In the days of the cavemen, everything was exactly as it appeared. A stick was just a stick. No micro-thin lamination designed to emit or attract energy, sound, waves, moisture, microbes, rays or anything else. No chemicals to alter durability or absorption or sustainability or pliability or viscosity or some other ability or ity or tion. No compounds, hybrids, alloys, mixtures, blends or fusions.  No glue, staples, bolts, zippers, hooks, Velcro, screws or fasteners.

In the 21st century everything is high-tech. Yes, even your hot tub cover. You might just assume, without thinking, that a hot tub cover is some form of plywood, wrapped in a synthetic material like plastic or rubber or vinyl for protection. Give it a moment’s thought, however, and I am sure you will realize that it is so much more.

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On the Outside…

The diagram above shows a cut-away of a hot tub cover. As you can see, the outside wrapping is indeed vinyl, but it is much more than just a “wrapping”.

The surface itself is treated to resist corrosion from UV rays and to resist mildew.

The fold that makes it easy to remove and replace has double reinforced hinges, so as to remain durable even with heavy use of your hot tub.

The tailored skirt around the edges provides extra prevention against snow drifting in and heat leaking out.

Because the cover is not shrink-wrapped, there is stitching. This diagram shows the double-stitched threading – and once again, notice how high-tech even this detail is. Then there is the zipper. And the gasket. And the tie-down straps. And the padded handles.

On the Inside.

But the magic really happens inside. The foam core is the main portion, and you can imagine the technology that goes into creating the foam and shaping it. The shaping itself is clever; a tapered hot tub cover helps ensure that rain, ice, hail and snow slide off the cover, rather than accumulating on top and weighing it down.

The reinforcements are made from high quality aluminum. They strengthen the center and won’t rust in what is, after all, the most humid environment around your home. Aluminum, like the foam itself, is fairly light, making it easier for you to lift off the hot tub and back on when you are done.

The foam and its reinforcements are then wrapped and heat-sealed in a polystyrene layer to keep moisture out of the core.

Outside of all this, but inside the external layer, is another layer – an industrial grade double-ply liner that serves as both another moisture protection and also a mildew inhibitor.

You would think with all these layers and moisture barriers and defences, that there is no way moisture could ever get in. However, there is a back-up plan. See the hole in the middle of the double-ply liner – the “drain grommet”? If any moisture does somehow get past the layers of protection, this mechanism filters it out, keeping the inside of your hot tub cover dry.

We’ve come a long way from the days of cavemen wielding sticks. I wonder what a caveman would think if he saw today’s hot tub covers? Hmmm. Probably the same thing you and I do – ignore the technology and just hop on into the spa.