The footers require 12” diameter holes, 4 feet deep. You’ll need to place the strings again later to position the post anchors. Temporarily slide your strings out of the way, but leave the batter boards in place. Once you’ve located your corners, you’ll need to bore holes for the footings. Transfer the 8 corner post positions to the ground with paint and a plumb bob. Put Your Best Footer Forward The concrete forms I used are 12″x48″ cardboard tubes. Mark your strings clearly to indicate where the corners go.įor clarity, I put together a little video to illustrate this layout method: Use another piece of string like a compass to sweep an arc from each corner and through the center point to determine the location of the 8 corners of the octagon. Next, run lines from corner to opposite corner, forming an “X”, which locates your center point. Make sure to run your strings level, regardless of the contour of the land. Start by establishing a square with string tied off to wooden batter boards. An octagon is really just a square with its corners cut off. The area framed by the batter boards is larger than the actual gazebo footprint. A gazebo isn’t worth dying for unless it has a built-in wet bar and a disco ball. In my county, you can have this done at no charge, up to twice a year. So take your time and get it right.īefore you dig, have the local utilities company come out and mark the locations of water, electric and cable lines. But even on level ground, the footers are a critical part of the build. Mine is a 10-foot octagon built on a slope. This gazebo stands on – and is anchored to – 8 buried concrete footers. If you’re going to stand firmly you’d better have solid footing. The roof sheathing is “CDX” rated plywood. All hardware is galvanized (or otherwise rated for outdoor, PT lumber use). Any dimensions given are for this specific gazebo yours may vary. QUICK NOTES: Inevitable variations in the building process will require most of the parts to be cut to fit rather than cut in advance. It’s up to you to employ safe and proper construction methods and to obtain permits as required by the local powers that be. Make sure you are familiar with local building codes and are comfortable tackling the job before breaking ground. It is not an exhaustive treatise of the entire process. This article will provide an overview of how to build a gazebo. Oh, and it really is perfectly level I promise. And for my own safety and peace of mind, I had someone else shingle the roof for me. You probably will too it’s not a one person job. I built the pictured gazebo mostly by myself, but I did get assistance with the concrete footings and erecting the corner posts. Are you ready to build your own gazebo? Let’s do it! But you will save a ton in labor and the satisfaction of having built it yourself should about cover the materials. Beat the heat and the high cost by building it yourself! Granted, the materials will run you hundreds of dollars and it is a lot of work. There’s nothing like a gazebo for relaxing in the yard with friends and family.
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