Published in Guides
Can you use a pop up gazebo in winter?
In short, yes, you can! But it’s probably not a good idea to leave a pop up gazebo out for long periods of time during the winter as they aren’t designed for excessive use during the colder and harsher months. It is always recommended that you investigate the wind levels prior to putting up a gazebo to ensure it will not blow away.
Are you looking for an all-weather gazebo, ideal for use all year round?
Trader 32 Series
Our range of Trade Gazebos have a carbon steel frame that is robust enough to handle regular summer and light winter use. They offer great value for money without compromising on quality.
This kind of gazebo is ideal for commercial and leisure use, including outdoor spaces at pubs and restaurants, garden parties, fetes, and fundraisers, to commercial traders and street food caterers.
All of our trade gazebos can be fitted with or without walls, giving you the ability to increase privacy, protection, shelter and security.
Extreme 50 HEX Series
For a more winter-friendly option, our Extreme 50 HEX range is ideal for commercial use and is one of the strongest gazebos of its kind in Europe. Although this range is popular with commercial marquee companies and market operators, these gazebos also work just as well for providing shelter from the cold for you and your family in the comfort of your garden. Due to its overall heavy frame weight and stability, this commercial-grade gazebo performs exceptionally well all year round. Note; even the strongest gazebo of its kind needs looking after; our gazebos are not permanent structures and so you should not leave your gazebo unattended for prolonged periods of time.
Can you put a patio heater under a gazebo?
Infrared patio heaters are typically a safe choice for warming up your gazebo or other similar structures like a canopy or marquee in the winter months. It is not a good idea to have fire pits or open fireplaces under/or within close proximity to a gazebo for fire safety reasons. Always check the instructions of your patio heater before using it.
Other options to heat your gazebo
If you don’t want to use an infrared patio heater, consider a gazebo heater. A gazebo heater works the same way an infrared patio heater does and is a great option for keeping you warm outside in the winter. An Infrared Halogen Gazebo Heater is an excellent choice as it’s designed to clamp to the centre pole of any of our pop up shelters and will also fit large umbrellas and tent systems (with a maximum stem diameter of 45mm).
Other tips on how to keep a gazebo warm in winter
1. Flooring
Flooring acts as insulation and can make your gazebo feel warmer by providing a layer between your feet and the cold ground. Non-slip, heavy, rubber flooring works well and can be purchased at a low cost. This kind of material is also best for health and safety reasons as it’s less likely to cause any trips or slips.
2. Adding walls
As the weather gets colder, it’s a good idea to add sidewalls to your gazebo to trap the heat inside, making sure to leave a small opening for access. If possible, you can place your gazebo close to a door for a building so that your customers or guests have easy access to both the indoors and outdoors.
If your gazebo has a window, draw it down to help keep the temperature up. You can also invest in winter gazebo covers which are essentially like putting a coat on your gazebo, protecting the roof and the frame from the weather.
3. Serve hot food and drinks
To make your guests feel a little warmer when they’re outside during the winter months, why not try serving some hot food? Ideas for winter warming food and drink to serve are:
- Hot dogs
- Pies
- Chilli Con Carne
- Mulled Wine
- Burgers
- Tea and Coffee
- Jacket Potatoes
4. Fire pit
A fire pit can help to provide heat and an ambience for entertaining friends and family. This is a great option for milder winters, where it can also be used for roasting food such as marshmallows! Guests can nip in between the gazebo and the fire pit as they please and this should keep them feeling warmer.
Be careful with where you place a fire pit in relation to your gazebo, as high winds can be a health and safety issue. Ensure that the fire pit is located far enough away from the gazebo to prevent the gazebo from catching fire. Do not use naked flames in or around a gazebo.
Conclusion
To summarise, there’s a whole host of things you can do to ensure that you and your guests stay warm in your gazebo during the colder months. You can still be a great host and ensure that everyone has a great time even when the sun isn’t out. By taking into account the safety information in this article, using a range of heating accessories and serving warming food, your get-together in the garden can be a safe and fun event for all involved.