The Gazebo: construction & evolution 
of a cheap, speedy & fruitlessly flimsy canopy
The Plan: Earth-toned, commercial (thin, closed-loop) carpet scraps are an answer looking for a problem. They’re available free from carpet outlets, can be cut with a utility knife and don’t require painting. The edges can be easily “fray-proofed” by melting them with an inexpensive wood-burning tool. (details at Tool Grid) Even though their longevity in the sun was a question, I couldn’t wait to try them out for entry canopies. Making It: Remembering what BOPS* president Catherine Portman had told me about Florida BuOws using plywood shelters, I dreamed up some mini- gazebos made of scrap carpet. Plywood takes too much maintenance for my taste. I hoped these might be an easy way to provide shade and protection from aerial predators in locations not subject to trampling. After a little fiddling, I came up with a simple design using a 15” x 20” rounded rectangle of carpet with two 54” pieces of wire for the U-shaped legs. I used wire leftovers just sturdy enough to support the gazebo but too wobbly to tempt the owls to use it as a perch. (You’ve heard the expression, “Famous last words?”) A template and marking pen make 
 layout a breeze. I used wood, but plastic 
 or cardboard would be fine. With a 
 sharp blade, cutting with the utility 
 knife (using scrap wood for backup) 
 goes quickly. The wood-burning tool or 
 even just a hammer and nail easily take 
 care of the four holes on each side for 
 the wire. They’re spaced to line up when 
 you fold the carpet into a W so the wire 
 slides right through. Marking the wire 
 18” from the ends was a handy reminder 
 of where to bend the legs before installing. Leave them unbent for easier storage. *Burrowing Owl Preservation Society Success!!? A pair at Wildhorse Golf Course in Davis, CA adopted a burrow with canopies barely a week after installation. Even in the less-than-torrid December weather they could often be seen hanging out under the gazebo. Yes!! When the eight chicks poked their little beaks out of the burrow in late May, they readily adopted both types of canopy. However, over the weeks I began to notice a distinct change in the gazebo; it began to sag, then slide until it was a drunken parody of its former perky profile. Was it wind? Hail? Well-meaning tweakers? Wait! (Focusing binoculars...) Could that be “whitewash” on the top? Surely not! The legs’ carefully calibrated wobble ensured they would barely hold the canopy up let alone bouncing baby owls, didn’t it? (Time passes...) Finally, the mystery is solved. I caught the little culprits in the act. It seems that “chicks just wanna’ perch” and wobbly canopies are no deterrent whatsoever. Plan B: Back to the drawing board. Luckily, adding a ridgepole made from a stick, bamboo plant stake, wire scrap or the like (use 4” cable ties to attach it to the wires, and four anti-slide “washers” made from scraps of garden hose restored the gazebo to some semblance of its former glory. But my next gazebos had a bit stiffer wire. My current wire is too stiff for easy workability but it was free... Bottom Line: I consider the gazebos a good option in the right spot. They’re easy & cheap to make and the owls will use them. Sun resistance varies wildly and unpredictably. Getting a serious melt on the edges with the wood-burning tool seems to help. Happily, the carpet can be speedily switched for a new piece. Like their human-scale counterparts, gazebos combine shelter with great visibility. The cutesy, “unnatural” appearance won’t please some tastes even with careful choice of carpet color. Not to worry; there are other choices. You can make a dandy “pot” canopy that’s almost completely camouflaged by its covering of rocks and dirt clods (fine soil washes away too easily). Suit yourself.Tool_Grid.htmlTool_Grid.htmlhttp://burrowingowlpreservation.org/shapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2

Imagine
washers!

O

O

O

O

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the whole enchilada
a squirrel takes advantage of a neighboring pre-retrofit model
More!Gazebo_%26_Chicks.html
& Worse! Gazebo_ruin.html

15” x 20”
carpet scrap

 
 
 
 
 

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