beautiful color of the tub by treating the outside only
(never the inside) with a coat of teak oil.
We recommend a product used on the decks of wood
boats called Dalys Teak Oil. Teak oil can be found at
general hardware store, marine supply shop, etc. An
alternative is a 50:50 mixture of mineral oil and
turpentine or mineral spirits. Mineral oil is readily
available in drug and grocery stores. Apply when the tub
is dry with a brush, roller, or rag and allow to soak in. Do
this annually to maintain the beauty of the cedar. Take
care not to get any oil inside the tub. Repeat this
treatment once per year or as needed.
Finally, apply a generous coat of plain soft furniture wax
to the top rim (end grain) of the tub. This will act to seal
the exposed end grain on the staves – and prolong the life
of the tub. Repeat the wax treatment on the end grain
once per year.
Note: Oiling and waxing the tub is particularly
important in dry climates.
Section 11: Adding Water
A new wooden tub is like a new wooden boat. It will leak
until the wood swells and the tub conditions and becomes
tight. Be prepared for a few leaks. These will slow and
stop as the wood swells. Some tubs will hold water
quickly while others may take much longer. Your tub will
continue to swell and tighten for several days.
Once your tub is completely assembled, with the heater
plumbed and the benches installed, you can begin the
process of adding water. Here’s how:
First, install the rubber stopper in the drain plug, hand
tight.
DO NOT simply fill the tub to the top right away. It is
better to fill the tub more slowly in stages.
Use a garden hose to begin filling the tub slowly. Start by
putting about 6” of water in the tub. Stop there and let it
soak for at least an hour. Observe how the tub is holding
water.
If the first 6 inches of water is leaking a lot, simply refill
to the 6 inch level. If the tub is holding water well, add
additional water to about the half full level and wait again
for at least an hour. Follow this pattern of adding in
stages and waiting – until the tub is holding water well.
If the tub has significant leaks, be very patient, stay the
course. Add water occasionally to slowly bring the level
up, a few inches at a time. Don’t try to tighten the
compression straps or hit the staves with the mallet
when the tub is full of water. The leak rate will slow
over time. As soon as the tub is holding water well, turn
the water off and check it every few hours adding water
as needed. The swelling process continues for at least
two weeks. It is normal for a wood tub to drip a small
amount of water.
If you have a limited water supply - use a slightly
different approach. Put 2 to 4 inches in the bottom of the
tub to swell and seal the bottom joint. After about 24
hours, slowly bring the level of water up. This way you
can minimize the amount of water used to seal the tub.
Warm water accelerates the swelling of wood. If the tub
is holding water well but you have a few persistent fast
leaks, and your heater is set up, you can heat the tub and
that will help swell the wood tighter.
Remember the swelling process continues for about two
weeks. Give it time.
This is a good time to check all your plumbing and
heating connections for leaks. Tighten or repair as
needed. Double check that the drain plug is in place and
not leaking.
Included with your tub is a bag of fine cedar sawdust. If
you have a persisting leak after two weeks you can use
this sawdust to seal the tub:
Important: remove the filter from the filter cartridge
during this procedure, otherwise it will clog.
Add a cup or two of fine sawdust to the water. The wood
flour will be naturally drawn to places where the water is
seeping out and will help to stop or slow stubborn leaks.
The sawdust is harmless and the excess will be flushed
out the first time you drain and rinse the tub. Note: It may
take more than one treatment to slow or fix the leak, but
this method works in almost every case.
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