Gazebos – Benefits, Costs and Ideas
source: Flickr – fernashes
A gazebo is an outdoor, roofed structure with open walls. While they come in various sizes, shapes and materials, they are most commonly made of wood and are usually round, octagonal or rectangular. Whether you live in an area like Orlando, Florida, which enjoys a year-long warm climate, or in a more mixed-weather area like Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a gazebo can help maximize outdoor living space and be a beautiful addition to any home. A gazebo provides shade in the sunny months and is a great place to have outdoor meals or entertain guests.
A gazebo can have either a semi-open roof that provides shade but still has openings, or a waterproof, shingled roof that can protect you from the elements. Additionally, the gazebo can have just posts and no walls, or low walls that come up to about three or four feet. While a gazebo without walls requires less lumber, the walls enable you to attach benches and put up screens if you want to keep out pesky bugs and flies.
To Build Or To Buy?
There are three basic ways to purchase a gazebo. If you have carpentry experience and all the proper tools, you can buy the wood yourself, create plans, and build away. The lumber will probably cost between $1,500 and $3,000, depending on type of wood and size of your gazebo. Most of us, however, aren’t that skilled and this project will be beyond our DIY experience. Instead, a professional carpenter should be consulted. This is especially true if you are placing the gazebo on a sloped surface, as proper tools are required to install posts and/or a foundation.
Another option is to purchase a kit. This saves you the hassle of making blueprints and buying the wood, though this too requires skill to install. You can hire a carpenter to put the kit together, which will usually cost a few hundred dollars depending on the location of the gazebo, the size, and the complexity of the design. The kit itself, depending on the size and type of wood can cost anywhere from $2,000 – $10,000. Be sure to check if the kit comes with a floor, and prepare accordingly. If you plan on placing the gazebo near water, it might be a good idea to install a concrete foundation.
Alternatively, you can hire an experienced carpenter to plan and build your gazebo. While more expensive than the other options, this enables you to customize it to the smallest detail. Want a certain trim or ornamentation? Need a special size or shape? A carpenter can build your gazebo to fit these specifications.
Tips
When selecting a gazebo, make sure to take the size of your yard into account, as an overly-large gazebo will dwarf your yard. Be sure the color matches your home and fits in with the landscape. Factor in maintenance costs – a wooden gazebo will need to be stained or painted every year or two. You will probably want to hire an electrician to install outlets, lighting or perhaps even a ceiling fan if you plan on using the gazebo in the hot summer nights.
Whatever type of gazebo you choose to buy, be sure to have it installed by a professional carpenter so that you and your family can enjoy it for years to come.
Mark Stevens is a writer from New Jersey who has written over 100 home improvement articles. Want to ask Mark something? Send him a message.
