Sturdy Gazebo Designs

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Plumb and Square Gazebo Designs

In this section on gazebo designs, we begin by showing you what it takes to get the gazebo standing true. Good gazebo designs include getting the structure plumb and square so the rafters fit together smoothly when the roof goes on. Along the way, we discuss gazebo designs details that make trimming out the roof and closing in the walls trouble free. Also in this gazebo designs section, we show you how to size your corner posts to produce a gazebo that will still be standing even after the worst snow or windstorm.

Gazebo Designs: Down To The Last Detail

Details of gazebo designs covered in this section will not only make installing rafters easier and your gazebo designs sturdy, but also address installing trim and siding. Good gazebo designs think ahead about how much to set back the wall header/beam and floor rim joists from the corner posts. Doing so will result in gazebo designs that keep you out of trouble and make hanging siding and installing overhang trim boards a breeze. It may not seem like a big deal, but if gazebo designs are not thought through down to the last finish board, you may end up wasting a lot of time trying to invent ways to nail up siding and/or trim boards against an irregular surface. This gazebo designs section discusses these important considerations and includes many detailed drawings.

Gazebo Designs: And the Mighty Wind Blew

Well thought out gazebo designs take into consideration the effects of wind. Unlike a deck that usually sits close to the ground, gazebo designs stand roughly 12 feet high with a roof at the top that acts like a big sail. Some gazebo designs use a solid guardrail that also catches the wind. The winds that buffets both the roof and a solid guardrail really torques on the corner posts. Gazebo designs that don't take these considerable wind forces into consideration can result in posts that snap off or the soil giving way around the posts - causing the whole structure to tip. In this section on gazebo designs, we run calculations using accepted ASAE guidelines to provide recommendations for post embedment depth based upon soil type, post size, post spacing, gazebo size, and above ground height.