Your backyard is an extension of your home. Your garden reflects your creative green thumb. So, when you think about enjoying your hard-earned outdoor design, you’ll probably need somewhere to sit. Somewhere like a gazebo.

When you first Google “gazebo,” you’ll find that there are plenty of options to choose from. One store even has them for less than $200. It’s usually canvas, self-set-up and even transportable.

It also ends up with faded colors from sun exposure, holes from strong-winded hurricanes or collapsed because the metal poles aren’t strong enough to stand up to a few summer storms. Which is why wooden gazebos can be the way to go – they last a long time, they look great and you don’t have to worry about replacing it in five years. If you’re on the market for a gazebo, here are 3 reasons why wooden gazebos are the way to go.

1. Wooden Gazebos Provide a Place to Host Events

If you put a gazebo in your yard, it provides a backdrop to plenty of events. Baptisms, weddings, Christmas photos, the Fourth of July, a place to listen to the baseball game on the radio or even a setting for Mother’s Day brunch. Wooden gazebos create more of an outdoor living room and less of a canvas tent.

 

2. It Won’t Fall Victim to Weather or Insects

With a canvas gazebo supported by metal poles, you face potential problems like rusting from wet weather, and holes in the canvas from erosion caused by the outdoor elements or being chewed through by insects.

Wooden gazebos can be stained and finished to withstand harsh weather and damaging insects. Another highly-durable material option would be vinyl gazebos, which require little maintenance other than an occasional cleaning. Both types are usually topped with long-lasting – we’re talking 30 years – shingles that also require little to no maintenance.

3. It Won’t Blow Away

The U.S. cities with top wind speeds can be found in Texas, Massachusetts, Wyoming and Colorado. They’re pretty spread out, which means that gusty winds are a problem, at some point, everywhere and more so in specific areas depending on topography and weather. A canvas gazebo could blow away, while a wooden or vinyl gazebo can weigh thousands of pounds, which would require record-breaking winds to blow it away. Plus, with add-ons like a Hurricane Package, wooden gazebos or vinyl gazebos can withstand wind speeds of up to 140 miles per hour.

Wooden gazebo with the Hurricane Package

 

And one more reason: wooden gazebos and vinyl gazebos can be customized. Check out the huge variety in this gallery, which includes different sizes, shapes, materials, roofs, cupolas, screening options and more.