General Information – Page 9

Sunrooms are a wonderful space to have in your home. And lately, people have been coming up with more and more ways to use these rooms. So what about hot tubs, are they a good idea to have in a sunroom? It's a perfectly good idea to put a hot tub in a sunroom. There are some things to take into consideration before you decide to put one in such as making sure your sunroom has proper support and ventilation. Many perks can come from having a hot tub right in your home. But it's also a good idea to plan out what adjustments you might need to make to the room so that it's properly prepared for your new amenity. Let's lay out some of the things you need to know before deciding to put a hot tub in your sunroom. Flooring: While there are many options for flooring out there, a great majority of them do not agree with water, and thus, not a hot tub. Some water is bound to splash out or drip down as people get in and out of it. Obviously, carpet would not be a good choice because the water will soak into the floor and the carpet will retain the moisture and odors. Wood is not a good option either because it can quickly acquire water damage, especially if left pooled on the floor. Using pressure-treated wood and sealants is an option if you'd like to have wood flooring but it just means taking special care of it from time to time. The best option for flooring in a sunroom with a hot tub would be some sort of tile (specifically ceramic tile) or marble. This will help make sure that no moisture soaks into the floor and the water can easily be contained and cleaned up. Yet even with a tile floor, there's a downside. It's possible that people can slip and get hurt, so if you're installing flooring in your sunroom for your hot tub, it would be helpful to look for some sort of resistant tile to make it safer to walk across the wet floor. Putting a drain into the floor, if possible, is another wonderful idea to help get rid of any excess water. About the sunroom in general, make sure to check that the room has proper support, especially since the additional weight of a hot tub is being added to it. Sunrooms are often on second floors as much as first floors, and it's important to guarantee that the structure will be strong enough. Some second-story sunrooms are held up only by posts. Take into consideration the structure of your sunroom as you make your decision. Moisture: By adding a hot tub to a sunroom, there will be a lot of extra moisture that builds up. The light and heat provided from the windows will add to the heat the hot tub gives off. You will need to find some way to fan out and cool down the room so it doesn't get to be too much. Consider getting a fan or even some skylights installed, as these are the easiest and most popular ways to cool down a sunroom. If your sunroom has a lot of drywall, plaster, or paint on the walls, moisture can gather on them easily and cause bacteria and fungi to grow over time. Luckily, sunrooms have many windows! Just be sure to consider the condition of your walls too as you install and use a hot tub in your sunroom. Things To Consider: There are many other things to consider besides flooring and moisture for this project. One of the most important things to think about is the size of the hot tub you plan on getting. Even if you already know that it will fit inside of the room, make sure the hot tub can actually fit inside of the door! Before you even begin looking for a hot tub, measure everything. Measure the space in the sunroom and then double-check the measurements of your hot tub as well before you bring it home. While having a hot tub inside definitely offers more privacy than having one outside, a sunroom still has many windows for nosy neighbors to look into if they wish. You may want to find a way to cover them while you are using your hot tub. Installing blinds or putting up lots of plants and greenery are some wonderful options to help with this issue. You will probably need to adapt your sunroom a bit to accommodate your new amenity. Besides whatever flooring you have chosen, a hot tub also needs specific things taken care of when it comes to plumbing and electrical. Take time to figure out the specifics for those things. There are some necessary reasons for this. The water inside of a hot tub needs to be changed out every once in a while to prevent bacteria and contamination. And it's important to keep electrical circuits away from the hot tub so they aren't accidentally splashed with water. These are some of the specific examples of why plumbing and electrical are important. Some things you can do to help with this are to get waterproof electrical boxes and get a circuit just for your hot tub. It would be helpful to waterproof anything that might be damaged by the water. Perks: Many perks come from choosing to have a hot tub inside! You can use it all year round and you are well protected from any of the elements outside. It also helps to keep you away from any unwanted prying eyes. It's incredibly convenient as well because you can go straight from the hot tub to your kitchen, your bedroom, etc. Having a hot tub inside also saves energy because of the sunroom's natural light and warmth which will help the hot tub use less energy to stay warm. In turn, the hot tub will help heat the room so you won't need to heat it as much!