What Is the Arctic Spa Forever Floor®? The Hot Tub Foundation That Comes Built In
When you shop for a hot tub, most of the attention goes to jets, seats, and lights. But a filled spa with people in it can weigh 4,000 to 5,000 pounds, and it all has to sit on something. With most brands, that means building a foundation before the spa ever arrives. Arctic Spas® takes a different approach: it builds the foundation into the spa. It's called the Forever Floor®.
Quick Answer: What Is Forever Floor®?
Forever Floor® is a sealed, insulated base made of SMC fiberglass, a composite similar to the hull of a cargo ship. It is built into the bottom of the spa and takes the place of a concrete pad, so an Arctic hot tub with the Forever Floor needs only firm, level ground.
It also seals out moisture, pests, and weather, holds heat in as part of the FreeHeat™ insulation system, and moves with the spa if you ever relocate it. It's backed by a lifetime warranty.
Watch: Forever Floor® Up Close
Arctic Spas shows the Forever Floor in this short video. The full breakdown follows below.
Video courtesy of Arctic Spas®.
What Most Hot Tubs Need to Sit On
A hot tub needs solid, level support that won't sink, shift, or flex under thousands of pounds. For most spas, that means one of these:
Common Hot Tub Foundations
- A poured concrete pad. Strong and durable, but it has to be built right: typically 4 to 6 inches thick with rebar, poured by a contractor before delivery.
- A prepared gravel base. Sod and topsoil are dug out, the area is framed, and crushed rock is compacted into a level bed. It's labor and materials either way. - Check if this option voids your warranty.
- A prefabricated pad. Saves sourcing materials, but you still need to dig out and level the spot underneath it. Check if this option voids your warranty.
- A deck. Convenient, but not every deck can carry a full spa and its bathers. It may need an inspection or reinforcement first.
Each of those adds cost, contractors, and time to your project before you ever get in the water. Bypassing the addition of a concrete base or deck can save you roughly $1,500 to $4,000 (or more) in up-front foundation work.
How the Forever Floor® Works
Instead of asking you to build a base for the spa, Arctic builds the base into the spa itself.
Ship-Hull Material
The floor is molded from SMC (sheet molding compound) fiberglass, a strong, rigid composite similar to the hull of a cargo ship. It won't rot, and it's built not to crack or break down over time.
Sealed Underside
The base closes off the bottom of the spa completely. Ground moisture, mice and insects, dirt, and weather stay out of the cabinet and away from the equipment.
Insulated Base
The floor is finished with insulation, so heat stays in the spa instead of escaping into cold ground. It's one of the four pieces of Arctic's FreeHeat™ insulation system.
A Foundation That Travels
Because the foundation is part of the spa, it goes wherever the spa goes. Moving the spa to a new spot, or to a new house doesn't mean starting site prep over.
Forever Floor® vs. a Traditional Foundation
| What Matters | Typical Hot Tub + Pad or Base | Arctic Spas With Forever Floor® |
|---|---|---|
| Site prep | Concrete pad, compacted gravel base, or reinforced deck built first | Firm, level ground; no concrete pad required for hot tubs |
| Up-front cost | Contractor and materials generally run $1500-$4000 | Included in the price of the spa |
| Moisture and pests | Over time, rotted wood, warped panels, or cracked plastic/foam siding can allow pests to get in | Sealed fiberglass base keeps moisture, pests, and weather out |
| Heat loss through the bottom | Varies by brand | Insulated base works with FreeHeat™ to hold heat in |
| Moving the spa | Your concrete stays behind; a new spot needs new prep, and many spas are not strong enough to withstand the move | The foundation moves with the spa. New concrete doesn't need to be laid, and the floor is custom-built for pallet and fork lift jacks for easy transport in the future. |
| Warranty on the base | Generally 0-7 years, and often only on the structure, not on cracks, warping, or rotting | Lifetime warranty |
Why It Matters in Minnesota
Less Site Prep, Faster to the Water
Skipping the concrete pad means one less contractor to schedule and one less project to finish before your spa can be delivered. It also allows you to take delivery in the Winter, even though the ground is frozen and concrete cannot be laid.
A Sealed Bottom Against Moisture and Critters
Between spring thaw, wet ground, and mice looking for somewhere warm in the fall, the underside of a spa takes a beating here. A sealed fiberglass base keeps all of that out of the cabinet and away from the pumps and plumbing.
Heat Stays In the Spa
Cold ground pulls heat out of anything sitting on it. Forever Floor's insulated base keeps that from happening, and it works together with the insulated cover and cabinet walls as part of FreeHeat™. Here's how FreeHeat works.
Backed for Life
Forever Floor carries a lifetime warranty on Arctic's Custom Series and Classic Series hot tubs. A concrete pad or a deck is never covered by a hot tub warranty.
Which Arctic Spas Have Forever Floor®?
- Custom Series: Forever Floor is included.
- Classic Series: Available as an upgrade.
- Core Series: Uses Arctic's Everlast™ floor, a vacuum-formed, insulated ABS base that also seals the underside of the spa.
Shopping for a Spa? Ask Every Dealer These Questions
Whatever brand you're considering, these questions will tell you what you're really signing up for underneath the spa:
- What does this spa need to sit on? Concrete, gravel, a deck?
- What will that foundation cost, and who builds it?
- Is the bottom of the spa sealed? What keeps moisture and mice out?
- Is the base insulated? Or does heat escape into the ground?
- Is the base covered by the warranty? For how long?
- Will I void the warranty by moving the spa?
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really not need a concrete pad?
For an Arctic hot tub with Forever Floor, no. It needs firm, level ground. Many owners use a compacted, level spot or set the spa on an existing patio. All-Weather Pools (swim spas) are the exception and still need a concrete pad.
Can I put an Arctic Spa on my deck?
Forever Floor takes care of the spa's base, but the deck itself still has to be strong enough to hold a filled spa and the people in it. Have the deck checked before you plan on it.
Is Forever Floor® on every Arctic Spa?
It's included on Custom Series spas and available as an upgrade on Classic Series. Core Series spas use the insulated Everlast™ floor instead.
What's the warranty on Forever Floor®?
Forever Floor is backed by a lifetime warranty on Custom Series hot tubs. Ask us for the full warranty details on the model you're considering.
What if I move?
The foundation goes with the spa. Your new spot needs to be firm and level, but there's no new pad to pour.
Can I see Forever Floor® in person?
Yes. We have Arctic Spas on display in our Chanhassen showroom, and we're happy to open a cabinet door and show you how the spa is built from the floor up.
See Forever Floor® in Person in Chanhassen
Premier Pool & Spa is the Twin Cities' Arctic Spas showroom. Come see the lineup, look inside a cabinet, and talk through which model fits your yard and your winter.
Premier Pool & Spa
2985 Water Tower Place
Chanhassen, MN 55317
Call: 952-368-6070 · Text: 612-293-8609
Images and video courtesy of Arctic Spas®. Forever Floor®, FreeHeat™, Everlast™, and Arctic Spas® are trademarks of Blue Falls Manufacturing.
