Check out our extensive DIY illustrated guide on how to build a gazebo right in your own backyard, exactly as you designed on free software.
Welcome to our guide to building your very own backyard gazebo!
Gazebos are a useful and versatile outdoor structure that can elevate and enhance your backyard space.
A backyard gazebo provides a place for you to host great backyard parties, as well as a place to sit back and relax, and can act as a central focus for special events like weddings. Gazebos are an amazing space where you can have both versatile function and stunning form.
The gazebo provides shade as well as a pleasant gathering spot in your yard where you can relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. A gazebo can become a wonderful centerpiece for your garden or landscaping plans, and introduce extra shelter to your space.
It is no wonder that gazebos are so popular and found in so many yards and parks alike.
Table of Contents
1. Find your materials
For the initial planning stages, you may want a program to sketch out your design plan. Google Sketchup is a great resource for this. If can be found here: Google Sketchup. This helpful resource will aid with the planning and the layout of your own gazebo.
Secondly, you will need to gather the materials that will actually make up your gazebo. The first material you will need is wood, as this will be your primary building material. The amount of wood you need will depend on the size of your building as well as the cut of your beams.
2. Design your gazebo using Sketchup
The second step is designing your gazebo. This program is easy to use and beginner friendly. It may take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, you will have a great design to work from.
Use this program to estimate the proportions and basic construction of your potential gazebo. Sketching it out in this program will give you measurements and a good idea of what is needed come building time. This program works with both metric and imperial measurements, so it will adapt to whichever system you are used to.
3. Prepare wooden and metal pieces
Once you have your design all laid out, you can see what sizes you will need for all of your wood pieces. If you have the tools you can then cut these pieces yourself. This is the cheapest option. If you don’t have the skills or tools to do this part of the work yourself, then you will need to find someone to cut the wood for you. A hired professional will charge a service fee to cut the pieces.
4. Prep area and build base
The first part of the structure that you will need to construct is the base of the gazebo. This will be made from a flat, smooth surface of concrete. Prepare the area and pour the slab to the desired size. If you want to add strength to the concrete flooring you may opt to add some metal rebar to the concrete slab.
Next you will want to place the wood and metal supports into the concrete at a 90 degree angle. If there are any gaps between the metal and wooden portions of the support, use the tar and silicone to fill gaps to create a watertight seal.
Repeat this step for all of the posts on your gazebo design. Typically this will be four, but if you choose a different design, you may be required to install more. After you fix all of your supports let the concrete dry and make sure they are sturdy and in place.
5. Fix the traverse
The next step you will want to do is attach the wooden traverse onto the supports that you just installed. The traverse needs to be centered on the supports, so be sure to measure all sides and ensure they are equal.
Once the traverses are in position, fix them into place using the screws. The length of the screws will guarantee that the traverse and the supports are held together well.
When using screws such as these, you can drill a smaller hole in the place where the screw is to go. This will allow the thicker nail to enter with more ease, while still having a good amount of purchase in the wood and fit snug inside. Also, if you want the top of the screw to not get in the way of the rest of the structure you can drill a larger diameter hole an inch deep into the wood to hide the screw.
6. Fix the side traverse
The next step is to attach a side traverse to the traverse that you just attached on the supports. Attaching these side traverses should be similar to how you attached the others to the supports. Attach a side traverse to both sides equally.
