A spacious deck, a beautiful backyard and a mammoth-sized hot tub: These homeowners had the makings for a fabulous indoor/outdoor retreat. They just needed a contractor to listen to their ideas and pull it all together. This is how we made it happen:
The homeowners contacted Dover to design and build an octagon-shaped gazebo off of their existing deck to house their new hot tub. They had a specific look in mind for their gazebo with the floor flush with their existing deck for a seamless transition; and T1-11 siding on the outside and inside walls as well as exposed T1-11 ceiling stained to match their deck. For a clean aesthetic, we matched the roof pitch and shingles to that of the existing house.
The hot tub was designed to recess into the deck by setting on a concrete pad (at grade) while the new deck floor was raised flush with the existing deck. This design allows access into the hot tub at chair height rather than requiring steps—a feature the homeowners really like.
Structural posts and beams had to be meticulously placed in order to clear the hot tub while providing adequate support to the structure, including a floating floor joist underneath the removable floor panel in front of hot tub to allow access for maintenance. The hot tub had to be dropped into the deck opening before the rest of the structure was built: Gazebo construction was completed in an extremely careful manner since we had to work around this new fixture.
The homeowners chose PGT’s Eze-Breeze windows, which have aluminum frames and 10-mil vinyl glazing for protection from the elements, but with the transparency of glass. They are strong, shatter-proof and flexible—thus, safe around water. The vertical four-track panel configuration we used offers 75% ventilation for an “outdoor” feeling. We also maximized the view of the backyard with 360° of windows with extra-tall window height. Dark tint provides the privacy they desired.
Because of the custom design and construction for this gazebo, estimating the amount of time of carpentry required was challenging while working with the homeowner’s set budget and time frame— but we did it. The result exceeded their expectations and is truly one-of-a-kind enclosed gazebo that they will enjoy all season long.
All the best,
Chika Aizu
