With their daughter confined to a wheelchair, the homeowners asked us to build their new deck flush with the door threshold to be wheelchair-accessible from the house. Their goal? An outdoor living space with a modern layout and simple, clean lines that included an outdoor kitchen and a hot tub.
We proposed building the hot tub into the deck for accessibility, but also so that it looked like part of the design. To maximize seating and enhance functionality, the design includes a bench seat adjacent to the hot tub that also serves as a place to set drinks.
After framing the deck, we formed and poured a 4-inch-thick concrete slab on top of a compacted crushed stone sub-grade base to support the tub. One of the biggest challenges in framing this project was leaving access to the hot tub’s operating parts for maintenance and service, which we solved by designing a liftable hatch on the lower deck. Power is supplied by a subpanel next to the hot tub, with an emergency shutoff nearby. We mounted the shutoff on the front side of the deck where it would be both code-compliant and less obtrusive.
While the hot tub has a full lighting package that provides adequate illumination around the area, we also fitted the risers with LED puck lights, which by code need to be at least 5 feet from the hot tub. A simple overhead beam design adds vertical elements to the space for mostly aesthetic purposes but also includes a misting system to keep the deck cool in the summer and serves as a great mounting point for overhead string lights.
To complete the design, we installed Deckorators Voyage mineral-based composite decking, choosing earth tone colors to soften the modern look. A black-textured aluminum railing, which matches the painted black overhead beams, adds a contemporary flair. ❖
Photos by Sean Collinsgru.
