I have a used redwood hottub, they left it here in peices, I was going
to set it up, but now i am thinking it might not be as simple as I
thought.... anyone have any tips?
I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THEM!

"sarahstar1111" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a used redwood hottub, they left it here in peices, I was going
to set it up, but now i am thinking it might not be as simple as I
thought.... anyone have any tips?
I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THEM!


Start by assembling the bottom boards. Then using small
nails, nail a couple 1x4's across them to hold them all
together while you assemble the sides. Put a nail lightly
into the outside of the first board, near the top, and lightly
tap the notch in the board onto the bottom. Tie a string to
the nail. Every few boards you add, put in another similar
nail, and wrap the string around it sufficiently to hold the
board in place while you continue adding boards. Getting
the last board to fit right may require cutting it, or maybe
making a new, narrow one.

I would suggest assembling it without tightening the bands
too much. The wood will expand a lot after soaking. Then
put some kind of "misting" nozzle into it and cover it. Keep
it wet for a few days, and it should begin to seal itself. A
sprinkler on a timer might also work. The problem with
wood tubs is that you cannot insulate them without causing
the wood to rot.

You shouldn't need sealants normally. The wood expansion
really does seal things up.

The tub should be supported by 4x4's under the bottom. Do
not try to support it on the side boards. Mine had 3 4x4's on
pier blocks. Make sure everything is level and "in-plane" before
you put the tub on it and fill it. The 4x4's should be a right angles
to the floor boards.

Avoid overuse of chlorine, as it will breeak down the wood..
Eventually, it will end up with fibers of wood hanging all
over. When this happens, my solution was to empty
the tub, then torch it with a high powered weed-burner.
Then sand lightly, and it looks like new. This is only needed
after several years of regular use.

Enjoy!

Bob

Bob F wrote:
"sarahstar1111" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a used redwood hottub, they left it here in peices, I was going
to set it up, but now i am thinking it might not be as simple as I
thought.... anyone have any tips?
I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THEM!


Start by assembling the bottom boards. Then using small
nails, nail a couple 1x4's across them to hold them all
together while you assemble the sides. Put a nail lightly
into the outside of the first board, near the top, and lightly
tap the notch in the board onto the bottom. Tie a string to
the nail. Every few boards you add, put in another similar
nail, and wrap the string around it sufficiently to hold the
board in place while you continue adding boards. Getting
the last board to fit right may require cutting it, or maybe
making a new, narrow one.

I would suggest assembling it without tightening the bands
too much. The wood will expand a lot after soaking. Then
put some kind of "misting" nozzle into it and cover it. Keep
it wet for a few days, and it should begin to seal itself. A
sprinkler on a timer might also work. The problem with
wood tubs is that you cannot insulate them without causing
the wood to rot.

You shouldn't need sealants normally. The wood expansion
really does seal things up.

The tub should be supported by 4x4's under the bottom. Do
not try to support it on the side boards. Mine had 3 4x4's on
pier blocks. Make sure everything is level and "in-plane" before
you put the tub on it and fill it. The 4x4's should be a right angles
to the floor boards.

Avoid overuse of chlorine, as it will breeak down the wood..
Eventually, it will end up with fibers of wood hanging all
over. When this happens, my solution was to empty
the tub, then torch it with a high powered weed-burner.
Then sand lightly, and it looks like new. This is only needed
after several years of regular use.

Enjoy!

Bob

Sarah-

You got good advice from Bob F.....the only thing I would add is try to
get stainless steel nails...they will hold up much better than any
other nail material if you leave them in place.

cheers
Bob

"BobK207" wrote in message
oups.com...

Bob F wrote:
"sarahstar1111" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a used redwood hottub, they left it here in peices, I was going
to set it up, but now i am thinking it might not be as simple as I
thought.... anyone have any tips?
I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THEM!


Start by assembling the bottom boards. Then using small
nails, nail a couple 1x4's across them to hold them all
together while you assemble the sides. Put a nail lightly
into the outside of the first board, near the top, and lightly
tap the notch in the board onto the bottom. Tie a string to
the nail. Every few boards you add, put in another similar
nail, and wrap the string around it sufficiently to hold the
board in place while you continue adding boards. Getting
the last board to fit right may require cutting it, or maybe
making a new, narrow one.

I would suggest assembling it without tightening the bands
too much. The wood will expand a lot after soaking. Then
put some kind of "misting" nozzle into it and cover it. Keep
it wet for a few days, and it should begin to seal itself. A
sprinkler on a timer might also work. The problem with
wood tubs is that you cannot insulate them without causing
the wood to rot.

You shouldn't need sealants normally. The wood expansion
really does seal things up.

The tub should be supported by 4x4's under the bottom. Do
not try to support it on the side boards. Mine had 3 4x4's on
pier blocks. Make sure everything is level and "in-plane" before
you put the tub on it and fill it. The 4x4's should be a right angles
to the floor boards.

Avoid overuse of chlorine, as it will breeak down the wood..
Eventually, it will end up with fibers of wood hanging all
over. When this happens, my solution was to empty
the tub, then torch it with a high powered weed-burner.
Then sand lightly, and it looks like new. This is only needed
after several years of regular use.

Enjoy!

Bob

Sarah-

You got good advice from Bob F.....the only thing I would add is try to
get stainless steel nails...they will hold up much better than any
other nail material if you leave them in place.


Remove them. Don't want any nails in the final product. And
they should never go very far into the wood. Don't want new holes
either.

Bob