Excitingspas

All wooden cabinets require maintenance. Some are destine to failure from the start. The manufacturers of some spas cut costs of production by using pine cabinets. These cabinets are prone to quickly deteriorating when exposed to the elements. Fortunately this practice is nearly dead in the industry now, but there are still a few "cheap" cabinets out there so be careful.

Another place where costs are often cut is the framing underneath the cabinet. Look for glued and fastened (screws / staples) cabinetry, and look for pressure treated lumber of another water proof substance wherever the cabinet may be exposed to water or wick water up from the earth/foundation.

Cedar cabinets are very popular, and with routine maintenance can be kept looking quite nice.

Redwood cabinets are also very popular, and require less maintenance generally than cedar, but still need attention on a regular basis.

Mahogany cabinets are used by a rare few manufacturers that I know of, and with lots of attention are in my opinion some of the prettiest. But like the others, without attention can deteriorate to a point of "unsalvageability" rather quickly. As a rule they are more labor intensive when treating, when compared to redwood or cedar, due to their propensity toward fading and need of extensive sanding prior to stain application. Also I have found mahogany to be more prone to warping than redwood or cedar.

When treating cedar or redwood cabinets it is best to use an oil based semi-transparent stain, and if the wood has darkened to first use a "deck wash" to remove the tannins that have caused the darkness. A little light sanding is also a good idea prior to the application of the stain.

SPAR varnish is another alternative, I have used it on outdoor mahogany furniture now for a couple of years with very good results, but even with SPAR varnish annual maintenance has been necessary and sanding and staining happens every 2 to 3 years.

A little light sanding and re-coating annually is a good idea with the SPAR product. The one I am using is a Minwax brand.

Oak cabinets are out there, but be warned that they require a lot of maintenance to the top edge and any other surface that can have spa water slashed on it (which is most of it). Also note, this type of cabinet is very expensive $1000-$2000 extra average, and should only be used in an indoor application.