Steel Vs. Wood Frame
| Comparison | Wood Frame | Steel Frame | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of material | 1” x 3” lumber is cheap, fast, and keeps spa production cost as low as possible. | Galvanized steel used in a spa is at least 5 times more expensive than wood and 20 times stronger than wood. | ||
| Ease of construction | Simple fast low cost construction with a nail gun. | Fairly difficult, requires special cutting equipment, welding, drilling but much stronger. | ||
| Strength & consistency | Good boards are fairly strong when fresh, not split or rotted and no knots but many warp over time. | All steel used is exactly the same, extremely strong welded and mechanical fasteners used. | ||
| Life expectancy in dry conditions | Except for bad boards wood framed spas kept totally dry will normally last 10-15 years | Galvanized steel when kept dry will outlast humans | ||
| Resistant to adverse conditions | Most wood framed spas use untreated wood for all but the base and will rot if damp / wet. | Galvanized steel will last for decades even when wet. | ||
| Weight | Dry wood is fairly light, wet wood gets really heavy. | Highest strength to weight ratio of any building material. | ||
| Warping potential | Yes and plumbing can leak due to this warping, pulling on fitting installed in the tub. | Galvanized steel will not change shape or warp all plumbing is safe and solid. | ||
| Rodents and bugs | Rodents like to chew wood, bugs like to bore and nest in and on wood. | Rodents and bugs do not like galvanized steel at all and cannot affect it at all. | ||
| Cleanliness and odors | Wood absorbs odors & moisture, especially rodent pee…. Disgusting. | Galvanized steel will not absorb anything. It can be wiped off if ever needed. | ||
| Which material is used to build skyscrapers? | Seriously? | Yes, Steel! |
Someone selling a wood framed spa will resort to saying that wood is better than steel out of pure frustration. Explaining why wood is better is impossible for them because it just isn’t true. The reality is that there are two reasons for a spa manufacturer to still be using wood to build the framework for a hot tub.
- Because it’s cheap and easy.
- Because it’s the way they’ve been doing it for years.
There are many reasons for a manufacturer to use galvanized steel to build the framework for a hot tub but all of those reasons can be summed up on one sentence.
Building with steel is more expensive and time consuming for a spa manufacturer. It’s more difficult, it takes longer, every hole needs to be drilled or punched or a special fastener needs to be used, etc. Vitaspa does this because they know that the extra time and expense is worth it. The finished product is a far superior to a wood framed spa resulting in happier customers, fewer issues, more referral business. Intelligent buyers are choosing Vitaspa.