Ask 'Dr. Spa' Q & A Message Board

I don't believe this to be true at all. There "can" be many differences in a cover that effects it's life span.

Vinyl Quality - There are a number of different vinyls used in spa covers. Besides the thickness (specified by ounce weight per lineal yard), the most important thing is the amount of UV inhibitors added to the vinyl. Think of UV inhibitors as sunscreen. The more there is, the longer the vinyl will hold up to sunlight. This is typically specified as UV rating, with a variance of from 500 hours to 1500 hours....... BIG difference (we use a 30 oz, 1500 hour vinyl)!

Poly wrap Surrounding the foam - This probably makes the biggest difference in how long it will be before a cover starts absorbing moisture. I've seen anywhere from 2 mil to 6 mil. Also how it's sealed can make a huge difference. Taping it closed is close to worthless. Heat sealing is the way to go, IF done correctly. They can be hand heat sealed, or mechanically heat sealed. Hand sealing is only slightly better than taping because there's much room for variance in the amount of time the heat is applied. To short a time and the seal will fail. Too long and the seal becomes brittle. Some type of automated machine is the best. But even here there are variances. These machines (called impulse sealers) can be rather expensive depending on their size. It's easy to reduce the cost by using a machine that only makes a 4' long seal, and use multiple seals to seal the poly-wrap. The problem here is you have to overlap seals. The overlapping area becomes brittle. The impulse sealer we use does a 10' loge automatic seal, accurate to 1/10 of a second and 1/10 of a degree.

foam Density - Higher density foam is STRONGER. 1.5 pound density is 50% stronger than the normally used 1 pound foam. Also, higher density foam absorbs moisture slower than lighter density foam.

Cover prices tend to be all over the map, and it doesn't seem to always have a lot to do with the actual quality of the cover. Compare the FEATURES of the cover, rather than the price.

I've got a nice little comparison chart you can print out, fill in the numbers, and make an easier comparison here;

http://www.rhtubs.com/covers/check-list.htm

: i guess what im trying to say is just that. it doesnt matter if you buy
: a cheap one or an expensive one. in my experience, they both last
: about the same time. i expected this last one to at least last the
: length of the warranty period, 5 years. but it hasnt.