Vinyl vs. Wood Gazebo Kits: Which is Better?

Seth Carter 29/01/2025

Amish Gazebo Kits are one of the best ways to add quality and functionality to your outdoor space. DutchCrafters offers several Amish-made gazebo kit options. Today, we’ll look at the source material of our two types of gazebos.

Wood vs. Vinyl Gazebos: Which Option is The One For You?

Wood is the traditional look and has a lower up-front cost. However, vinyl can offer better durability and lower long-term maintenance costs. You may lean toward one type over the other just based on the aesthetics, but there are plenty of different factors to consider before moving forward with your decision.

Amish Vinyl Gazebo
Amish Wood Gazebo

Before purchasing an Amish gazebo kit from DutchCrafters, you may also want to consider whether you’ll be able to handle installing the gazebo yourself or need to hire a contractor.


Wood vs. Vinyl Gazebos: Which One is More Durable and Weather Resistant?

Our wooden gazebo kits are made from pressure-treated southern yellow pine or cedar wood. These choices give you a beautiful wooden gazebo aesthetic with sustained durability and weather-resistant features. Heavy woods provide additional reinforcement in windy conditions.

Vinyl gazebos are more resistant to moisture, rot, and pests. This makes a vinyl gazebo kit a great choice for humid or coastal climates. They are designed to survive weather like rain, snow, and sun exposure without warping, cracking, or color fading for many years. Vinyl’s ability to handle temperature fluctuations to both ends of the spectrum makes it a popular choice for fences and siding on houses!

Our wooden gazebo kits come with a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty, while the vinyl gazebos offer a 20-year warranty. While both options are great, due to the ability to handle all kinds of weather and the 20-year manufacturer’s warranty, we award the durability factor to vinyl gazebos over wood.

Winner: Vinyl Gazebos


Wood vs. Vinyl Gazebos: Maintenance Requirements

Even though the wood used to build our Amish gazebos is pressure-treated, it still requires regular upkeep. This means every few years you will need to re-stain and seal your wood gazebo to protect it from the weather, pets, rotting, and all outdoor exposures and risks. Having the ability to refinish and repair your gazebo can be a real plus.

Vinyl is designed to withstand the elements, mildew, and pests. It is recommended that you clean it off with soapy water from time to time, but it is mostly a hands-off, hassle-free choice.

Winner: Vinyl Gazebos


Wood vs. Vinyl Gazebos: Which One Looks Better?

Vinyl gazebo kits look more modern and offer some color options. However, nothing beats the look of real solid wood. Wood can be stained or painted to match your outdoor decor. If you are a fan of the classic and natural aesthetic of solid wood, then you just can’t duplicate it with the manufactured look of vinyl.

Now, this section is subjective. Some people prefer the modern look of the vinyl gazebo kit. However, considering that I work with a solid wood Amish furniture company, I love bowling alleys, I grew up in the era of wood paneling, and I’m writing this post, therefore, I award wood gazebos the winner of the aesthetics trophy.

Winner: Wood Gazebos


Wood vs. Vinyl Gazebos: Which One is Cheaper?

Vinyl gazebos typically come with a higher up-front price tag. However, we’re not so sure the savings on your upfront costs will outweigh the savings of your future time and resources that will be used to maintain the wood gazebo.

If you prefer the look of wood, you’ll also need to enjoy investing some of your time and energy into taking care of your gazebo over the years.

Winner: Vinyl Gazebos


Wood vs. Vinyl Gazebos: Wind Resistance

Vinyl gazebos are lightweight but are plenty strong when reinforced. They perform well in low-to-mid-range wind conditions but need to be anchored properly. If you are in a high-wind area and want a vinyl gazebo, we recommend you speak with one of our specialists so they can guide you to the right decision.

Wood is heavier and more sturdy in windy conditions. Wood gazebos are built to handle high winds, especially when your wood gazebo is anchored to a solid foundation like concrete.

Winner: Wood Gazebos


Wood vs. Vinyl Gazebos: Which One is Better?

Determining if wood or vinyl gazebos are best for you is a bit subjective. Will your gazebo be exposed to strong winds? Do you enjoy hands-on maintenance? Do you believe the classic look of solid wood beats vinyl siding? These are all factors in determining which material is the right one for you.

If you need more assistance with your decision, contact one of our trained gazebo specialists to help walk you through your options.

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by Seth Carter (25 Posts)

Seth Carter has been with DutchCrafters since 2020. Seth has won multiple awards for his work in Amish furniture while with DutchCrafters. He has advised and partnered with more than 150 Amish wood shops on furniture presentation, design, industry trends, product options, and the development of exclusive products. He is originally from Indiana and even lived in Amish country (LaGrange, Indiana) for an extended period of time while working with DutchCrafters. He contributes to the Timber to Table Blog and has written content throughout the DutchCrafters website. Seth has a B.S. in Business Administration from IU-East and has owned Carter Family Insurance, LLC. since 2014.


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