Building a Gazebo

Several people have asked for information on building a gazebo - that quintessential Victorian garden structure which evokes thoughts of English teatime, gazing out at the wonders of Nature......and clinking a glass of wine with good friends on a Summer evening. Because it appears I will never be able to tolerate mosquitoes - having not grown up with them in England - and to enable me to dine outdoors in the Summertime, we decided to replace the little original deck on the back of the cottage two years ago, and add a screened gazebo big enough to seat four for dining.

Above is the original deck - below the finished deck almost double the size with the gazebo incorporated into the deck structure.

The gazebo, custom designed and partially assembled, was purchased from Pennsylvania and shipped here to North Carolina by truck - shrink-wrapped and looking like a small iceberg! (If anyone would like the name of the company, or further info. on the product, I will be glad to share - they were excellent to work with and we had no problems with them or their product). We chose Western Red Cedar and opted for the cedar tone sealant to prevent it from aging to grey. We had the cedar deck pickets built by our carpenter to match the gazebo pickets, along with the trim around the steps and base of the deck to tie the two elements together. The decking itself, and the top rails, are the beautiful Brazilian hardwood called Ipe.

The floor is screened underneath to prevent bugs from entering and has been very successful - very few creepy crawlies get in! The entire structure including deck was built over a bed of gravel for drainage.



We purchased the finished screens - a rather expensive option but it was the only way to go for me - and they fit perfectly. The double roof is also screened and I can honestly say I've never been bitten by a mosquito while in the gazebo - only when making the mad dash with the tea tray from the back door has one decided it wanted my blood!

Above, the construction in progress - deck pickets yet to be stained to match gazebo (Cabot Clear Cedar 3002). Below, the outdoor ceiling fan/light fixture which is great - dimmer on the light, and we had two extra outlets installed to enable plugging in a portable heater on cool days, and fairy lights for year-round decoration and a tree at Christmas.

The finished gazebo and deck really made a huge difference to our back garden, both visually, and by giving me a space to sit and read, sometimes use my laptop etc. It makes breakfast, lunch or dinner an enjoyable time - after all nothing beats dining al fresco without having to battle flying insects!


.............and today, seen in the pic below, we are having the deck and gazebo power washed to ready it for a re-stain to freshen it up after the horrendous pollen season we just experienced. Even with the cedar sealant it still starts to fade and it's recommended that it be refreshed every few years to keep it bright looking. We have also decided it's now time to also use a clear oil made for Ipe on the deck floor - this will help bring back the natural color.
Never a dull (or inexpensive!) moment is there....... when you have a house and garden to keep up?