Infinity Hot Tub with Swim Jet Takes Shape in Virginia

Have you ever dreamt of soaking in a luxurious hot tub while enjoying a mesmerizing infinity edge that blends seamlessly with the horizon? Well, Doug from Virginia is making that dream a reality by building his very own custom infinity hot tub complete with a built-in swim jet!

 

Doug got in touch like many of my customers because he knew what he wanted to build but just was not 100% sure on how to do it. He also didn’t want to pay the crazy costs that the pool builders charge for this kind of work.

 

So, Doug hired me to create a custom design for him. Once complete, I also supplied Doug all of the parts that he needs for the Hot Tub too.

 

This article / case study is going to follow his progress from start to finish and dives into the initial stages of Doug’s project, and documented on my Buildahottub YouTube channel too.

 

Buckle up as we explore the intricacies of crafting this backyard oasis.

You can also find me on my socials;

The Envisioned Paradise

 

The centrepiece of Doug’s creation is the infinity edge. This captivating design creates the illusion of water cascading effortlessly over the edge, offering a serene and visually stunning focal point.

To achieve this mesmerizing effect, a hidden balance tank is incorporated. This tank acts as a reservoir, accommodating the displaced water as bathers enter the hot tub, ensuring a perfect balance and that signature overflowing look.

 

Planning for Perfection

 

Building an infinity hot tub requires meticulous planning, especially when it comes to the water circulation system. The intricate plumbing that facilitates the flow of water between the balance tank and the hot tub needs to be factored in from the very beginning. Retrofitting such a system later on can be a challenging feat, so getting it right during the design phase is crucial.

 

Beyond the Dirt: Setting the Foundation

 

Doug has embarked on the foundational stage of the project – excavation. As with most DIY pool or hot tub endeavours, digging a sizeable hole is a necessary first step. The video below depicts a substantial amount of soil being removed from the designated spot.

But what about all that dirt?

 

Doug had to arrange for a truck to haul away the excavated material – a practical detail to consider when embarking on a similar project.

The Journey Continues

 

The groundwork has been laid, literally! The next stage of Doug’s project will involve pouring the concrete base that will provide a sturdy foundation for his hot tub. You can also see how Doug has placed strategically thr rebar within the excavated area for added reinforcement.

 

While watching someone dig a hole might not be the most action-packed part of the project, rest assured, things are about to get much more exciting!

 

Future videos on my channel and in this article promise to delve deeper into the construction process, taking you on a journey as Doug’s dream hot tub transforms from vision to reality.

Stay Tuned!

The next stage of the project for Doug is where it starts to get interesting. He is no longer just digging holes, he will begin to see his hot tub dream come to life – it’s the concrete pour.

 

With all the rebar in place, it is time for Doug to pour the base of his hot tub. Rather than mixing by hand, Doug has decided that he will get the concrete delivered – good call Doug! There is a whopping 15 yards of concrete that are going to need to be delivered.

When you are ordering concrete, you want to ask for 4000 PSI strength. If possible, you can also add fibres and water proofing agent although these do vary from supplier to supplier. What you don’t want added to this mix is air – that is the last thing you want.

 

Air in your concrete is going to lead to bubbles, holes and potentially leaks – so avoid that one.

 

The challenge for Doug is that all this concrete needed to be moved by hand, he was not pumping it in. When you do get a concrete delivery like this it is a good idea to rope in as many of your friends with wheel barrows as you can. Normally, you are charged for the concrete but there is also a charge for the waiting time. If it takes you several hours to unload, then you are going to be racking up a bill!

Doug started by pouring the base for the balance tank. Then with that firmly in place, he moved his attention to the rest of the tub. When you are pouring your base you need to have all of the plumbing like the main drains in place before you pour – it is very difficult to add them afterwards.

The level of the concrete should be right up to the lip of the main drains. These should end up being flush with the surface so that the grill sits nicely on top when you are done.

 

With the base poured, it is now a waiting game, literally, for the concrete to cure. The next stages of this build will be putting up the forms for the interior walls and then adding the plumbing before pouring the walls.

All systems go for Doug and it is coming along really nicely – nice work and thanks for the pics as always!

 

With the rebar structure in place, the next step for Doug was to put the forms up. The forms are basically like large “moulds” into which the concrete will be poured to “form” the walls.

The thing to remember with forms is that they need to be braced and braced well. If you dont brace the forms, what you will end up with is curved walls and that is the last thing you want. Concrete as a material weighs a lot so the walls need to be braced as the OSB or Chipboard that is usually used as it is cheap on forms will just not be strong enough.

As you can see from Doug’s images below – he has gone to town with the bracing – better safe than sorry.

Another essential part of this process is bonding. I am not going to go into great detail in this post as I do have a full article on bonding in the blog – just search in the search bar at the top of this page.

Bonding is a safety measure to ensure that any stray current like lightening can find its way easily and safely to ground – a process which can help reduce the likelihood of electric shock.

Then, it was time to put in the plumbing and also to brace up the forms ready to pour. I am pretty certain that as I am writing this update, the truck is actually due to arrive to pour the walls – exciting times.

 

 

 

When you install the Gunite bodies, the trick with the wall niche is to set this slightly forward of the forms this is because it need to be flush with your finished surface. Essentially, you are allowing for the tiles and grout there.

Doug’s DIY Hot Tub Build: Concrete Pour Day!

Hey everyone,

I’m back with another update on Doug’s incredible DIY hot tub project. If you’ve been following along, you know that Doug has been hard at work building the forms for his hot tub. Well, it’s finally time to pour the concrete!

As a reminder, Doug is building a custom hot tub design that I created for him. It’s going to be amazing when it’s finished!

The Importance of Bracing

Before we dive into the concrete pour, I want to emphasize the importance of bracing your forms properly. When you pour concrete, the weight can be immense, and if your forms aren’t sturdy enough, your walls will bow. This can cause major issues down the line, so it’s crucial to invest the time and effort into building a strong form.

Pouring the Concrete

Pouring concrete is a messy job, but it’s also a very satisfying one. Doug opted to have the concrete delivered to his driveway and then wheel it in by hand. This is a lot of hard work, but it’s a cost-effective option.

Once the concrete is in the forms, it’s essential to vibrate it properly. This helps to remove air bubbles and ensure that the concrete fills all the gaps in the forms. A vibrating plate is the best tool for the job.

Next Steps

Now that the concrete is poured, Doug needs to let it cure for a few days before removing the forms. We’re all eager to see how the walls turned out!

I’ll be back with another update once the forms are removed. In the meantime, make sure to subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss a thing!

Doug’s DIY Hot Tub Build: A Rocky Road to Success

Hey everyone,

I’m back with another update on Doug’s DIY hot tub project. If you’ve been following along, you know that Doug has been making great progress. Well, this week was a bit of a rollercoaster!

The Good News

Doug successfully poured the concrete for the walls of his hot tub. The forms held up well, and the concrete looks great.He’s also started working on the interior seating using CMU blocks.

The Bad News

Unfortunately, Doug had a little mishap. A CMU block fell from the top of the hot tub and damaged one of the jet fittings.This is a common mistake, and it’s important to be extra careful when working with heavy materials around your plumbing.

The Solution

Instead of trying to replace the damaged jet fitting, which could cause more problems, we decided to build up the wall around it and then cover it with the jet holder. This will create a clean and professional finish.

Moving Forward

Doug is continuing to make progress on the interior seating and has started forming the steps. Once the concrete for the steps is cured, he can move on to the waterproofing stage.

It’s important to remember that DIY projects can be challenging, and setbacks are bound to happen. The key is to stay positive and find solutions to any problems that arise.

I’ll be back with another update soon. In the meantime, make sure to subscribe to my channel for more DIY hot tub tips and inspiration.

Backfilling Your DIY Hot Tub: A Step-by-Step Guide

In this update, I want to talk about a crucial step in building your DIY hot tub: backfilling around the pipework. This is a step that’s often overlooked, but it’s essential for the longevity and stability of your hot tub.

Why Backfilling is Important

Backfilling provides support for your plumbing, preventing damage from shifting soil or ground movement. It also helps to level the area around your hot tub, creating a stable base for your patio or decking.

Choosing the Right Material

The best material for backfilling is rock or type 1 gravel. Avoid using dirt, as it can compact over time and put pressure on your pipes.

The Backfilling Process

1. Dig a Trench: Carefully dig a trench around your pipework, ensuring that the pipes are securely supported.
2. Fill with Gravel: Fill the trench with rock or type 1 gravel, making sure to pack it in firmly around the pipes.
3. Add a Layer of Membrane: For added protection, consider laying a membrane over the gravel before adding the final layer of stone.

Additional Tips

• If you’re planning to install a patio or deck, make sure to level the backfilled area accordingly.
• Consider adding a French drain to help with water drainage.
• If you’re running electrical or other cables, use conduit to protect them.

Doug’s Progress

Doug has made excellent progress on his DIY hot tub build. He’s successfully backfilled around his pipework and is now preparing to install a French drain. He’s also running conduit for electrical and ethernet cables, which is a great way to future-proof his hot tub.

I’m impressed with Doug’s attention to detail and his commitment to building a high-quality hot tub. I can’t wait to see the finished product!

Now let’s move onto grounding. Doug needs to ground his hot tub because it’s part of the code for his local authority and it will be inspected. What was different about Doug’s grounding was that the code required two complete loops to be placed outside the tub like in the image below.

This is the first time I’ve seen this but each town/city has its own code. 

They’re also connected to the rebar structure. He has 4 ground rods dug 3 feet into the ground. 

The control room will also  be connected to the ground room as well as anything electrical. A bit technical, but required to fulfil local code.

With the grounding loop in and out of the way with the inspection cleared it was onto the waterproofing. Doug was using my favourite waterproofing product for US builds. It’s the hydro ban cementitious waterproofing membrane. It is a great product and easily available. 

The way it works is that you have to apply this to the internal parts of your tub e.g. the walls, seating etc. You apply it in one direction first e.g left to right and let it dry. Then you paint over it in a direction turned 90 degrees e.g. top to bottom in this case. Then you put on a second coating and once this is done, your hot tub will be water tight. 

So this is the current state of Doug’s tub. Stay tuned for the next part!

After the waterproofing, it needs to cure for a certain amount of time. So while Doug was waiting for the interior to cure, he turned his focus to the surrounding areas. 

Most DIY hot tubs are usually a part of a major garden renovation. This was the case with Doug as well. Doug has planned to put in a patio with a fire pit on which he focused on next. 

He first laid out the gravel and compacted it. After which he’s adding the beautiful slab stones on top of this to create a patio that is lower than the actual tub so he gets the overflow from the infinity drop. 

With the firepit and seating area, it’s going to look absolutely wonderful!

With the Patio complete, it was time to move onto the decking area. As you can, there’s a huge amount of timber being used for the raised patio. The raised deck will be level with the existing deck so it’ll all just fit perfectly in place together. 

Doug told me it took a couple of days to put this setup together. He’s going to do some more work on it and leave it exposed until the internals of the tub are complete. Stay tuned to see how the build progresses!

Once the work Doug wanted to do on the Patio was done, it was time to move onto the control room. 

In the picture below, you can see the base for the control room. The pipes are already in the ground and just need to be connected. 

The positioning of a control room is very important.  The positioning is relevant to the waterline of the area. Like I’ve mentioned in previous videos, hot tub pumps can’t suck air which means that they can’t suck water if it’s below the waterline. 

Since it works by gravity, the pump and pipe that feed it water need to be below the water line. 

In Doug’s build, his patio is basically the waterline. Since his pump and piping are both below the waterline it should be no issue and he can use hot tub parts which are a lot cheaper. Another advantage is that you can use bigger pumps. 

The big pipe you see in the middle of this picture leads to the french drain. This makes sure any groundwater is removed and not sat there. He’s done the same for the control room which is a great idea because if water does come in it has a place to go.

The control room must be covered because hot tub parts are not IP rated like swimming pools. This is the current stage after the final pour. 

The next stage will most likely be starting work on the interior. Stay tuned for more

Fast forward a few months, and Doug was ready to tackle the next phase of his ambitious DIY hot tub build—constructing the enclosure for the control room. As you might recall, Doug used a combination of both hot tub and swimming pool parts in his setup. While swimming pool parts are designed to withstand outdoor conditions, hot tub components must be protected from the elements. That’s where this new structure comes in, ensuring everything stays in tip-top shape.

In the image below, you can see the wooden structure that will house the entire setup.

But just when Doug thought he was making progress, he and his wife came to a realization—they weren’t happy with the layout of the infinity trough and patio. The trough was too close to the patio, creating an awkward visual flow. So, what did Doug decide to do? In true DIY fashion, he tore it all up and started over!

Doug had to dig down another 8 inches, re-level the area, and relay the entire patio. In the picture below, you can see the updated patio layout, and it looks fantastic. However, I can only imagine how frustrating it must have been to redo all that hard work. But that’s the reality of DIY hot tub building—sometimes, you’ve got to take two steps forward and three steps back before you get it just right.

With the firepit area now complete and looking great, Doug turned his attention back to the control room. Inside the control room, Doug has installed a variable speed pump for the infinity edge, a hot tub circulation pump, and a sand filter for filtration. They opted for a sand filter due to the larger size of the hot tub—it’s perfect for handling the increased volume of water.

So, what’s next for Doug’s build? It looks like the next big steps will be tiling and putting the finishing touches on the interior of the hot tub. We’re getting close to the finish line, so stay tuned for how Doug’s journey proceeds. 

Can I Help You?

If I can help you in any way I would love to hear from you. You can get in touch using the form below.

Thanks - Andi

 

Hi, Andi here. I own Buildahottub.com and also write all of the articles and info pages on the site. Some years back now, I built my own hot tub but struggled to find the information I needed. So, once my tub was complete, I started this website to help others in their own pursuit of hot tub and plunge pools DIY building information.

Today, I've helped over 1000 DIY customers just like you all over the world build hot tubs and pools. Have a good look around the site, there are lots of resources here. Please do get in touch if I can help you. - Cheers, Andi