof, we recommend using a soft cloth and a specialised anti-static plastic cleaner to prevent any scratches or damage.
What You’ll Need To Build A Hot Shelter
To build your hot tub shelter, you’ll need a few specific tools and materials; these include:
Materials:
- 10mm plastic sheeting
- 4 square hardwood posts
- Wooden beams
- Bitumen paint/stain
- 8 timber battens
- Quick-dry concrete
- Screws with rubber H-profiles
- Hammer plugs
- Metal brackets
Tools:
- Saw
- Hammer
- Drill
- Shovel
- Spirit level
How Long Will It Take To Make?
Provided there are no unforeseen hiccups like bad weather or having to resize any of your materials drastically; this project shouldn’t take longer than 1-2 days. It’s important to have a guide on what size gazebo for a hot tub you need so you can plan accordingly.
Using quick-dry cement will secure your posts in an hour or two, and the rest of the job is simply fastening and attaching the remaining beams and plastic sheets. If you’ve got two or more people on the job, a DIY hot tub shelter can easily be knocked up in a day!
Last Word
Just like that, you can now bathe in peace beneath your new sturdy hot tub shelter. To make the most efficient use of your time, it’s best to measure out the size of the project and your materials before getting to work; doing this should make the job fly by.
Remember to install your roof at a 2cm slope to help rainwater wash away, and take the time to apply bitumen stain to the posts to ensure your new structure stands the test of time. If you’ve followed our five simple steps to the T, your shelter should be good for years to come! If you are not sure about a shelter and are wondering does a hot tub need to be under a roof, then view this article as we discuss whether you can still enjoy a spa without a roof.
