A hot tub cover looks like the least important thing in the yard after a hailstorm, which is why it gets missed. It sits low, it is often shaded by a patio umbrella or a tarp, and the vinyl top rebounds from a small hit so the surface can look fine. St. Louis hail season runs through spring and into early summer, and storms still come through in the fall, so a cover that has not been checked since the last front deserves a look before the first hard freeze.
What hail does to a cover
Most hot tub covers are a foam core wrapped in vinyl, with a frame or cabinet underneath and a set of latches or straps holding the lid to the shell. Hail can do four kinds of damage. It can dent the foam core so the top looks uneven when the cover sits on the tub. It can split the vinyl at a seam or at a corner, usually where a handle or latch takes the load. It can crack the cover frame or the lift arms if you have a cover lifter. And it can tear the edge gasket that seals the lid against the shell, which lets warm air out and cold air in.
The split is the one that matters most in winter. Once water gets into the foam through an opening, the foam holds it. When the temperature drops below freezing and rises again, the wet foam loses its insulation, and the heater works harder to keep the water warm. A cover that looks like it has only a scuff can be carrying a wet core that you cannot see from above. On a cold morning, a cover that feels heavy when you lift one end is a clue.
Storm and hail: what to photograph first
Start on a dry day, with the cover off the tub if you can manage it safely. Photograph the top face in good daylight, then again with a low sun angle from one side, which shows dents that disappear at midday. Put a ruler or a tape measure next to any dent so the size is in the picture. Photograph each corner, each handle, each latch and strap, and the full length of the seam on all four sides.
Then photograph the underside. Look for water staining on the foam, soft spots when you press with a flat hand, and any split where the vinyl has parted from the core. If you find a split, photograph it open and closed. Next, check the gasket around the lid edge. A gasket that is torn or pulled away from the shell is a repair even if the top looks sound.
Do not forget the shell. Hail can dent the acrylic or plastic shell of the tub below the cover line, and it can crack the skirt panels that hide the equipment. Photograph the shell wall and the skirt separately from the cover, and label each set of photos with the date and the side of the tub they show. If a storm hits while you are away, the file you have is the record of what the storm did.
Why winter makes this a deadline
A cover that is only dented can often run another season. A cover with a split core or a broken gasket cannot hold its heat through a St. Louis January, when the air can drop into the single digits for a few days and then warm above freezing with a rain. Each freeze thaw cycle works on the wet foam and the seams. The longer a split stays open, the more water it takes in and the less useful the cover becomes.
Check the cover before the first hard freeze, not after the first cold snap. If you wait until you are scraping ice off the lid, the cover has already taken on water. The same goes for the lid latches. A latch that has been bent by hail may not seal the cover, and a cover that does not seal can lift in wind, which is a second kind of storm damage.
What it costs
The cost of a hot tub cover depends on the tub size, the cover style, and whether the cover includes a lift. A replacement cover is usually priced by the dimensions and the model of the tub, and a cover lifter is a separate item. Gasket kits and latch sets are small parts, but their price and wait time can change depending on whether the supplier carries the part for your model or has to order it. Ask for a written price with the cover size, the model number of the tub, and whether the lift is included.
Repair and replacement are not the same decision. A patched cover can hold heat if the split is short and the core is dry, but a patch on a wet core will fail in the next cold stretch. If the foam is wet through, the repair is replacement. A cover that has been dented but is sound underneath may only need a new lid gasket and a set of latches. Ask the person who looks at it which of those applies, and why.
Keep the receipt for any repair along with the photo file. Those two papers show what was done and when, which matters if you sell the house or contact the tub maker about a part later.
What to ask
- Does the lid still sit flat and seal after hail, or does it ride high on one side?
- Is the core dry all the way through, or only on the surface?
- Is the gasket torn, and can it be replaced without replacing the whole cover?
- Is the cover lift or frame cracked, and is that part available for my model?
- Does the written warranty for the tub mention hail or storm damage, and what does it say?
- What is the price with the cover size and model number on the quote, and is the lift included?
- If the cover has to be replaced, how long will the part take to arrive before the first freeze?
Ask the service tech to show you each photo on the screen before you leave the yard. A good record is one you can read without the technician there.
What a roofer can and cannot do here
A hot tub cover is not a roof item, and a roofing crew will not repair it. If hail also hit your roof, the storm file for the roof is a separate set of photos with its own measurements. Keys Roofing documents roof damage, gives the homeowner a written scope with photos and measurements, and can attend as the contractor while the homeowner deals with their own insurer. Missouri law under RSMo 407.725 forbids a roofing contractor from representing or negotiating a homeowner's insurance claim, and it also forbids a contractor from saying anything about paying, waiving or covering a deductible. For questions about the roof, the office number is (314) 220-2333.
Keep the hot tub file apart from the roof file. Put each one in its own folder with a date on the first page, so that whoever reads it later can see what was checked and when.