The Drawbacks of Gazebos?
With the advancement of technologies and availability of materials, gazebos are no longer just for the elite or families with estates. Today, anyone with a big enough backyard or garden can have the freedom to get a gazebo and add value to their property. However, getting a gazebo for you home has its drawbacks. Listed below are some of the disadvantages of getting a gazebo:
Gazebos are not that cheap
Today, gazebos are more affordable than they were before, but they are not that cheap either. The price of your standard eight-square foot octagonal gazebo made of timber ridge can start from $2,000 to $2,500. This is only the structure and the basic roofing. If you want to add more features to it, you have to pay for the additional costs of materials and labor. You can pay as much as a few hundred to thousands of dollars for the additional cost.
You still have to get an eight-square foot gazebo made of wood stained or sealed, and this can cost you an additional $90 to $100. If you want to add screens to the windows, be prepared to shell out $450 more. Screened floors can cost around $30 to $50. Getting your gazebo painted is going to cost you an additional $300. A pagoda roof can cost you $290; vinyl windows, $1,550; turned posts, $175; and Victorian braces, $160. Do take note that these costs are only applicable for an eight-square foot octagonal gazebo. The cost per article gets higher as the size increases. Also take note that these are just the initial costs. There are still the short term and long term maintenance costs to account for.
Gazebos are high maintenance
A wood gazebo requires regular maintenance to preserve its beauty and strength. Sealing has to be done regularly every four to six months, so that it remains weather-resistant and would not degrade easily. Depending on the size of your gazebo, having it sealed can cost you an additional $90 to $300. The shingles that protect the roof are vulnerable to heavy rains and storms especially if they are made from asphalt. You may have to repair or replace some shingles regularly. If you opt to do the repairs on your own, make sure that you do the job properly. You can end up doing the repairs over and over again and this can cost you more in the long run. You can also hire a repairman to do the job for you, but you still have to pay the labor cost aside from the cost of the materials and tools.
Gazebos takes a lot of space
One other drawback of getting a gazebo is that it is an imposing structure that can dwarf its surroundings. This is true for a smaller backyard or a backyard with several other structures in it. The gazebo has to be strategically placed so that in the future, when you need to hold an event or extend a portion of your house, it would not become a hindrance.