A gazebo gives any garden a touch of elegance, and is a perfect place for peaceful solitude and meditation. Some people build their gazebos around their hot tubs or spas. It can be great for parties or just quiet chats with friends. Once you have a gazebo you will wonder how you ever managed without it.
The key to any gazebo construction is precision - carefully selected wood with no warps, measured and cut accurately. Any imperfections will show very clearly once the parts have been assembled, and will give the final structure a very crude appearance. So careful planning and measuring are super important when building a gazebo.
You can choose from a huge range of designs, but the traditional octagonal structure made from common or heart redwood is maybe the easiest and most rewarding backyard project for either novice or expert woodworker to undertake.
So, what does building a gazebo involve?
Start by laying eight concrete footings at each corner position and one at dead center. Each corner footing will have an anchor bolt set into it, and the vertical corner posts will be attached to these.
The rim joists and deck supporting frames are attached to these posts and the centre footing, checking for proper alignment constantly. Decking boards are then fitted to the support frames, once again ensuring that they fit together accurately and that the cut lines are straight.
Make and fit the frieze panels between the upper parts of the vertical posts, and then mount the rafters at the precise angle from the post tops to the center kingpost.
Lastly build and mount the railings and balustrades - these and the frieze panels are where you can add your own touch and give the gazebo its unique character.
This is all very easy to write but is often difficult to understand without clear and detailed diagrams, parts lists and assembly instructions. Almost all parts have to be cut and shaped precisely before assembly, and it is very easy to get things round the wrong way.
That is why good quality blueprints, assembly instructions and detailed parts lists are essential to avoid a disappointing result.
We have found a really good planning kit for building a gazebo. Last time we checked there were 23 different gazebo designs, each with its own plans, parts lists and step-by-step assembly instructions.
In our opinion this planning kit is the best available, and will help anyone wanting to build a gazebo to a professional standard.
Why not use your woodworking skills and make this your next backyard project? You will never regret it.
The key to any gazebo construction is precision - carefully selected wood with no warps, measured and cut accurately. Any imperfections will show very clearly once the parts have been assembled, and will give the final structure a very crude appearance. So careful planning and measuring are super important when building a gazebo.
You can choose from a huge range of designs, but the traditional octagonal structure made from common or heart redwood is maybe the easiest and most rewarding backyard project for either novice or expert woodworker to undertake.
So, what does building a gazebo involve?
Start by laying eight concrete footings at each corner position and one at dead center. Each corner footing will have an anchor bolt set into it, and the vertical corner posts will be attached to these.
The rim joists and deck supporting frames are attached to these posts and the centre footing, checking for proper alignment constantly. Decking boards are then fitted to the support frames, once again ensuring that they fit together accurately and that the cut lines are straight.
Make and fit the frieze panels between the upper parts of the vertical posts, and then mount the rafters at the precise angle from the post tops to the center kingpost.
Lastly build and mount the railings and balustrades - these and the frieze panels are where you can add your own touch and give the gazebo its unique character.
This is all very easy to write but is often difficult to understand without clear and detailed diagrams, parts lists and assembly instructions. Almost all parts have to be cut and shaped precisely before assembly, and it is very easy to get things round the wrong way.
That is why good quality blueprints, assembly instructions and detailed parts lists are essential to avoid a disappointing result.
We have found a really good planning kit for building a gazebo. Last time we checked there were 23 different gazebo designs, each with its own plans, parts lists and step-by-step assembly instructions.
In our opinion this planning kit is the best available, and will help anyone wanting to build a gazebo to a professional standard.
Why not use your woodworking skills and make this your next backyard project? You will never regret it.