Don’t you just love your hot tub cover? It keeps the water clean and warm year round. But the cover isn’t going to last forever. With an average shelf life of five years, it will eventually crack, melt or tear. We Pros are here to help you decide if you can repair your spa cover or if you’ll need to invest in a replacement.
Replace the Foam Core
Someone accidentally stepped on your cover, or a heavy branch fell on it during a storm. Cracked foam cores are not covered by the warranty. You can, however, replace just the cracked foam cores yourself to bring your cover back to life and save some money.
Start by unzipping the vinyl pillowcase-like cover. Remove the damaged foam, and carefully insert the new foam cores. Zip the cover back into place, and enjoy your repaired, protective cover.
Repair Melted Damage
It sounds crazy, but your cover’s foam can actually melt under intense heat. It’s made of mold-able expanded polystyrene foam beads that are melted during the manufacturing process. Placing anything, including clothes, towels or inflatable toys, on the cover may cause the foam to melt since the heat can’t distribute evenly across the cover.
If your cover melts, inspect it and decide if you can simply replace the foam. If it’s too damaged to repair, purchase a replacement cover and remember not to place anything on top of it.
Fix Vinyl
From curious cat claws to outdoor temperature changes, your cover’s vinyl exterior suffers tons of wear and tear. Fix it with a vinyl patch kit or duct tape.
As soon as you see any small holes or punctures, repair them. If your vinyl is torn or damaged beyond repair, you may have to replace the vinyl. However, duct tape comes in a variety of colors so it doesn’t hurt to attempt repairs on larger damaged areas before replacing the entire cover. Unzip the vinyl and take the foam cores out. Then, turn the vinyl inside out like a pillow case so you can make any repair on the inside of the vinyl where it will not show.
Use your knowledge of hot tub cover repair to save yourself money and keep your investment protected. If the cover can’t be fixed at home, though, you can always buy a new cover. As always, contact the Pros if you have additional questions.
Happy Tubbing!
Ethel Elliott
