Introduction
A wood surface looks great next to water. A well-built deck adds comfort and safety and will withstand years of use in its wet surroundings if maintained properly (see Maintaining and Troubleshooting Decks, Related Porjects). A pool or hot-tub surround can be part of a larger deck complex. Use level changes or privacy walls to isolate this part of the deck. A deck can facilitate access to the water while masking the less attractive profile of a pool or hot tub.
Pools and hot tubs require plumbing and electrical connections, which can be hidden or at least obscured by the deck's framing. It is important, however, to allow easy access to these spaces, either from beneath the deck or through a removable door on the surface.
Many municipalities have strict requirements for fencing around pools and hot tubs. With careful planning you may be able to combine the required fencing with a railing system on a deck.
A pool or hot-tub surround built as a deck is also an easy way to create additional recreation space, especially when the ground slopes down and away from the pool. If possible, build the deck while the pool is empty to avoid the danger of operating power tools around water.
Choosing lumber
Be sure to select high-quality wood whenever you build near water. It must be highly rot resistant, of course, because it will get wet often. The wood should be smooth and splinter-free, also, so people will feel comfortable sitting on it with bare legs. Heartwood of cedar or redwood are the best choices, but No. 1 grade pressure-treated lumber may be okay.
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Placing decking around a pool
Though it is usual to have a tile or concrete surface around an in-ground swimming pool, a wood surface looks great and is more comfortable. Swimmers who emerge from the water to sunbathe will find the warmth of the decking welcoming.
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Raising a spa off a deck
When designing a deck around a whirlpool or hot tub, decide whether it is more important to have a nice wooden surface to sit on while you dangle your feet in the water or to get in and out of the spa easily. Here, the spa itself supplies an ample seating area, and the owners decided that ease of entry and exit from the pool was more important. So they raised the spa up about 14 inches above the deck.
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Setting a spa with the deck
In this design, the spa's rim rests on top of the decking, making it easy for bathers to sit on the deck surface with their feet in the water. Do not use the spa's rim to bear the weight of the spa; it must be supported from beneath. (See Supporting a Spa or Hot Tub.) Safety is especially important with this design because small children, or even adults, easily can fall in accidentally. Always place a sturdy cover over a spa when not in use.
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Surround a hot tub
Your hot tub or spa should rest on a solid, level surface, ideally a steel-reinforced concrete pad that sits on undisturbed soil. A water- and-people-filled hot tub can weigh several thousand pounds, so the deck should not carry any of the load. The deck plan shown here provides framing that rises an inch or so above the top of the tub. Install the decking by running it "wild" over the surface of the tub, then cutting out a circle with a sabersaw. Thoroughly router and sand the cut edges so you have a smooth, splinter-free place on which to sit.
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All that water in a spa or hot tub can weigh plenty, so be sure to provide a solid surface for it to rest on. Begin by checking local building codes. Most call for a foundation of steel-reinforced concrete resting on undisturbed soil. Codes also may require footings that extend below the frostline; but if you drain the tub in the winter, that may not be necessary. In some nonfreezing areas, the "washed sand" technique is common: Temporarily suspend a spa about a foot above the bottom of a hole. Pour in sand below the spa and thoroughly soak it with water. Repeat the process until the cavity under the tub is filled.