Hey Pros!
I must replace my spa cover. When measuring for the replacement, should I measure the tub size or the cabinet size? Can I do either? What are the pros and cons to each method?
Marta from St. Paul Minnesota
Hi Marta!
Lets discuss both of the choices and we will show you how to make the best choice for you hot tub and its environment.
On this hot tub, the acrylic of the tub
covers and encloses the cabinet.
First, there are two types of hot tubs so you will need to know which you have. The first type is built so the acrylic of the hot tub wraps over the entire top of the spa, and caps and encloses the cabinet.
Cabinet is larger than
the hot tub itself.
The second type is built so the cabinet is larger than the acrylic of the tub itself, as shown here to the right.
The easy case is where the acrylic extends out to enclose the entire cabinet top. For this configuration, you can only measure and fit the hot tub cover to the size of the tub itself.
Where the cabinet extends beyond the tub, you have a choice of fitting the cover to either the cabinet size or the tub size. The cover will insulate the same either way.
The advantage to having the cover fit the tub itself is that the cover is then supported underneath all around the edges by the lip of the tub. This can help to prevent the internal foam from cracking were someone to sit on the edge or corner. If this is your choice, be SURE to measure for the skirt carefully, so it hangs down to just touch the top of the cabinet. If it is any longer, the skirt/flap will not hang straight, resulting in a poor appearance.
The advantage of having the cover fit the cabinet, is the ability to have the cover’s skirt or flap made long enough to hang down past the top surface of the cabinet. This way, the cover encloses the entire top of the tub and cabinet and will protect the top of the cabinet from sun, dirt and weather. The risk of having the cover extend beyond the hot tub support underneath, is that the cover is now unsupported from below which can allow the internal foam to crack, which will void the warranty.
In the opinion of The Pros, the look and function of a cover that encloses the entire tub and cabinet top is the way to go, if you can mitigate the risk of someone breaking the foam.
Happy Tubbing!
Ethel Elliott
