Can You Put A Patio Heater Under A Gazebo?

A gazebo is a pavilion structure made mostly of either wood, canvas or tarpaulin. If permanent, it is made of wood but the temporary ones are made of canvas, plastic canvas or tarpaulin.

Gazebos are awesome if you want to enjoy an event or relax in the evening without having to worry about the weather.

I had a wooden gazebo built in my backyard, I enjoyed it so much. It is the perfect space to relax in the evenings after work. In summer it shades me from the sun and in the colder months I relax there with my patio heater.

Can you water proof a gazebo? Find out here, How to make your gazebo waterproof. It will open in a new page.

In the evenings the outdoor temperature tends to especially when the sun hides beyond the horizon and we can no longer enjoy its thermal rays. I’ve been asked this particular question many times over, can you put a patio heater under a gazebo?

It is a good question, therefore, i’ve decided to answer it in a blog post. I know some of you are in a rush, therefore, here is the short answer.

Yes, you can put a patio heater under a gazebo to keep you warm on cold evenings. It is safe to do so if you use the right type of patio heater and take a number of precautions.

The best patio heaters will depend on the size of your gazebo and whether or not it is shielded from the wind, rain and snow. The perfect choice for most scenarios is an infrared or electric patio heater because they do not give off carbon monoxide fumes.

How do you heat an outdoor gazebo?

You can heat an outdoor gazebo using a number of methods from patio heaters to fire pits using a number of different types of fuels. These fuels may include natural gas, propane, butane, electricity or wood.

The burning of these fuels produce heat to keep you warm. Some heat sources are much better and heating the gazebo than others. The burning of fuel will give off different types of heat.

There is convection, conduction and thermal. With convection heat, most of it rises in the air, as they say, hot air rises and cold air falls. Then we have conduction heat, you experience this one by touching the object. Heated flooring is a good example of this.

I don’t think anyone will put underfloor heating in their gazebo. However, an oil filled radiator can be used to accomplish the same. Finally, we have thermal heat or infrared heat. This one works off the principle of the sun.

The sun sends infrared light and other types of radiation to the earth surface and keeps up warm. It is for this reason you can be outside on the coldest day and when you sun is out you feel warm and as soon as you go in the shade you feel cold.

Many infrared heaters work off this principle. Each of these methods have their own set of problems.

Most suitable patio heater for the gazebo

The most suitable heater is dependent on the size of the gazebo, the funcion that you will use the gazebo and whether or not it is enclosed or open to the element. Most are because that is where you sit to enjoy the flowers in summer.

The temporary ones are normally more flexible, they can be kept open or they can be closed. If it is going to be closed then only the electric or infrared heaters can be used because they give off no dangerous fumes.

You can read the post about the most suitable infrared heaters on the market.

Sizing of the patio heater.

If you are going to do the sizing for the patio heater, measure the length, width and height of the gazebo so that you get the cubic feet of the area you want to heat. For example, a 10 by 12 by 12 gazebo is equal to 1440 cubic feet.

The next thing is that you want to check the average temperature of the space then calculate how many degrees you want to increase the gazebo by.

For example, if the space is 41 degrees and you want the space to be 68 degrees then you will need to increase the temperature by 27 degrees.

The next step is to calculate the amount of BTUs that you will need. In order to do this you need to multiply 0.133 to the total cubic feet of the gazebo, then multiply that by the degrees that you need to increase the space by, then round off this figure to the nearest thousand.

In our example it would be 0.133 * 1440 * 27 = 5171.04 and therefore rounded down to 5 000 BTU. We need enough heaters that would give off this amount of heat.

What will you use the gazebo for?

If the gazebo is of the plastic, canvas or tarpaulin type and it will be closed then an oiled filled one would be perfect. It does not give off any fumes and is therefore safe.

The infrared heater is also perfect for this same reason. It is also silent and therefore will work silently and not disturb you.

Whether it will be closed or open

If the gazebo is going to be open, the infrared heater is suitable. Only a minimal amount of heat will rise. This heater works off the principle of thermal dynamics, the infrared light heats up surrounding objects.

When it is focused on you it will heat you up. Energy will not be wasted heating up the surrounding air. Heating up the air is pointless, it will just rise and not give you any warmth.

The preferred type of patio heaters

We all want to maximise the space in the gazebo. In light of this you have a number of options. You can choose the hanging patio heaters, wall-mounted patio heaters, free standing patio heaters or tabletop patio heaters.

You have to work out which is best. That will be dependent on the number of people that are in the gazebo, whether it is enclosed on not or whether there is adequate ventilation. Only you can decide.

Mine is a wooden structure, with adequate ventilation and therefore my choices are unlimited. However, I use the Lasko Designer Series Ceramic Space Heater. It is nice and small and perfect for my little spot. I still dress warm but needed something to take off the edge.

Do patio heaters need to be covered?

Patio heaters do not need to be covered under a patio cover. Most gazebo are covered but are exposed to the element.

Most heating sources have their own set of problems. We have to select the one with the least problems for our scenario.

In warming up the gazebo you have a number of options so that you have to take into consideration.

Is it safe to use a patio heater under a gazebo?

Burning wood would produce fumes that could be dangerous if inhaled. This type of patio heater or fire pit is not suitable for a covered gazebo or ones made of plastic as it could melt on you.

The infrared heater is the most suitable because it warms you up and not the air around you. Always check the manufacturers guidance for further information.

How to find the best patio heater for your gazebo?

The best patio heater can be found on Amazon. They have many choices. You are basically spoilt for choices. In order to find the best one you have to take in consideration everything that was mentioned above.

I am not sure of your circumstances therefore, can’t make an appropriate judgement. You can let me know the option that you think is best.

That is if the comment box is not closed. You know those spammers. I know, annoying.

Which Is the Best Patio Heater For Your Gazebo?

You can get any suitable infrared heater. They are suitable for the gazebo. You can get the hanging ones or the free standing one.

If it is open you can use the fire pit it has a lovely feeling to it. If your roof is not hig please do not use it.

TaoTronic Space heater is best for enclosed gazebo

You can use the TaoTronic space heater for your gazebo. It uses infrared technology to keep you warm. Since infrared travel in a straight line the fact that it oscillates the heat will spread among everyone in the gazebo. With far-reaching oscillation it increases the heat distribution range by 20% for even warmth.

TaoTronics space heater size makes it ideal for easy, quick and even heat distribution. This electronic heater is perfect for your enclosed gazebo, just to take the edge off the cold.

The built-in overheating and tip-over protection sensor ensures that if you automatically tip over your heater you won’t injure yourself. The heater is quiet and safe enough to use.

If you want to warm up the space before you are there then you can use the 12-hour timer with auto-shutoff. You can use the remote control so that you do not have to move to change settings.

The TaoTronic automatically adjusts heating mode based on the ambient temperature, which could save energy cost while keeping you cozy in winter

TRUSTECH Electric Hanging heater is great for gazebo

This TRUSTECH Electric Hanging Patio Heater is a great outdoor heater and gives off 1500W. This Ceiling Mounted heater is waterproof so there is no problem if a little water gets to it.

It is out of stock now but it is really good. It is also good for your balcony if you have one. It is out of stock now but this is what it looks like.

Lasko 6405 Designer Oscillating Heater is great for a small gazebo

The Lasko 6405 Designer Oscillating Heater is great for a small gazebo. This heater comes fully assembled so no time is wasted trying to set up. T

he heat is oscillated and comes with an automatic shut-off timer and adjustable thermostat. You will have 1500 watts of warmth comforting you. The only problem is, it does not come with any remote.