Since the car is never in the garage, we are considering converting it to have a Swimspa instead. The Swimspa has a flat base plate and even weight distribution. The weight will be around 7.5 tons on an area of 8 square meters. The pool will stand directly on the framework, and we'll lay some kind of composite decking or come up with a solution with tiles or similar. We're thinking of installing an "all-in-one" unit for ventilation with heat recovery and a robust dehumidifier to run after bathing. The room's heating will probably be an air source heat pump since we plan to keep the air temperature the same as the water (27 - 28 degrees). We heat the rest of the house with district heating and have extended hydronic heating in the garage.
The reason we thought of building the framework is that the garage base plate is probably laid with a slope toward the floor drain for melting water drainage. The garage is attached and connected to the house's outer wall, which is concrete and facade brick.
Some questions:
1) What dimensions do I need for the joists to handle such a load?
2) How do I adjust the joists for any slope? Level the joists with wedges?
3) Should the framework be laid completely floating in the garage?
4) Regular wood joists, pressure-treated, xxx?
5) Can/should you insulate in the framework, like using foam board or similar? The garage was built in 1961 and is likely not insulated at all.
We plan to add extra insulation to the garage when we replace the panels. Once the Swimspa is in place, we intend to replace the folding doors with a regular door and fill in the opening. We also plan to replace the metal roof with one with concrete tiles that harmonizes with the rest of the house. At the same time, we will install one or two skylights.
What do you others think? Crazy idea? Grateful for all tips!
The reason we thought of building the framework is that the garage base plate is probably laid with a slope toward the floor drain for melting water drainage. The garage is attached and connected to the house's outer wall, which is concrete and facade brick.
Some questions:
1) What dimensions do I need for the joists to handle such a load?
2) How do I adjust the joists for any slope? Level the joists with wedges?
3) Should the framework be laid completely floating in the garage?
4) Regular wood joists, pressure-treated, xxx?
5) Can/should you insulate in the framework, like using foam board or similar? The garage was built in 1961 and is likely not insulated at all.
We plan to add extra insulation to the garage when we replace the panels. Once the Swimspa is in place, we intend to replace the folding doors with a regular door and fill in the opening. We also plan to replace the metal roof with one with concrete tiles that harmonizes with the rest of the house. At the same time, we will install one or two skylights.
What do you others think? Crazy idea? Grateful for all tips!
If you are going to have a spa in the garage, I think you should do it properly. How have you considered all the moisture that will come from the spa?
Since it will be over 900 kg per sqm and a regular wooden joist floor is designed for 20 kg per sqm, a concrete floor is preferred. However, if you plan to have it heated year-round, you will want to insulate the floor as well. Will you have it heated?
Since it will be over 900 kg per sqm and a regular wooden joist floor is designed for 20 kg per sqm, a concrete floor is preferred. However, if you plan to have it heated year-round, you will want to insulate the floor as well. Will you have it heated?
Have you really read the thread starter? As I wrote, we will have a ventilation unit with heat recovery and a dehumidifier. Temperature of both water and air 27-28 degrees.huggan said:
A normal wooden floor joist for rooms without interior walls is designed for a load of 200 kg/m2, not 20. Moreover, you can't compare it with the normal tables because the "plinth distance" in this case will be very short since the framework rests against concrete.
Even if you have a cover on, there will always be moisture from the spa, so just running a dehumidifier only after bathing won't be optimal. I don't see anything about waterproofing, shouldn't this be included?fredl said:
It's clearly a typo with a 0. Since you will have it heated, which I missed, I think it's both easier and better if you lay insulation foam and then apply self-leveling compound on this, but make sure the compound doesn't bond to the walls so it becomes a floating slab.
I haven't planned to install a moisture barrier; it definitely won't get wetter in the garage from the hot tub than it does when you drive in a wet car or a car with snow on it. The dehumidifier is moisture-controlled, so it will run when needed.huggan said:
Interesting idea with cellplast. Do you mean laying the cellplast directly against the existing concrete slab (which slopes towards the floor drain)? Is the idea to make the cellplast follow the slope and then self-level a flat surface? Considering it's an old concrete slab (from 1961), it also seems somewhat doubtful to place something so tight against it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but cellplast that can handle the load (assuming pink styrofoam) + screed will be diffusion-tight?
The only thing I really need to achieve is even pressure against the existing slab and leveling the incline. The slab is thick enough to handle 900 kg/m2. The load of a 1.5-ton car is distributed over four relatively small point load areas.
In the future, it's not impossible that we will build an Attefall house in a suitable place in the garden and place the swim spa there. However, that's at least three years away, and I'd like to be able to swim in the meantime...
Even S80 foam plastic can handle about 2400kg/M2 in long-term load, is the hot tub round or square? You could build a frame of moisture-resistant material about 10-15cm high, which is level on the slab, then use leveling compound to remove the slope in the form and then fill up to the edge of the form with foam plastic.