Will a gazebo like this rip apart?

[Seth1968]

http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/CanadianTire/0881336_1?$medium$&defaultImage=image_na_EN

I'm thinking of bolting one of these down to my deck, but with Southern Alberta wind, I may not have it for long.

Anyone else have one?

[Mibz]

Had one very similar. Caused nothing but fear. Loc-tited all bolts so they didn't back out, but that didn't help a whole lot. Despite the big vent at the top the whole thing still swayed and damaged itself.

The bolts holding the feet to the legs start shearing through the metal and the square metal frame at the top was dented everywhere there was a bolt.

We always tied the vertical drapes to the poles, I'm not sure if that makes a huge difference.

I'm pretty sure it's still standing, but I would never own one again. Every wind storm we had I'd be at the window making sure it wasn't going anywhere.

[Grogador]

We have one, the top if fabric right? Hard to tell from pic. It's not bolted down, just bungee corded to the house/fence at the top corners. Works fine, swings and sways but survived yesterday. It's not out in the open, kinda against the house, probably helps.

[bwling]

I have one like this and it has been okay. Mine is not bolted down to the deck and even in the worst wind storms it has only moved 2-3 inches at most. We don't use the curtains though, so that might make a difference.

One thing to be aware of though is if this gazebo has the clear lexan roof (I can't tell from the picture), it doesn't hold up to the hail. Mine is riddled with holes.

[Seth1968]

Sorry for the bad picture, but yes, the one I was looking at does have a fabric roof.

[JfuckinC]

my dad has one on his deck, it has lost a panel or two in the wind and gotta a little bit out of shape. but otherwise holds up well. And he has a west facing backyard in chestermere with a farmers field behind him, so it get's hit directly by some fairly good winds haha..

[Grogador]

No side curtains on mine, probably a big difference

[JfuckinC]

Originally posted by Seth1968
Sorry for the bad picture, but yes, the one I was looking at does have a fabric roof.


Don't do it. the fabric roof ones do NOT hold up to our wind, that's why my dad has a nice plastic one now :rofl:

[Seth1968]

Thanks for the replies so far.

I'm now leaning toward just building one myself with 4x4 supports and a vented plywood roof.

[Mibz]

How do you guys get away with not bolting yours down? We had ours weighted temporarily until I got the proper sized washers. Sure enough, some wind hit and it was upside down against the fence instantly. Maybe my backyard at that house just got crazy winds.

[chibwack]

I'm just going to throw this out there, on my parents farm @ brooks (not quite lethbridge, but still windy as hell) we've had *everything* blow away, so if you're going to build a gazebo don't half ass it, go heavy and reinforce the shit out of it. But of course, thats in open country prairie alberta. Its a lot less windy here in the city.

[bwling]

Originally posted by Mibz
How do you guys get away with not bolting yours down? We had ours weighted temporarily until I got the proper sized washers. Sure enough, some wind hit and it was upside down against the fence instantly. Maybe my backyard at that house just got crazy winds.

Ours is against the house with the south and west sides exposed. The north and east sides of the gazebo are completely sheltered by the house and as mentioned before, no curtains and the lexan roof is vented (even more so now that there are holes in it from the hail...haha) so that probably helps.

[phreezee]

I've lost a gazebo to wind myself.


http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/city...2_metric_e.html

Wind warning in effect.

Today
Showers with risk of a thunderstorm. Wind west 70 km/h gusting to 90. Temperature falling to 10 this afternoon.

Tonight
A few showers ending this evening then clearing. Risk of a thunderstorm early this evening. Wind west 70 km/h gusting to 90 diminishing to 30 gusting to 50 this evening. Low plus 5.

[Mar]

I have that, multiple times I've found it a few houses down on its roof with the legs bent into a pretzel and the bolts ripped from their brackets. My neighbour even bought me new pegs to make sure it didn't happen again and I tied it down to a metal chair on one end. Even then I'm watching it try to lift off in the wind, the last 2 days have been interesting.

In summary, I wouldn't buy another one, I'd get one of these:

http://i00.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/548993748/MSpa_Inflatable_Portable_Spa_Hot_Tub_Accessory.jpg

The bottom gets filled with sand and you can tilt it in any position.

[Seth1968]

Originally posted by Mar
I have that, multiple times I've found it a few houses down on its roof with the legs bent into a pretzel and the bolts ripped from their brackets. My neighbour even bought me new pegs to make sure it didn't happen again and I tied it down to a metal chair on one end. Even then I'm watching it try to lift off in the wind, the last 2 days have been interesting.

It's still lifting eh? Are you sure the metal chair isn't made out of light aluminum?


...and sand or lead, that pic is a Mary Poppins just waiting to happen.

[Mar]

Originally posted by Seth1968


It's still lifting eh? Are you sure the metal chair isn't made out of light aluminum? It's lifting but it's not going anywhere, it's tied down to one of those swing chairs with the canopy on top. Though that blew over and destroyed the canopy so now it's just a swing.


Originally posted by Seth1968

...and sand or lead, that pic is a Mary Poppins just waiting to happen. That exact one doesn't actually get filled with anything but Zellers / Sears / Wal-Mart all have ones with large bases you can fill with sand / water. And then put it away when it's windy or not being used.

[Seth1968]

Wow, sorry Mar.

I honestly thought the chair thing was sarcasm.