Post #245755 by tikiwinebear on Sun, Jul 30, 2006 9:36 AM

Aloha Bud, and welcome to TC! Santa Rosa here... where in Sonoma are you? You are the second new "local" from the area to post this week. Finally, NoCal ohana are starting to gather!

We bought the large hut back in March, as you can see on this post. So far, I have had NO problems whatsoever. The hut was set on paver risers, to keep it off the patio concrete so the legs wouldn't come into contact with puddles of water; this was a great idea if they didn't do this for you during construction. We made a step up into the hut using garden wall pavers left over from our landscaping project. Some of our lady friends in dresses found it difficult to get into the hut without adding the step (and our dog needed it too).

Also, be sure to cover any sensitive plants or objects around your new hut before they spray the urethane. We had a couple of ferns which were shiny and plastic looking after they were done.. but since it was March, they started sprouting new fronds from the center, and we simply trimmed off the coated ones.

So far, we have had a couple small rainstorms. During one of them, I was actually sitting in my hut, working on my laptop, and only felt small misty overspray. The sound of the rain hitting the roof structure was incredible! I await the winter months of frost and mega rain to see how the roof holds up.

I strongly suggest you purchase the pads for the benches, as they are durable and are easy to maintain. If you have guests in nice clothes, especially ladies in short summer dresses, the pads feel great on the bum, and you don't stick to them like vinyl or leather.

So far, I have slept in the hut a couple times. We placed an outdoor rug on the floor of the hut, which makes a great pad for a queen sized air mattress. The bamboo lattice allow air to flow easily thru the hut, which can make it a bit cool, or is very welcome on a hot night.

The bamboo table which came with the hut is perfect for serving drinks and puupuus, but not if you are having a sit down dinner. We purchased laminated particle board and had it cut to snuggly fit a tabletop for the bamboo table. Our tabletop extends about 6 inches on all sides of the bamboo table base, and is heavy enough so it doesn't move around when using it. I throw a large hawaiian tablecloth over the table top for aesthetics and easy cleanup.

We were just at the Sonoma Fair yesterday, and asked Gary (owner of the business) about some creaking and settling in. I noticed when walking in the hut, a few of the bamboo slats seems "soft" but not to the point of breaking. Gary said this bending was normal as the bamboo wears in, and there should be no worry that the bamboo slat should break. The "creaking" is from the bamboo, not the mahogany framing. We have had 3 dinner parties in our hut, with 9 full sized adults eating at the table... and no problems!

As you can tell, I am very pleased with my purchase, and will be watching things very carefully this winter. But, I am hopeful it will withstand the milder climate we have here in Sonoma County, and will be in good shape for party season 2007, 2008, 2009... Gary did indicate that some of the urethane may wear off a bit on the "stronger weather" side of the hut, and suggests we clean and re-urethane it at the beginning of each season.

I hope this information is useful!!! You are very welcome to check out our hut before you make your purchase! Contact me for info!!!

• Myke