When Should I Take My Gazebo Down?

Gazebos are quite an essential form of backyard structure when it comes to enjoying the sunny warm days of the year. But these days don’t last forever. Because most gazebos aren’t suitable to be used in the extremely harsh weather of winter and can be even damaged by heavy rain-wind of the monsoon. To deal with these and keep your gazebo last longer, you may need to take your gazebo down occasionally. For that, you must have prior knowledge of when you should take your gazebo down. Without these prior anticipations of weather and time of the year, your loving gazebo may not exceed even a season in your backyard.

This time of putting your gazebo down is mostly dependent on severe weather patterns.  High wind, rain, snow, and even sunlight can negatively impact the gazebo. In this article, we will dig deep on when should you take your gazebo down throughout the year. In relation to that, how to take your gazebo down and if you can keep your gazebo up year long.

Key Takeaways

• Your gazebo may need to be taken down due to weather abnormality and storing the gazebo.
• Every location has its ‘time of the year’ when the weather is non-favorable for gazebo hoisting.
• After monitoring any damage, the gazebo should be immediately taken down for repair.
• Hard-top gazebos should be retouched and covered before leaving in the winter weather.

4 Times You Should Take Your Gazebo Down

Most soft top gazebos have the option to take down them whenever you need them. The reasons and times for taking your gazebo down mostly rely on the unfavorable weather elements. In addition, there can be some other circumstances that can lead to consider bringing your gazebo down. We have compiled all the possible times in below:

1. Predicted Bad Weather

The first and foremost right time for bringing down your gazebo is when you sense the upcoming weather’s bad pattern. As mentioned earlier, it is the weather that causes the most harm to a gazebo. Bad weather also makes the outdoor environment non-favorable for having any layover in your backyard. And in the era of digitalized weather info sourcing, constant weather prediction isn’t that hard to get. You can get tomorrow’s or even next week’s weather prediction in the wallpaper of your smartphone. So, as soon as you find out, there might be some unfavorable weather in the coming days, you should consider taking down your gazebo.

2. Winter Months

In most cases, a temporary gazebo or pop-up gazebo is used for certain times of the year only, where the winter months are particularly harsh on the structure. It is because, in the States, the weather isn’t the same all year round. It is cold-freezing most of the time and your backyard is 2 feet under the snow, nowhere close to having the environment to enjoy the outdoors. Gazebo is for that time of the year when it is sunny out there and you are thinking of having a fun summer day. As the summer ends, you wouldn’t want to leave your gazebo under upcoming harsh weather. So monitor your calendar closely when the ‘time of the year’ is approaching and you should take down or process your temporary gazebo for better durability.

3. Gazebo Is Damaged

Just like everything around us, a gazebo too can get damaged in frequent use. They are made using expendable materials that are durable, easy to use but damage prone at the same time. Gazebos made using canvas fabric, light aluminum, and steel frames are more fragile than gazebos that are made of concrete, wood, steel roofs, and so on. Doesn’t matter which type of gazebo you use, once you find out the defect or damage such as rust in the frame, or wear-tear-crack in the surface, that gazebo should be put down immediately. This will help to prevent any further damage to the gazebo and ensure repair maintenance for reuse.

4. Not Using Frequently

It is not mandatory to use your gazebo every day. You might get busy on the way and absent in the backyard. If you are forecasting that your gazebo might left idle for some days, why not put it down when in no use? This will ensure two things: i) Relieve your gazebo from withstanding harsh weather elements unnecessarily. ii) Ensuring your gazebo is being monitored even when it is not in use. If you are not able to use your gazebo for a short duration, then it might not need to be stored heavily. But if you are thinking of relocating or moving out for a decent time, it is better to put your gazebo down properly and store it in the same manner.

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How to Take Down A Gazebo?

Taking down a gazebo requires executing different tactics for different gazebos. Alongside the type, size, building material, etc. you need to consider the purpose of taking it down. If not planned well, taking down your gazebo can convert into ‘dismantling’ it, which is highly unwanted in most cases. For better proficiency in taking down any gazebo, you can follow the steps mentioned below:

• Preparing The Gazebo: It is important to prepare your gazebo for beginning its takedown process. In the process, release all the weights, straps, and attachments of the gazebo structure. Additional weights and stakes are used to keep the gazebo steady against winds. Remove all the additional detachable modifications to make the gazebo as light as possible.
• Loosen The Integrity: Next, start to lose all the structural joints between the columns, beams, and roof. Remember to detach any electrical wirings and elements in the process.
• Remove The Canopy: No matter which type of gazebo you have, it is better to start removing the canopy or roofing in the first place. For soft-top gazebos, simply remove the fabric canopy. For hard-top ones, with detachable pillars, remove the roofing plates one by one and after that, unscrew and remove the roofing structure in pieces.
• Disconnect The Poles: After removing the canopy, detach the joints between the poles and rood beams. There should be a similar number of beams and pole columns. Unscrew the nuts-bolts as per the user manual provided and keep them separately to be able to find them easily while reinstalling.
• Collapse The Gazebo: Next, you will find only the pillars standing on the gazebo structure. They could either be attached to the surface by permanent concrete basing or attached using thick nuts and bolts. If they are detachable without demolishing the base, use electric or high-efficiency drivers to untighten them and collapse the pillars one by one. You should avail assistance from others to bring down the pillars safely.

There can be many exceptions to this process depending on the design of the gazebo. Lighter soft top gazebos have compact designs to assemble and install them easily. Whereas, most hard-top gazebos have a more permanent design, not possible to take them down other than dismantling them.

Is It Fine to Keep Your Gazebo Up All Year?

As mentioned earlier, most gazebos, especially the soft top ones are not suitable to be used throughout the year. Because they are made of lightweight and compact material for better portability. They can provide users with quick and short-term solutions to prepare the backyard for any occasion. But prone to damage from weather elements such as wind, rust, snow, etc. On the other hand, most hard-top gazebos sit like a permanent structure in your backyard or garden. They are made of hardwood, steel, concrete, and other heavy composite materials. They are well-built and designed to withstand most harsh weather. And as this type of gazebos can’t be disassembled and reinstalled over again, they stand in your backyard throughout the year.

Also, note that the logic mentioned above may not comply with in every case. Newer designs are coming in every day, providing better durable, weather-resistant, and detachable designs for user convenience. But if your gazebo is detachable then it is always wiser to store them away when the weather is harsh out there.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Gazebos are an extended part of the backyard oasis. However, depending on the geographical location and weather pattern, you might not be able to use your gazebo throughout the year. Also, some other factors can lead to keeping your gazebo down for a while. These factors are mostly weather-oriented but can also include preventing the gazebo from getting damaged or spreading existing damage further. At the same time, it is always better to store your gazebo while not in use. To conclude, for better durability of your gazebo, you should take your gazebo down in all the adverse weather and physical circumstances mentioned above.

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