Soaking in a warm hot tub after a long day’s work is one of those little life pleasures.
From de-stressing to relaxing muscles, enhancing blood circulation, and improving sleep, engaging in a soothing hot tub bath regularly is an excellent health goal.
Most people don’t have an extra room inside your home, or enough deck or yard space to set up a hot tub outside. Plus, there’s the lack of privacy unless you have a lot of land.
Despite these limitations, you can still rake in the benefits of regular spa/hot tub bathes if you have a garage.
However, before setting up the hot tub in the garage, there are some things that you need to know.
Before You Install a Spa/Hot Tub in Your Garage
Installing a spa/hot tub in the garage may be an ideal option if you want to enjoy soaking in privacy any time of the year. However, the move comes with a load of challenges.
Below are factors to consider to surmount the possible setbacks.
Proper Ventilation
Garages usually don’t have the best ventilation, making them susceptible to high moisture and humidity levels. Add in a steaming hot tub in there, and the problem gets compounded even further.
That’s why you need to install a sound air circulation system to ensure the room is adequately ventilated. It prevents damage to your garage interior. More importantly, it helps avoid the potential health risks of being in a humid and moldy space.
In addition to natural ventilation, install a dehumidifier and an exhaust fan to manage the moisture and prevent mold and mildew growth.
Water and Slip-Resistant Flooring
Slips and falls are pretty common hot tub accidents, so a slip-resistant floor is a must.
Many garages come with concrete floors, which is a plus. However, if the surface is not coarse enough, you may need to modify it to make it slip-resistant.
Again, while installing or modifying the flooring, you should ensure it’s water-resistant to handle the excess moisture. Concrete sealants, rubber, interlocking tiles, or floor mats are all excellent options.
No matter which option you choose, it helps keep you safe while preserving the structural integrity of the flooring.
Interior Insulation
Despite installing an adequate ventilation system, insulating the interior surfaces can provide an extra level of protection against moisture damage. There are different insulation options to choose from, which can help create a vapor barrier on the walls.
For example, you can install waterproof drywall, then coat it with moisture-resistant paint, or install a water-resistant wallpaper.
Wooden surfaces are also susceptible to mold and mildew growth. Be sure to protect the doors and other similar surfaces.
Right Hot Tub Size
There’s always a temptation to buy as big a hot tub as possible so you can accommodate all your friends.
While that sounds like a great plan, you don’t want to cramp up the space so much that there’s no room left to move around.
Dealers provide recommendations for the appropriate tub for every garage size. So ensure you install one that fits your space.
Essentially, you require to leave at least an extra foot around the hot tub to give room for maintenance. There should also be space for installing hot tub steps, as well as a towel rail.
Generally, you can customize the space however you want, adding extra amenities as per your preference. So consider all the options you need before selecting the hot tub.
Plumbing
Chances are, your garage was not included in the initial plumbing design.
Filling up your hot tub manually, either by carrying water buckets or dragging a hose, can be an exhausting task.
Before bringing in the hot tub, consider installing some sort of water source in the garage to make it easier on yourself down the road.
Luckily, most hot tubs have self-contained plumbing systems.
Once you have the garage plumbing sorted, all that remains is to connect the water from the line to the tub, and your ready to go.
In addition to the water supply, you should also look into the drainage system. The tub will require draining every few months. Having the drainage system ready will provide the necessary convenience.
Similarly, you should level the flooring in a way that allows any water spills to drain away easily.
Stagnated water can make the room unsanitary and increase the risk of slips and falls. Water puddles make your floor slippery and can cause accidents.
How to Install the Hot Tub
Once you have handled the basics, the next step is to actually get and install the hot tub. Here are the essential steps to tick off for successful installation.
Measure Your Space
Under normal circumstances, your garage should have adequate space for a standard hot tub. Since the room can accommodate your engines, then no doubt a spa can fit in there.
Before heading over to the shop, measure the space so that the dealer can recommend the ideal tub based on your garage size.
Fix the Hot Tub
Once you choose your spa/hot tub and have it delivered to your home, all you need to do is set it up inside the garage.
Most garage doors are pretty wide, so moving the tub inside shouldn’t be much trouble. If the basics – flooring, drainage, water supply – are in place, then you’ll just set up the spa at its designated spot in the room.
Hire an Electrician
After setting up the tub in the garage, you’ll need to hire an electrician to connect electricity. A professional installer is necessary as they help connect and test the power to ensure it meets the correct voltage. The electrician will also install a circuit breaker to enhance the safety of the connection.
Test Installations
Once all is set, you will need to test the installations (ventilation, plumbing, etc.) to check their efficacy. For instance, you can use a hygrometer to test the humidity levels or check for signs of mold and mildew on surfaces regularly, as they signify the presence of excessive moisture.
In the same way, check whether the drainage is working correctly and rectify accordingly. For example, if you notice water pooling on the floor, you may need to level it to allow free-flowing.
Cover the Hot Tub
Even though you won’t have leaves or other outdoor debris falling into your hot tub, you still need to cover and lock your hot tub when not in use.
Besides collecting dust and other dirt, open tubs are potential safety hazards. This is especially true if you have small children or pets.
Curiosity might nudge them to sneak into the garage take a plunge, exposing themselves to the risk of drowning.
Even if you don’t have young ones or pets to worry about, covering the tub helps reduce the humidity and moisture levels within the garage.
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