When you’re shopping, you may get confused on when manufacturers start talking about all of the different parts of a gazebo. They’re complicated! Luckily, we’re here to break down the main four parts – pay attention to these when considering the features of your new hardtop gazebo.

The top

The softtop or hardtop (obviously, we recommend hardtop) is what gives you shade and makes the gazebo what it is. Without a good top, one of the following will happen:

1. Too much light will get through, meaning your eyes will hurt if you’re relaxing inside (this is more common than you think, especially if you tend to relax for hours at a time)
2. No light will get through, meaning it doesn’t even feel like you’re outside – you feel like you’re just in your house. This happens primarily with softtop gazebos, because with cloth, you don’t have the option to go transparent.

The legs

Although the top is important, the base is just as important. Without a solid structure, your gazebo will be flimsy, and could even potentially fall over or break during a storm.

• Make sure you get legs that are made of aluminum or reinforced steel. You don’t want your legs to rust, even if your top is rust-resistant.
• Make sure that the legs are sturdy. You’ll have to check the existing reviews to see. If the structure isn’t sound, like we said, a storm can blow it over, or you can even knock it down yourself if you (or someone else) falls into it with force.

The enclosure (nets or doors)

Most people don’t think about the enclosure when they buy their hardtop gazebos. After all, you’re only going to be using it during the day, right?

Actually, that’s usually wrong. You’re going to want to use your gazebo at night! You can eat meals in there, or just get some protection from bugs.

So, it’s important you get either curtains or doors that can be attached to your gazebo. For doors, you will have to buy a specialized gazebo. For nets, you have more options – just make sure you like the look of the nets you buy (or receive included with your hardtop gazebo), because you’re not going to want to look at something ugly day in and day out.

The accessories

Last but not least, some gazebos will let you hand flowerpots or lights around the circumference. Usually, this feature doesn’t cost any extra money, so you should look for it if you want to decorate your gazebo.

Wasn’t that easy? Four parts isn’t a lot. Bookmark this page and come back when you’re considering making the purchase for your new hardtop gazebo!