Large Purchase little support!

[hottubber]

drober,

Aren't there any spa dealers that have gazebos on display? There must be somewhere that you can inspect the quality of the manufacturer.
I have absolutely no confidence in any of the Cal products. Take a close look at the Gazebo Works Too products, they seem to make a quality, sturdy gazebo.
Do not buy from a brochure,...see it, feel it, touch it. If you like it, BUY IT...

[drober30]

How does Redwood hold up?  

I have seen a couple of gazebos but all made of redwood.

How well does this stuff weather in the snow and sun?

[hottubber]

drober,

Redwood is beautiful. The only problem with it is that is gets dark after a couple of years. It is wood, so there is maintanence on it. And it is definately less expensive than synthetic.
Tough call, Resin or Maintenence

Good Luck in your search.

[Chas]

How does Redwood hold up?  

I have seen a couple of gazebos but all made of redwood.

I have sold many redwood gazebos. Without regular maint they fall apart.

My customers tend to find that oiling them on the sun side twice a year and overall once a year is a must to keep them looking good and holding together.

Redwood is only bug-resistant and rot-resistant until it dries out. That can be just a few years if you don't keep it oiled.

Also, it is a soft wood - closely related to pine.

[drober30]

I just came back from a home show. Not much in the way of Gazebos but there was a person selling spas that also built custom spa enclosures.

It was made out of cedar and was fairly nice
(very expensive). The roof was fiberglass but the skylights looked like they were hacked into place. He could choose a much better way to do them.

I told this guy I was looking at the Cal Spa Cal select gazebos. He stated that a synthetic material like that would smell like plastic and he said like a little tyke’s playhouse in the summer it would heat up beyond comfort?

[Mendocino101]

I have never heard that..( the smell of the plastic)...but I will say that the Cedar is a nice choice if you go with wood...and there are some great choices out there....

[im45us]

One problem with plastic is in cold weather is it might crack if banged or hit . Not much of a problem with wood but try to match a plastic gazebo piece 5 or 10 years from now. Might not be so easy.

[Brewman]

What about the composite skirts that are so common on spas now?  Will those crack if accidentally bumped in cold weather?  
Brewman

[drober30]

What about the composite skirts that are so common on spas now?  Will those crack if accidentally bumped in cold weather?  
Brewman

The Cal Spa "Cal Select" gazebo I'm interseted in is made out of the same material as their tub skirting.

This gazebo thing has been way more work than the tub itself.  I really dont want to deal with any type of wood.

I will contiue to try and get my questions answered from the factory and then make a decision.

If I do go with a Cal Select gazebo I promise a lengthy review of the good/bad.

I take it there are no Cal Spa dealers on this board that can help out?

[East_TX_Spa]

Check out a company called Sequoia Works (sequoiaworks.com).  They have some very nice synthetic gazebos and are very responsive to inquiries.  We have sold their products for many years.

CEO

[drober30]

Sequoia Works looks nice but I would like a larger size than they offer. I'm after a 12x16

I think soaking in the tub inside the gazebo when it raining out will be great!

Can anybody tell me if a metal roof on a gazebo is loud when it rains?

[Vinny]

All metal roofs would be loud unless their insulated. I remember the first time I heard an aluminum roof in a rainstorm - it was deafening!

[drober30]

All metal roofs would be loud unless their insulated. I remember the first time I heard an aluminum roof in a rainstorm - it was deafening!

Vinny,

I have heard a buildings(My Work) metal roof in the rain and that was what made me think of the question.

Do you mean that some metal gazebo roofs are insulated? Is that something I should be checking into?

When you refer to the aluminum roof was that on a gazebo?

[Vinny]

drober,

I've never been in a gazebo, but have been screen rooms with aluminum roofs. I am also going to enclose a portion of my deck with a screen room and asked around about metal roofs.

The answer that I got is if a roof isn't insulated with something - it will make noise. It makes sense, when I go out into my garage and its raining I hear the rain on the roof. A metal roof tends to make more noise than a wood and asphalt shingle roof. I am planning to use an aluminum skinned roof with polystyrene insulation in it.

Sorry, I really don't know anything about gazebos except they're very nice looking and wish I could get one!

Vinny

[Chas]

The gazebos I have sold with metal roofs simply had a layer of plywood (rough-sawn, stained to match) on the inside, directly under the metal roofing material. It took care of the noise, and allowed you to step (very carefully) on the roof if needed for cleaning or maint.

This company also offers a line of non-wood models custom made to fit HotSpring and others.

http://www.sequoiaworks.com