Tub colors and textures?

[bud16415]

Just a general question on tub color and finish. When we started tub shopping 2 years ago we were drawn to the lightest of colors, white, pearl, silver etc. and the smoothest finishes the non-textured acrylic finish. We ended up with a Caldera Geneva and it is pearl I think or could be artic white. I get them mixed up. We love the night light show in the tub and the LED lights and being able to change color is nice. Reflecting off the white surface the whole tub glows in color. With the lights off during the day it is so easy to see the slightest change in the clarity of the water as well. About once a week when we get in we take a couple micro fiber cloths in and before getting out wipe the inside off. The smooth surface will just glide and if there is any build up it is easy to feel and comes right off. Doing that after a year it still looks like a showroom tub.

We have a friend that has a darker tub with swirls in the color and a texture to the inside surface. I’m sure he keeps it super clean but it is hard to tell and his lighting is older and more basic but seems to light up the tub that much.

I know it is personal tastes for the most part wanting the browns, dark blues and blacks with or without swirls. Are there other reasons you like the darker shades and or texture? As many of you are dealers do you sell the same number of each? Do you advise people at all to colors? I wonder if I had a darker tub if I wouldn’t be as on my toes about keeping it wiped down?     
 

[Skysurfer2010]

I chose a dark color because I will use it most often at night. When I turn on the LEDs I didn't want the whole tub lit up like Vegas. I just want ambiant lighting. Plus I figured if a scum line forms it will be less noticible with a dark color.

[TheSunshyn]

The important thing to me is texture. The smooth ones always seem so slippery.

My Tahitian is a darker blue shell with texture, and we painted the walls of the room with a blue and gray combination. The blue does seem to be picking up a lot of white above the water line (calcium?) just in recent years.

I ordered the lighter desert (tan) color this time. I first decided on this shell because it is the only textured one offered for this model right now, and it shouldn't show the white so much. I'm very happy with the room color scheme we're putting together around the spa. The room majorly needs remodeling after over 15 years of holding a 7' spa in a long, 8' wide room. Its been almost impossible to do any touch-ups around the windows and such.

[Hottubguy]

As a dealer I try to stay out of the color choosing. As a spa owner I went with a opal shell color (whitish) with a grey cabinet. That's what matched my backyard the best. Tuscan sun is by far my number one seller.

[bud16415]

Thanks for the input. It is interesting how different tastes run and they clearly sell many of all types so I would say there is no right or wrong selection to these decisions when selecting a tub. I remember getting in our tub at the dealers and it was dry on the showroom floor and thinking it felt awkward and uncomfortable compared to some other brands. For instance the lounger was a struggle to get into and when in it felt like it was bending me double, the other deep seat felt similar. The lady helping us advised don’t go by that as when the tub is full those angles work with the jets and help keep you in the seat and you will be suspended in the water and the feeling will be much different. She said just try the seats to get a feel for length etc. She was right. Now every time I get in the lounger I feel like I’m in outer space and weightless and just float in.

99% of our hot tubbing is “au naturel” and I wonder if that factors into the liking we have for the slick smooth surfaces as well.

Wet testing as it has been said many times is very important and when you test tubs make note of what textures you like and colors as well. Our showroom had a couple tub in a darken area that simulated night pretty well and we played with the lighting. The tub we got has 3 brightness levels and the Vegas look is the brightest. With a white tub on the lowest setting it is very tranquil though.     

[wmccall]

I chose a dark color because I will use it most often at night. When I turn on the LEDs I didn't want the whole tub lit up like Vegas. I just want ambiant lighting. Plus I figured if a scum line forms it will be less noticible with a dark color.

[/b][/u]

Very true.  I've had one textured tub and one smooth. With the smooth I notice the PH drop a little faster as the seats get a gritty feel, but look clean. When that happens my PH is really low. I never noticed it in my textured tub.

[bud16415]

 What I have found about scum lines or calcium build up with the smooth surface is you notice it immediately as the seating areas not used as much feel sticky. I can tell as soon as I get in the tub if any build up is there, just running my hand over the surfaces. The thing is we grab the micro fiber and it takes about 2 minutes for the two of us to polish it off. If it isn’t noticed and left to build up it becomes a much tougher job or even imposable to bring back the luster. I did look at some lightly used tubs before we bought and they were very clean and maintained but didn’t have that slick smooth look and feel.

I haven’t noticed a PH change after wiping out the tub, but when I do I have found the sanitizer gets used a little faster and I add about a quarter of a tablespoon more than normal when we get out and run the clean cycle.     

[The Wizard of Spas]

Only 2 major shell suppliers on the market so you're not going to see much variation.  Just a heads-up...

[bud16415]

Only 2 major shell suppliers on the market so you're not going to see much variation.  Just a heads-up...

I’m assuming Watkins is one of them who is the other?

If a tub has a texture finish I assume the texture must be in the mold they draw the acrylic sheet into with the vacuum. If a tub has a swirl coloring is the swirl on the inside of the acrylic sheet when it is formed or painted on later before the fiberglass?

Some of the cheaper tubs look to be molded directly without the layer of acrylic. Are any tubs still made with guys the resin rich fiberglass?

[The Wizard of Spas]

Aristec and Lucite are the two main suppliers to hot tub manufacturers, such as Watkins. 

I have brands that carry both and I cannot tell the difference as they both have the same quality for mid-range and high-end tubs, which most brands make their shell warranty lifetime anyways.

Colors are almost identical, though they may have one or two colors the other guy doesn't.

The current buying atmosphere promotes the slick finish vs the textured so you're not going to find a large selection of the latter. 

Your tub will be covered 98% of the time of its life.  You'll likely use it in the evening and you're likely going to have the LED lighting going.  Don't overthink it.  Go for what looks the best to you aesthetically and leave it at that.

[JaxSAH]

I prefer a textured shell so I do not slip quite so easily when getting in our out.  I also prefer a lighter color as I use the hot tub at night with no lights on.  The lighter color is easier to see the bottom when I get in.

[bud16415]

Our tub is smooth except the bottom. It isn’t textured but a pebble finish.

I agree getting in and out is an important point to think about. we were restricted to where the stairs had to go and the direction we wanted the cover lifter to open. I didn’t want screw the lifter into the panel that covers the equipment. I also didn’t want to step down on to a seat that was irregular or one that would normally have a person in it. The logical seat to enter on is the flat high cool down seat. Another concern was I didn’t want the cover to block the control panel or the location place the control panel up against a wall or railing. After I worked thru all that with each tub I thought about what the view would be from the main seats. We happily lucked out on all accounts.

We have friends that the way it worked out they enter at the lounger. What a pain that is and to get out someone has to move and it is a smaller tub so there is no place to move to with 4 in the tub. Etc. etc. 

Safety getting in and out is for sure important.

[richierich]

The textured finish is less likely to get or show scratches.

[mpkelley20]

It's nice you all get to choose like this.  Only way I got my hot tub was agreeing to the color my wife liked.  That happened to be Tuscan Sun which reminds me of a hot tub out of the 70's!  But it has grown on me!

 

[bud16415]

It's nice you all get to choose like this.  Only way I got my hot tub was agreeing to the color my wife liked.  That happened to be Tuscan Sun which reminds me of a hot tub out of the 70's!  But it has grown on me!

 

Haha well when you think about it most of the time I’m in it I have my eyes closed. Here is where we differed and liked the same. We both liked white or pearl best we both liked smooth slick finish and we both wanted a recliner seat. I found a tub I liked with two recliner seats for about 6k and thought it was great she found one for 12k with one recliner seat she wanted. You know what one we bought and you know who gets the recliner seat. Other than I never get the recliner unless she is not in the tub I still am glad I let her pick because there are a whole lot of things you don’t think about when you buy a tub and all the plusses went to the better tub.