Why timber decking is ideal for hot tubs

When filled with water, hot tubs can weigh up to several tonnes so you need to be sure that the structure is capable of holding its weight. Decking is often chosen for this as it can be built around the hot tub, meaning it doesn’t need to carry the load.

Whereas a hot tub can be sunken into the deck, allowing people to sit straight into it, there is also the option to install decking steps, guiding people up to reach the water.

Getting in and out of hot tubs, and walking across a deck or other surface dripping wet after being in the hot tub, is potentially dangerous as the water makes the deck slippery. Whilst hot tubs are able to be enjoyed all year round, there can be greater risks during the winter months when lying surface water turns to ice making access to the tub challenging.

As a solution to this, homeowners and holiday parks alike have chosen our non-slip products to keep their families and guests safe whilst using hot tubs.

We sometimes get asked whether our non-slip decking is bare feet friendly…and it absolutely is! Feeling the non-slip aggregate with your hands can feel course to sensitive fingers, however, when walking across with harder skin on the soles and balls of your feet it is like walking across any other surface.

Need more convincing? Our boards are tried and tested across many homes, holiday lodges, and tourist hotspots in the UK. For example, The Wave, an inland surfing lake located just outside of Bristol, uses our anti-slip decking to keep surfers safe as they transition from the water to the changing rooms. Our boards are also walked over by hundreds of pairs of swimmer’s feet at the external swimming pools at numerous Center Parcs sites across the country!

The majority of deck boards are treated to Usage Class 3 (UC3) which will give a long-lasting deck around hot tubs in people’s homes. For holiday sites where parks are investing in dozens of lodges and decks, we would recommend increasing the treatment classification to UC4 or SS4 which will treat the timber with a higher percentage of preservative.

As hot tubs are likely to be used pretty much every day, the deck around the hot tub will often be wet for long periods of time as people make the most of it during their stay. If the boards are treated with usage class 3, the expected service life will decrease as timber treated to this classification isn’t meant to be exposed to moisture constantly which can happen around hot tubs.

Treating boards to UC4 or SS4 means that the boards are better protected and will maximise the service life and the investment made into the holiday site.