Shingles give full shade and a solid, quiet roof, which suits a south-facing terrace or a space you want to feel like a room. Polycarbonate lets daylight through, which matters when the gazebo covers a window and the room behind it would otherwise go dark. Both use the same redwood frame and the same twenty-eight sizes, so it is a decision about light, not structure.

Yes, and that is worth thinking through before you order. A shingle roof is opaque, so a window under it loses direct light. Where the gazebo covers a kitchen or a garden door, many people take the shallower 2m or 2.5m depths so the roof stops short of the glass, or choose the polycarbonate version of the same structure instead.

The shingles in Forest Green or Slate Grey, the underlay that goes beneath them, the adhesive and the nails, all in the same delivery as the redwood frame and the curved corner braces. That means the roof covering is not a separate order or a second trip out, and the whole structure can be finished in one go rather than left open to the weather.

It needs a sound, load-bearing wall running the full width of the gazebo. Solid brick, blockwork and rendered block are all straightforward. Timber cladding, single-skin garden walls and older lime-mortared brickwork are worth checking first. Depths of 2m, 2.5m, 3m and 3.5m let you set the front posts where the ground is solid rather than where the size chart says.

Two posts keep the front edge as open as possible and suit the narrower widths. Three is the usual choice through the middle of the range. Four gives the most support across the 6.5m and 7.22m widths or on a plot that catches the wind. All three options use the same curved corner braces where the posts meet the beam above.