I have a Jacuzzi J480 and I have replaced the cover twice because the foam construction broke under the weight of rain gathering on the cover. I am in need of a cover that will not break. The winters in NC still get pretty cold so I need good insulation. Color can be burgundy but not that important. I have a cover lift in place. Can you tell me what I need as a replacement cover and what it will cost?
Nigel from Southern Shores, North Carolina
Greetings Nigel!
We will be glad to share our recommendations with you, but first we want to drill into one of your comments.
You wrote, “the foam construction broke under the weight of rain gathering on the cover.” This may be the most telling sentence in your question because you were able to specifically define the cause of the failure. The Pros always stress the importance of making sure your replacement spa cover addresses the cause of failure of your current hot tub cover.
To address Nigel’s failure, it is not appropriate that any cover fail from the rain. Covers are made with a slope so rain will run off and not pool on the cover. If water is pooling on top of the cover, this must be addressed or it will worsen and can eventually lead to the foam breaking from the weight.
Typically the simple fix to resolve water pooling on a cover is to take out the internal foam core and flip it over. Where there was a dip before will now be a hump and the pooling will stop.
If the pooling is caused by water weight gain from a cover that is waterlogged, the cover must be replaced as the real cause of failure in this situation is the failure of the vapor barrier.
To answer Nigel’s question with a recommendation by the Pros, we would recommend a Walk On cover if the goal is a cover that will not break. That is often over kill as Walk On covers are both expensive and heavy, making them awkward to take off and put back on the hot tub. In Nigel’s case, where he already has a cover lifter, a Walk On cover would not work with his existing cover lifter.
The next strongest cover after a Walk On cover, would be a 6 inch thick cover, tapering to 4 inches thick at the edges made from 2.0 pound foam density cores. This extra thickness will address Nigel’s desire to have a cover that insulates well for the winter.
