Need some ideas with my idea!?
Question:I purchased an outdoor gazebo with a canvas top. It sits near some trees, and a couple days ago in a thunderstorm a small limb pierced a hole in canvas. I know I can patch it but it's off white and has weather stains on it. I had an idea to recover the frame with something other than canvas, maybe a permanent roof, but can't come up with any ideas on what kind of material to use. Don't have much frame to attach anything to so may have to add to existing frame. Any of you got any ideas on what I can use that won't cost more than the gazebo cost? It's my santuary for reading and me time so do appreciate any ideas! Thanks!!
Answers:
Before you get too carried away with alternate materials, remember that the frame structure was designed to support the canvas and adding heavier material may jeopardize the stability of the gazebo. If you simply want to make it look more attractive and add a bit of waterproofing, you take the canopy down and paint it with acrylic latex paints, either a solid color or you could make designs by laying out tape (for stripes or geometrics) or make a stencil pattern. If you want to conceal the patch, glue on the patch in a leaf or floral shape and add some more to make it look like part of the design.
Or, get creative and do a free hand design of vines or stars or clouds or birds flying overhead. I've also seen folks who use these canopies for selling booths at arts fairs make "slipcovers" of sorts for them by using a nice color printed king sized flat bedsheet -- they reinforce a hole in the middle for the center pole (if there is one) and sew ribbon tapes to the corners and tie them around the posts. By sewing more ribbons along the sides, you could also tie on smaller flat sheets to create roll-up side walls for privacy and more weather protection.
I would see if you could find some rubberized material. It should come in different colors and would be strong enough to stand up to small limbs
try trimming your trees it might be cheaper in the long run . the next time might be a bigger branch
The next time you drive by a house that has one of those original great big dishes, ask them if you can have it. Get rid of the gazebo, modify the dish so you can set it up like a big umbrella, and enjoy.
However, if you still want to keep the gazebo, underlay the canvas with the new plastic trellis. That will add some body to the flimsey roof.
Or, you can remove the canvas and replace it with solid or perforated vinyl soffit material. Buy the one that is 10" wide, ie 5-5. It costs about $60.00 per 100 square feet. ( 10' x 10') Drill holes at the support members and tie it down with plastic wire ties, the ones you make a loop and pull tight.
Also, you can use a combination of the trellis with the soffit material on top.
i would use a dark colored bisquine the type of material used to cover some greenhouses, it is very strong, inexpensive, waterproof, weathers very well, and will fit very well with your set up.
it should be easy to weave into the framing with a small diameter twine of some kind and should pull tightly with little effort. try this i think it might work for you.
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