Rain collects in the stretched areas at the corners of the cover, so the water needs to be tipped off regularly. If too much water pools on the gazebo cover, the weight can break the gazebo frame. That's how our very first gazebo was broken, within days of it's initial use. Yep, we've learned the hard way!
(The manufacturer does not sell replacement frames, so we kept that one and use it to effect repairs on our other two gazebos).
I belong to several FaceBook caravan and camping groups. There have been suggestions of using pool noodles to prevent water pooling on gazebos. It wasn't till someone posted a photo that I understood how the noodle was to be used. Hah! Nick bought a pack of three from BigW and has rigged them to counter today's rain. I'm not sure they'll stay in place all the time but they seemed to work this afternoon.
How'd this work out for you? I started using in a different way on just the one side independently trying to think what I had around. I also have a 1" wide 1/4" thick wooded stake maybe 4ft long... though just propped that up carefully in the middle. Seeing this, I think I'm going to remove and try the approach or maybe add the 1/2" copper pipe hammered and drilled out on one side to make eyes bolted to the expansion part for each corner side top of the first joint, then a 4' 1/2" PVC pipe section with couplers on each end that connect the to copper eyes, so to still have portability if the noodles don't work. Figured I'd ask to see how performing. Thanks for sharing!
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ReplyDeleteHi James - thanks for commenting. The pool noodles weren't as successful as we wanted (given the gazebo was being used as a permanent shelter at the time). We went on to replace them with loops of fibre-optic cable. From memory they were far more effective and we continued with them till we started using a cabin tent instead of the gazebo. I've commented above with the link to the fibre-optic loop post.
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