A hot tub house is an enclosure built around a hot tub to afford the users more privacy. The structure can be built with four walls and a ceiling, or it can be built with an open ceiling, three walls, half walls, or other variations. Many versions of the hot tub house feature a door that allows full enclosure, while others are open at one end and feature an open roof. Most of these structures are built from wood, usually cedar, because it is naturally water, mold, and mildew resistant.
Like other structures, the hot tub house must be built on a solid foundation like a concrete slab. Most hot tubs are placed on concrete slabs anyway, so building the hot tub house around the tub should be fairly convenient and easy. The structure can be custom-built to suit the needs of the owner, and windows, doors, and retractable roofs are all possibilities. Less expensive structures will be fairly simple and more than likely feature half walls with an open ceiling, while more elaborate structures may feature a roof made from wood or a transparent material that allows views of the sky.
Many people choose to build a hot tub house in the style of a gazebo. This structure allows for movement around the tub, and even for additional features like benches or tables. Other structures feature stairways to get up over the lip of the tub upon entry. Some hot tub house styles are lighted, but such houses will require additional electrical access. Most tub houses are not much larger than the hot tub itself, and in some cases the walls of the hot tub house are flush with the edges of the tub. Larger structures can be built, however, to allow walking room around the tub, but the larger structures will cost more to build.
A hot tub generates a fair amount of moisture in the air, so ventilation may be necessary both to avoid mold and mildew, and to vent steam that will fill the room and obscure views. Sliding windows are perhaps the easiest venting system, but other systems can be used to vent the steam. A retractable roof is a convenient but expensive option for venting the steam; a door can help vent some of the steam if it is built into the structure, but much of the steam will get trapped at the top of the structure. Small, plastic vents can be built into the roof and opened during use to vent excess steam.
