This item works great.  Design and quality are fine.  What is not made clear until you read the directions is that you are supposed to remove and store it after every use.  It's not that we are lazy, it is just very inconvenient to get a ladder and uninstall it after every play time.  This probably isn't going to happen.  We will likely remove and store it when the snow starts.  I don't know how long it will last under these circumstances, but it probably won't be the advertised "lifetime".  Oh, well.