Unlike others, our hot tubs are manufactured with perfect computerized accuracy and require absolutely no on-site milling or cutting of the final stave. Each tub fits together perfectly and assembles quite easily in an average time of 1 hour give or take.
*Please note, the following assembly procedure is a slightly condensed version of the actual included instructions. Various size hot tubs of various types of wood may have slightly different instructions and ONLY the actual instructions included with the hot tub should be followed.
Important Note – Please read through the entire procedure of the manual that comes with your tub carefully before beginning the first step.*
Round Wooden Hot Tub Assembly Instructions
To assure a long-lived and structurally safe tub, a properly designed foundation is essential! To withstand the weight of the tub and water we recommend a minimum 4″ thick reinforced concrete pad. If you have any questions, please contact us for proper and adequate site preparation.*
Step 1: Installing the Suctions
Place the chine joists on the concrete pad so that they are 5½” tall and arranged as shown in Figure 1. Check the chine joists with a level and make any necessary adjustments. Next, put the three dowel pins in one half of the bottom and place the bottom-half on top of the chine joists. Be sure the side of the bottom that is nicely sanded is the side that faces up.
On average, both suctions fittings are located on the stave wall of the tub (3’ apart) after tub assembly.
If you plan to put one or two suctions in the floor of the tub, it is easiest done before the tub is assembled. If BOTH suctions are being installed in the floor (Figure 1), they should be separated by at least 3′.
Be sure the location of the suctions does not interfere with the chine joists and be sure the holes are drilled wholly on one board. The suctions require a 2½” hole. If you use a hole saw you will have to drill from both sides of the board. This will eliminate any tear out from the bottom side.
To install the suctions, first slide the gasket on to the through-wall fitting. Then apply five wraps to Teflon tape to the ½ inch end thread of the thru-wall(s). DO NOT apply silicone to the thru wall flange with gasket. Next, slip the male threaded thru-wall fitting into one of the holes.
Apply a bead of silicone to the flange of the straight nut. Screw the female threaded nut onto the thru-wall body. Be careful not to over tighten the nut; snug hand tightening should suffice. (If the nut is screwed onto the through-wall too tightly, the swelling of the wood when it gets saturated may crack the flange, leading to leakage. Repeat these assembly steps for the other suction. At this point it is advisable to complete any other plumbing that occurs underneath the tub with a street 90 PVC fitting and an 8 – 10” – 1.5” rigid PVC pipe length.
STEP 2: Assembling the Base
Put the other half of the bottom on the chine joists and then slide the two bottom halves together, pushing them together as tightly as possible. Note that the bottom boards are placed perpendicular to the chine joists as shown in Figure 1.
After the bottom is in place the two plywood strips supplied with the hot tub must be screwed down across the seam of the bottom halves. Place the strips about 3″ in from either end of the perimeter of the tub. Use four 1″ screws to secure each strip. Remove these strips after the hot tub is fully assembled.
*Please Note: Failure to use the plywood strips will cause trouble in later procedures.
STEP 3: Fitting the Staves to the Base
Each stave must be properly positioned between the alignment marks located around the perimeter of the floor tongue. You will note that in Figure 2, the side of the stave that has a tongue is centered directly on the alignment marks. The side of the stave that has a groove does not line up perfectly on center of the alignment mark.
All the staves go on in this fashion. There can be gaps between every stave put on the tub. Do not worry about these gaps and do not drive the staves on with a mallet. The staves may be lightly tapped on with enough force to keep them from falling off. Once all of the staves are on, the tub is ready for the bottom, middle and top band (hoops).
STEP 4: Applying and Tightening the Bands
Figure 3 shows the bottom band at 43 3/8″ down from the top. Once all the staves are positioned onto the bottom, lower* the bottom band over the top of the tub and into position as shown in Figure 3, use 4 to 6 screws or nails to hold the bottom band in position (this may not be necessary on conical tubs that have notches for the bands).
This process is best performed by two people. The middle band is tightened first and then the top band is tightened second (Figure 6). The lugs should be staggered with no two lugs resting on the same stave joint, but all in the same area as to hopefully hide them from view.
WARNING: Do not drive the band support nails more than ½” into the wood! After the middle band is tightened at approximately 75%, lower the top band into place and tighten the top band to about 75%.
The staves will be pulled in and onto the floor tongue with minimal stave joint gaps. If you have irregular stave gap joints, you can use a rubber mallet to GENTLY TAP the staves outward, on the inside of the tub near the bottom, to even out all of the stave gap joints.
Once the joints are all similar, then the bottom band can be tightened as described below ** (Fig. 3). Go around the tub with a tape measure and check the height of the band. Once the band is properly leveled, you may begin to tighten the band. Two people best perform this process.
Try to avoid stripping the nuts from over tightening. While one person tightens the band lug, the other person strikes the band on outside of the tub with a dead blow rubber mallet (provide with each tub). The object is to drive the boards on evenly all around the tub. It usually takes 4 or 5 times around the tub to accomplish this.
STEP 5: Finishing the Tank Top Rim
Go around the top rim of the tank with either a belt sander to level the top edge. Finally, round off the inside and outside edges of the top rim, using a router with a quarter-round-over bit. We now offer a wood Capping that eliminates finishing the top rim
Installing the Bench
Follow the procedures outlined below to install the 2018 Bench in your tub. All necessary parts have been provided, including hardware and Extended Star Drive #10 Bit.
Other Tools required include: a variable speed electric drill, a #2 Phillips head driver bit, a #10 pilot bit (or 1/8” drill bit and countersink bit), measuring tape, torpedo or regular Level, and possible Skill Saw or Miter Saw.
The easiest way to determine where your Corbels will be attached to the tub is:
to dry fit the full circular bench on the floor inside the tub. Align the first joint of the section in the middle of the stave where your first Corbel will be attached to the tub wall. There will be an approximate ½”+- gap between the inside of the tub wall and the outside perimeter of the bench. Align the outside circle of the bench sections together all the way around. Now mark on the stave where the center of each Corbel will be located on that Corbel’s stave(s). (The Corbels may split stave(s)).
Knowing the finished bench height, NOW you need to determine the height placement of Corbel in relationship to the bench section thickness.
The Corbels provided have been precut for a Red or Yellow Cedar tub for easy installation of a 17” Height bench off the floor (25-1/2” measured down from the top of the tub (without Capping)). NOTE: Teak Benches are 1-1/2” thick and will require the Corbel to be adjusted ½” higher off the floor for a 17” Finished Height.
If your DESIRED bench height is higher or lower, raise or lower the corbel appropriately. Note: If you are installing the bench lower than 17” off the floor, then you will need to cut off a portion of the long side of the Corbel appropriately to allow the finished lower bench height. (pic 4 oval circle)
Ensure you measure the thickness of the bench section (Pic 3) at the area where the bench section sits upon the Corbel (Pic 4 top red oval). If you are setting your bench height at a different height than 17” off the floor, place the Corbel against the stave wall (Pic 4), place a torpedo level on the top of the Corbel (Pic 5), and move the Corbel up or down to located it level at the proper height, to be able to place the bench upon it, for the finished bench height you want.
Note: If you are installing the bench lower than 17” off the floor, then you will need to cut off the long side of the Corbel appropriately to allow the finished lower bench height.
{{{Finished bench height, minus the bench thickness (Pic 3 or 4), equals the height of the Corbel placement against the wall.}}}
The orientation of the Corbel should be with the long side of corbel placed vertically against the stave wall and Short side 90* of the Corbel orientated horizontally for fastening to the bench sections (Pic 4). Predrill your Corbels as shown in Pics 6 & 7 with a drill bit & countersink bit. (Pic 6 shows a toenailed /angled predrilled and countersunk holes, Pic 7 shows a straight hole countersunk)
Refer to 6 unlabeled Pics below for next instructions (last page for 3’ Height tubs)
Place one 2” Stainless Steel Screw (supplied) into one of the top predrilled holes of the Corbel and screw the Corbel into the stave wall. Using a level, make sure the top side of the corbel is level. Once two Corbels have been affixed with one screw, place a bench section upon both Corbels to verify the finished bench height and the bench ends (joints) are in the center of the horizontal Corbels respectively. If proper, continue with using three 2” Stainless Steel Screws in the remaining three predrilled holes of these two corbels. Continue with the installation instructions…
NOTE: If installing a two tiered/split level bench, check your measurements and where the joint of two different Bench section heights would use the same Corbel, two Corbels will need to be installed next to each other. This is where the Corbels will split two staves for each bench height.
…Now locate your third corbel on the stave wall and using the next bench section onto the 2nd & 3rd Corbels, with the first bench section still in place. Verify your bench orientation and continue with installing the next Corbel in the same manor, using these two bench sections leap frogging as you continue around the tub until all the corbels are installed and you are back at your beginning point.
Now that all the Corbels are installed and orientated to be flush with the bench section bottoms, begin placing the Bench sections upon the Corbels for permanent installation.
Installation of the Bench sections begins with gathering all the sections, so they can be placed upon the Corbels and then adjust for spacing and orientation. Note: there should be a 1/8” gap between each bench section at the joint, matching the 1/8” gap between the three slats of each bench section. The gap around the outside of the bench against the wall can be between ½” and ¾”.
With all the bench sections orientated how you want them, begin screwing down the bench sections using the extended Star Drive #10 Bit & the #10 – 2” Stainless Steel Screws. Locate the screws approx. three quarters to one inch (3/4” – 1”) away from the joint on either side, as shown in (pic 13, 14 & 15).
As shown in Pictures, place one screw in each of the four gaps (above the Corbel below to be screwed into). In the gap between the three slats, use the long Star Drive Bit provided, screw down and in between the gap, until the screw head is flush with the ¾” board, 1-1/2” below the surface top of the bench (Pic 3). See Note below for Split Level Bench configuration.
NOTE: IF two tiered / split level bench is being installed:
Please check to ensure you are screwing into the Corbel below. The screw placement will change slightly to ensure the bench sections are screwed into the individual Corbels below respectively where the two different height bench come together.
