A couple of years ago I bought a 12ft x 12ft gazebo for the deck. It is wrought iron and had a canvas top. Also, I bought a large canopy type structure for the side of the house. You see them at Costco. Im sure like many other people who bought these types of things, the tops are ripped and torn and almost destroyed. The original items are no longer sold. Is there any solution for tops? Does anyone build tops? Im just curious if anyone else has solved this problem. Thanks.
Tom
Canvas seamstresses? Check with a local person in the marine/boat or auto restorations work. They might have a source to custom make tops based on measurements.
-- Oren
"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"
Those awnings are pretty much disposable. I had three, two of them are still going, the other one succumbed to a whirlwind that destroyed it.
As another poster posted, Raven Mills Sunbrella is the common canvas in the industry. I used to be in that business, doing the metal framework, and a friend doing the canvas work. So, when I wanted to build a top for my spa, I was going to make the framework and have a canvas top made. I called the old friend to see how much he wanted for a 100 square foot top shaped like a roof. He wanted $1,000. Needless to say, I went and bought the $150 one at the big box store.
The stuff sold at Target and Costco et al is cheap Chinese crap. Yet, it lasts for a few years if properly cared for. Unless you have $3,000 worth of metalworking tools and a $3,000 walking foot ConSew commercial canvas sewing machine, it is not cost effective to make your own. And if you call around and see what they want to make you one of these things, you will soon be back buying the Cheap Chinese variety. If you are lucky enough to have access to the equipment, or have friends who'll do it for you reasonably, you can get a far far better product than you can buy. But it will still cost you about 10x what one costs at Big Box.
So, for the price, go get another cheap Chinese version.
Steve
Anywone who can sew and has access to a moderately heavy duty sewing machine can make you a new canopy. Try the phone book, under "canopy", "awning", "canvas" and "boat cover".
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Ha. I make tents out of Sunforger marine canvas using a Singer 404 that cost me $70 used at a repair shop. Using an industrial machine just means you don't need a second person to help you feed the cloth.
ITEX inc. (WHich is on the web as BANWEAR.COM, for some reason) will, (or would, this time last year) ship you 100 yards of 58" wide mildew/fire-resistant white sunforger marine canvas for something under $6.00 a yard.
Note that "resistant" does not mean "proof". The stuff will burn if you hold a flame to it to get it started, and it will mildew if you put it away wet. You can paint it, but if you do it will pass a very fine, light mist during pounding rain, which means you'll need an extra means of protection to keep any bedding or calligraphy dry.
Thanks for the advice everyone. The gazebo I bought a OSH and at the time I could have bought a top for $65. Maybe they still can order them. The real pain about those things is just putting them together. Thanks for the help.
Tom
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