Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - totally submersing wood? [hot tub construction]
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : totally submersing wood? [hot tub construction]
drone007
05-25-05, 12:30 PM
hey guys, i assume this is the best place to ask this question... here goes:
i am building a hot tub this summer out of wood, meaning the whole thing including the area you sit on. I read up a little bit yesterday about wood rot, because i thought I could run into a problem having the wood totally exposed to water like that, however I found some interesting things.
when wood has long passed its fiber saturation point, and has hit upwards of 200% mc, it is very hard for bacteria and fungi to survive in it, b/c the water builds up co2 and inhibits air from being present. (this is just what i read, though) is it safe to say that wood which has been totally saturated will be fairly free of problems due to fungi and the alike? in addition, the hot tub water will be sanitized and filtered...
my other question has to do with the swelling and shrinking of wood, due to water. I read that the wood will expand and shrink only past or prior to the fiber saturation point. So, if this wood is allowed to become totally saturated, i shouldn't have much of a problem unless i let the hot tub dry out for a long period of time and then I can expect some pretty severe checking..?
could I build the hot tub and keep the bolts/fasteners fairly loose, fill the hot tub up with water and let the wood expand for a week or so, and then tighten everything down?
sorry for the long post guys, but i appreciate the help....
i am building a hot tub this summer out of wood, meaning the whole thing including the area you sit on. I read up a little bit yesterday about wood rot, because i thought I could run into a problem having the wood totally exposed to water like that, however I found some interesting things.
when wood has long passed its fiber saturation point, and has hit upwards of 200% mc, it is very hard for bacteria and fungi to survive in it, b/c the water builds up co2 and inhibits air from being present. (this is just what i read, though) is it safe to say that wood which has been totally saturated will be fairly free of problems due to fungi and the alike? in addition, the hot tub water will be sanitized and filtered...
my other question has to do with the swelling and shrinking of wood, due to water. I read that the wood will expand and shrink only past or prior to the fiber saturation point. So, if this wood is allowed to become totally saturated, i shouldn't have much of a problem unless i let the hot tub dry out for a long period of time and then I can expect some pretty severe checking..?
could I build the hot tub and keep the bolts/fasteners fairly loose, fill the hot tub up with water and let the wood expand for a week or so, and then tighten everything down?
sorry for the long post guys, but i appreciate the help....
jay_myself
05-26-05, 07:05 PM
I'm not sure what kind of wood (maybe cyprus?) is used to build a wooden boat, but the process you describe (filling with water to expand), is exactly what they used to do with wood boats. basically, the boat would be supported (so it wouldn't sink) and water run continuously inside the hull the hull until it no more seeped out. since the boat was supported and couldn't sink, water would run out the crack until they swelled tight.
i'd do a search on wooden boats for any tips on this process. sounds like the same challenge you are facing.
i'd do a search on wooden boats for any tips on this process. sounds like the same challenge you are facing.