How to Build a Gazebo from Scratch
Discovering how to build a gazebo from scratch lets you add a centerpiece to your yard or garden, or a pavilion for a coming wedding or wedding reception. A gazebo not only gives you a practical choice to keep the sun off you in summer or precipitation of you the rest of the year.
A gazebo is an enclosed or open air structure, often octogonal in shapes, you can use for parties, dinners, snuggling or reading. Open air gazebos give you a breezy place to sit and visit, while closed gazebos allow you to be outside without having flies and gnats swarm you.
Place Your Gazebo
First, decide where your gazebo is going to sit. I mentioned earlier that a gazebo is a kind of centerpiece, which is something to consider when placing your gazebo. Gazebos are both something to be viewed and something to provide a view, so consider a space in the center of your property with plenty of room.
If your gazebo is raised and offers a nice view, this is even better. Consider local zoning laws and code regulations before selecting a spot for your gazebo, while choosing a place that is practical and offers visual impact.
Choose Materials
Garden gazebos might be made of wood, wrought iron or vinyl these days, so go through the list of potential gazebo building materials before deciding which to use. Also, consider whether you want raw wood or treated wood, if you choose wooden materials. Also consider whether you want to paint or stain the gazebo.
Gazebo roofs and windows need to be considered when collecting materials. Most gazebos have good roofs, while screens or windows have become popular choices in recent times. This is especially the case in areas where mosquitoes and flies swarm.
Building a Gazebo Kit
Many people buy gazebo kits when building a gazebo. Gazebo kits can cost between a few thousand and tens of thousands of dollars, so learning how to build a gazebo from scratch makes a lot of sense to households on a real budget. Gazebo kits can cost as much as you want it to cost, so only buy these if you have the money to afford them.
Gazebo Plans
Go online to find gazebo plans, if you want to build from a gazebo template. Building your own gazebo is labor intensive, so consider this before proceeding.
Building Gazebo Posts
How to Build a Gazebo from Scratch
Place the gazebo posts in holes filled with premixed concrete. As always, understand the frost line in your area, so you know how deep to place your posts. Make certain your posts are level with each other, then brace the posts. When letting concrete to set, wait 24 hours before proceeding with construction.
Building the Gazebo Decks
Installing the gazebo deck requires you to connect planks with decking screws to the outer frame of the decks – that is, the board between posts. Use a level to make certain each plank is level.
Installing Joists
Your gazebo is likely to have a center deck post. Add joist hangers to the center deck posts, then add joists between the centerpost and the outside planks.
Make sure each joist is level with each other. Screw joists into the frame planks you set down earlier. Once you have the joists in place, add cross supports between them.
Gazebo Floors
Once you have the joists and their braces built, you can build the gazebo deck floor by nailing planks to the joists. Make sure the floor is level every step of the way.
How to Build a Gazebo Roof
Measure the distance from post to post across the diameter of the gazebo octagon. Your gazebo rafters should be half this length (or the length of the radius). Install cap plates to the top of all your posts, in preparation of adding rafters.
Add two opposite rafters with nails to the central hub of the gazebo. Once you do this, you have a truss.
Lift the Truss into Position
Use ropes to lift the truss to the top of the gazebo, positioning the truss in place by nailing it into the cap plates. You’re going to need assistants to help you with this step. Attach the other rafters with similar methods.
Once finished, add fascia board of one sort or another to the end of the rafters. This gives the roof a finished quality, while also protecting the roof and gazebo interior from whether damage.
Gazebo Roofing – Tongue and Groove Sheathing
Climb onto the top of the gazebo (testing first for sturdiness) and add tongue & groove sheeting on top of the rafters. This sheathing should be stapled onto the roofing felt. Using short roofing nails, add asphalt roofing shingles from bottom to top, one row at a time.
Gazebo Railing
Add rail sections to your ground posts with screws. Add a staircase of some sort. Once you have this finished, you have finished your gazebo.
Building a Gazebo from Scratch
Now you know how to build a gazebo from scratch. Gazebos take several stages of building, as you can see, but you don’t have to have professional carpentry skills to build your own gazebo.