Buyers and Sellers Blog

i am looking at the moment & want to know or hear who thinks plastic is better than wood around a hot tub

It depends what you mean by wood. American redwood soon loses its showroom look and becomes quite dark and ugly within one year of our UK climate. Cedar is better but again, you have to keep treating it constantly with cedar oil to maintain its look. As with all wood, it will eventually rot. A good quality polymer cabinet is a better longterm choice as there is no maintenance needed and the tub will look its showroom condition for many years to come. However, not all polymer cabinets are the same, so take time to do your research.

This is what Cedar wood panels quickly look like! Along with a rubbish quality lid.

All on a British product I am afraid.

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It really does depend on the manufacturer and the quality of the materials used. It also comes down to personal choice. If you are buying from a well recognised North American maker like Sundance,Arctic, D1,Hotsprings,Marquis etc then wood or plastic should be fine as long as you look after the tub.
If you go for cedar it will need to be treated once a year to keep its showroom look. This is not difficult and takes about half an hour.
Plastic panels are zero maintenance but they can fade in colour and can also bow or bend.

You have to agree with the Spa Doctor here. Wood looks great when its new. But looking at your pictures, the problem is it has been dropped into decking. Access all round is a must. It was never going to get the treatment it needed and all the splashover was going to end up down the gap.
If your putting a spa down into decking, buy a tub with plastic / comosite sides, and as an extra precaution check its got a plactic / composite or similar frame and base, composite decking is a great addition also.

Avoid at all cost these Chinese lacquered / varnished tubs, they are for indoors and the wet conditions will destroy them
Regards Alan Wrekin Leisure Ltd

Good advice mate from your posts it looks like you are a family buisness that people are mad not to always buy spas from. The best advice is always shop round and buy local with spas as you know where the people sold it to you live if you have a problem.

If you buy off the internet you are snookered I get call outs for rubbish chinese stuff that needs to be condemed people have bought junk that costs them money to get rid of !

The vanished cabinets on chinese stuff just peels and rot it looks terrible they are a joke but sold as chinese cedar what ever that is it just cheap untreated pine never meant for outdoors

Has any one been caught out with the rubbish filters being sold on the net all from take away land there are being sold with american codes but are useless copies spas stuff will soon be sold by the dvd pirates aka fonejacker

It was never traveling to get the analysis it bare and all the splashover was traveling to end up down the gap.



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I tend to agree the quality of the plastic wood on the quality manufacturers is good you could also look at Phoenix Spas and Dynasty Spas which are both also in the UK and USA made.

Do not buy China made tubs they have very poor quality plastic wood cabinets.

You have been warned and that's if you get it.