The Lake Tahoe Gazebo

Extend you home's living space into the garden with an elegant and easy to build eight-sided redwood gazebo, a pleasant outdoor retreat for social gatherings or soothing private reflection.

Construction Common and Deck Common are excellent economical redwood grades for this project. They are easy to work with and accept a variety of finishes. Where increased decay resistance is needed, use all-heartwood grades: Construction Heart or Deck Heart.

This project requires careful planning and measuring during construction of each of its main components: layout, posts and footings, decking, frieze, rafters and roofing, and railings.

If you are a relative newcomer to do-it-yourself projects, follow the construction steps presented here and seek help whenever you are unsure of the details. More experienced d-i-yers will feel comfortable with this basic design and will find several areas to add personal touches. A few ideas for frieze, railing and roofing options are offered.

Use only corrosion-resistant hardware. Check local building codes before planning construction.

layout footings