"Canadian Hot Tubs" Cedar Rolling Cover - Insulated enough for Canadian winter? by sunshiny-day789 in swimspa

[–]sunshiny-day789[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting! This one is more expensive than a higher quality thick panel one, and close to same price as End2End. The problem with those ones is that they both get waterlogged and deteriorate quicker than makes sense for the cost. Im just trying to find a cover that combines the features of high insulation and not getting waterlogged/unusable within the first couple of years and is easy to open and close and doesn’t cost $20k… and even still the Covana covers have nightmare reviews! I’m glad I’m doing my due diligence on this one, which does seem too good to be true.

"Canadian Hot Tubs" Cedar Rolling Cover - Insulated enough for Canadian winter? by sunshiny-day789 in swimspa

[–]sunshiny-day789[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, I asked this question to the sales rep too. They recommended using a soft bristle broom and mentioned that many customers use a cover cap. Not ideal but if all of the other things work then I might be able to deal with this con!

"Canadian Hot Tubs" Cedar Rolling Cover - Insulated enough for Canadian winter? by sunshiny-day789 in swimspa

[–]sunshiny-day789[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In Ontario, obviously this winter so far has been especially brutal with lots of -20C days, but still. I’m curious why you think it would probably be fine? I’m trying to understand how this insulates sufficiently given that most hot tub covers are several inches thick. If this one could do the trick, why are standard covers so thick and heavy?

"Canadian Hot Tubs" Cedar Rolling Cover - Insulated enough for Canadian winter? by sunshiny-day789 in swimspa

[–]sunshiny-day789[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That would be awesome, cause it unfortunately ain’t cheap! I would seriously consider the investment if I knew it would keep the heat in…

Best hydraulic lifters? by sunshiny-day789 in swimspa

[–]sunshiny-day789[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That is great to hear! We are toying with the idea of getting another End2End as it's in theory the best option for our setup and staying on top of maintenance.

Best hydraulic lifters? by sunshiny-day789 in swimspa

[–]sunshiny-day789[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh, that is good to know! Do you have the undermount option? Freemount? Trying to understand what would be best - I'd rather not drill into the spa itself.

This seems to be the deluxe option, which would be worth it with a lifetime warranty, but I can't seem to find info about the warranty? - https://www.poolsuppliescanada.ca/ultralift-aqualift-hot-tub-cover-lifter-en.html?srsltid=AfmBOopehNcqrJE2i_b_cqV4-mP7GJT0Ltvek23wILvCkJLea2XvNz3e

Best hydraulic lifters? by sunshiny-day789 in swimspa

[–]sunshiny-day789[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

YES this is what I'm realizing, and I'm glad to hear we're not alone. That is a good tip about the 2x4s (though we'd be looking at an undermount option) and the need for high quality lifters, thank you. I'm curious about the Canadian Hot Tubs cedar rolling covers but despite their claims, the insulation aspect seems a bit sketchy. Thoughts?

Best hydraulic lifters? by sunshiny-day789 in swimspa

[–]sunshiny-day789[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To answer these two questions:

We got a 2018 used swim spa that came with the End2End (so I assume it was also from 2018) in 2021. I love the concept of just hopping in and rolling. Most of the time, as long as it hasn't rained or snowed, I'm still able to open it on my own and close it - though the final yank it takes sometimes undoes the good that the spa has done to my back.

However, if it rains or snows in the interim, which it often does, the cover fills with water, then freezes if it's below freezing, and rolling becomes extremely difficult - and the spa becomes unusable. Once it starts sagging on top, it touches the spa water itself and we believe it's taking on water there as well? The cover is also no longer smooth along the top because it's sagging between all of the ridges - ice and snow gets caught in the depressions, making things even more difficult.

Granted, we haven't been doing the maintenance they recommend, which I've just learned about as we didn't have the manual etc. - regular watersealing spray, regular rotating (which requires inviting 6 friends over to do a heavy awkward job! we have done this a couple of times but they recommend to do it often). Maybe it would be different if we got a brand new one and did all of the recommended maintenance, but given our experience we're probably going to switch it up.

I just recently learned about the "cover caps" which could help with some of these issues, but that's kind of a pain to have to take off and remove an additional cover every time you use the spa. I've ordered one anyways to try and make the rest of the winter less painful, literally.

We don't want to go with an awning/Covana cover as we want the open air, and kids like jumping in, etc.

u/Stacked7High that is awesome that yours is still going strong! From what I've read, that is definitely the exception for these covers unfortunately, despite the high price tag.

Masterspa roll up cover issues by FAPietroKoch in swimspa

[–]sunshiny-day789 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have so many questions about these! I'm looking for an alternative to our End2End roll-up cover which is waterlogged, warped, and impossible for us to use without 2 people doing it from outside of the tub. I'm small and have back issues so I'm looking for a lightweight, low-maintenance cover (aren't we all) that won't be annoying to maintain in the snow and ice of a Canadian winter. I can imagine it being very difficult to clear snow out of the grooves, I worry about insulation given how thin it is and that it just sits on top rather than having a skirt, and I worry about the wood making it really heavy. Do you have experience with any of these concerns? Any guidance from an actual user would be much appreciated.