Hot Tub Composite Decking Ideas

Hot tubs and composite decking (if done correctly) make the perfect match and together, are an excellent opportunity to upgrade your outdoor space.

The contemporary look and finish, and high performance of composite decking offers the ideal solution that can complement a hot-tub installation perfectly.

We’ve seen our fair share of hot tub composite deck areas – from the good, the bad, and the ugly and from this, we have come to learn what makes an exceptional decking space.

We have compiled 5 top tips of hot tub decking ideas that we hope will be your tool kit and allow you to make the most of your composite deck space.

So firstly, decide whether you’re having your deck under or around your hot tub. There are two key ways of installing your hot tub composite decking duo: sit your hot tub on top of your deck; or lay your hot tub down first and then perimeter it.

When opting for the former, we recommend opting for a solid composite deck over hollow alternatives to provide that much needed additional strength; we would also recommend reducing your joist centres to around 200-250mm over that area.

The most popular option, however, is sinking the hot tub onto a concrete pad and framing it with your composite deck. This sunken effect is more discreet and allows you to perimeter composite decking steps around the tub for easy access.

Wet areas can be hazardous… so ensure you consider slip resistance when choosing your ideal hot tub deck. In general, composite decking offers more slip resistance than the majority of timber decking options and other paving solutions, too.

Not only this, but NeoTimber’s reversible composite decking offers you the chance to switch up the finish as you wish (we generally recommend laying the boards grooved-channel side up for better slip resistance). To ensure you get the most slip-resistant surface beneath you, we recommend laying your deck boards at right angles to the general flow of traffic on the deck.

Hot tub maintenance is a certainty and it is important for your deck design to consider this. It is vital that you have some way to access the important electrical elements in your hot tub and without doing so will only cause added expense and hassle further down the line.

Gaining access underneath your deck is therefore vital. A great way to do this is to incorporate a ‘decking hatch’ that can allow you to easily gain access to underneath the deck. Another is to install our composite deck boards with our proprietary 6mm Plastic FastClips, which provide you with the ability to rip up any board along a run.

A key trait of composite decking is its ability to outperform timber in wet areas. The lower water absorption rate of composite materials means that the boards are less likely to rot with regular exposure to water. While our traditional WPC boards and capped composite boards will offer this protection, the latter offers the most protection from the elements.

The protective shell of our capped composite decking products offers superior protection from moisture build up and will in turn provide you with more reassurance and protection from not only moisture but also the additional cleaning chemicals that are added to the water in hot tubs.

We see this one time and time again… Customers opt for a NeoTimber® deck but often neglect their decking subframe. This is seen ever more so when installing decks around hot-tubs, where they are exposed to moisture almost constantly. The wet environment will naturally encourage water build-up around your joists and base.

For that reason, we often suggest customers consider a plastic subframe solution (which will never rot). If this isn’t an option, why not consider protecting your timber joists with our decking joist tape? This adhesive tape provides additional protection from moisture and is certain to prolong the life and effectiveness of your joists in the long run.