Gazebo Living - Plans, Books and Kits

If you're not a seasoned carpenter, please consider gazebo kits. It will probably save you both time and money!

Building a gazebo from a plan, or even a book, is well beyond the average do-it-yourselfer's capabilities. Even if you have all the expensive tools at hand.

Thankfully, several companies produce high quality gazebo kits where most of the difficult work is already done! All you have to do is assemble and enjoy!

These kits range in price depending on type of wood, which is generally either pine or one of a variety of types of cedar, and size.

With so many styles and sizes of high quality kits to choose from, you can find the perfect match to the style and look of your home and yard. Perhaps you are looking for a hot tub, traditional octagon or a wrought iron rustic garden gazebo?

Choosing a Site for Your Gazebo
A gazebo that has been placed in a yard without any real reason can be a sad sight.

Start by thinking about how you will use the gazebo. Is it a place for entertaining? Dining? That might require a larger gazebo than you first might have thought. Make sure you plan for at least 46 inches between the edges of the table and the railings, so people can walk behind the chairs. That means at least a 12-foot wide gazebo for a typical table that seats four.

The view of your gazebo can be as important as the view from your gazebo. Do you want the gazebo to be a focal point? Perhaps a juncture of two or more garden paths? Make sure you think about how your gazebo will impact the rest of your garden.

If you want to block an obtrusive view without stifling breezes or cutting too much light, install lattice on several sides of the gazebo.

Draw a Site Plan
If you're lucky, you'll have the opportunity to build your gazebo as part of an overall landscape plan. But even if you are fitting your gazebo into an existing landscape, drawing at least a rough site plan usually is the best way to plan how your gazebo will work with the rest of your yard.

Sun Patterns
There are several reasons to consider the seasonal and daily pattern of the sun when sitting your gazebo. If you want the gazebo to be a shady retreat it should be oriented to the east of tall trees so you can enjoy their shade. If you're not building near trees you might want to put the entrance facing away from the sun. This way, the sun will be at your back in stead of in your face when you sit in the gazebo.

Remember your gazebo will cast shadows. You don't want to build a gazebo only to discover your bed of sun-loving plants is now robbed of summer sunlight.