CUSTOM WOODWORKING WITH FLAIR!
Cedar Gazebo Construction Details
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Overview This all cedar octagonal gazebo measures 13 feet across and 12 feet high. The 12:8 pitch roof is covered with cedar shakes and the bracing includes additional cripple rafters for strength and rigidity under heavy snow load and strong winds. The gazebo features a radiating diagonal floor pattern with eight split panel sides, each side panels crowned with a curved arch. All of the sides, including the door, are fully screened to protect against mosquitos and black flies. |
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Ground Preparation The ground preparation involves the leveling of the ground and the removal of all debris. A bed of sand with a cover of landscaping material is prepared. Concrete slabs or setts are placed at the center and at each of the eight corners of the gazebo. A post holder is anchored to the patio slab using concrete screws. A string level is used to determine the height of each post.
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Joisting A 2x6 sub-skirt is fitted to the posts
and a second inner skirt is fitted inside the sub-skirt at the entrance.
Main bracing of doubled 12' 2x6 is fitted from from the entrance to the opposite
wall and center to each side. The remaining joisting is laid in the
direction of the main joist on 24" centers. An outer skirt of 2x8 is added
and screwed from the inside. Wire mesh to keep out animals is stapled to the inside of the joisting and under additional patio stones. Pebbles and rock is added to fill the gaps. TIP: To make the sub-skirt assembly easier, cut 4 of the sub-skirts with 45° miters and the other 4 square. Secure by driving screws through the miter. |
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Floor Laying 2x6
flooring is cut to create a diagonal pattern that radiates from the center.
Each of the four quadrants is laid in turn and the boards spaced with a 1/4"
gap. Staple fiberglass mosquito netting to the joisting and screw the boards down. Seal the screw holes by gluing
tapered plugs cut from same coloured cedar scraps. Trim flush and sand when dry.
TIP: To align screw holes, use a chalk line to install floor boards. Top Plate A 2x6 top plate is cut and laid onto the completed flooring. Rafters are cut to the desired pitch and a cut-out made to fit onto the top plate. A short center ("crown") post is cut into an octagonal cross section.
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Rafters Mortises are cut into two (or four) opposing
faces of the crown. Matching tenons are made in two (four) of the rafters. Dowels
are used to join the remaining rafters to the top post. The rafters
are laid out on the top plate and adjusted for fit. TIP: Drill dowel holes in the rafters first and use dowel centres to transfer the hole locations to the crown. TIP: With eight rafter joining the crown, it is pretty crowded. To ensure a sug fit, plane a 45°chamfer (1/4" on a side) the ends of each rafters.
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Building the Walls Top and bottom sills are cut from 2x4 with 22.5°mitered ends and assembled into frames with doubled 2x4 uprights. With the exception of the front entrance, each frame is screwed to the base and neighbouring frames. The top plates (cut earlier) are glued and screwed to the top sills. Additional steel fastening plates are added to the intersection of each pair of frames. The entrance is fitted with two stub bottom sills to allow the door to be framed later. Additional "L" brackets are added to the top plate at each corner to anchor the rafters. Another bracket is added when the rafters are installed. |
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Rafter Installation With the help of my good friend, Denis, the rafters with the tenons are installed first, glued into the crown. The rafters are toe nailed to the top plate and screwed to the brackets at each corner. Opposing pairs of rafters are installed in a similar manner until the roof is completed. The rafters are toe nailed into the crown from the top when the assembly is finished.
Cripples and sub rafters are installed to shed the load of the roof. The cripples are screwed to the rafters and the sub rafters are anchored to the top plate in a similar manner.
TIP: Cripples are cut with 11° left miter, 8° right tilt.
TIP: Left and right sub-rafters need to be cut. They use the same miter angles (34°, 4°) but mirror-image blade tilt (8°). Cut a "master" as a template and change blade tilt to make left & right versions.
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Roof Board Installation The
first course of roofing boards (1x8) is cut and screwed to the rafters.
The lower edge is ripped for a plumb cut to meet the front fascia board
(installed later) while the ends are compound mitred to ensure a good fit
at each rafter. When the boards extend over the cripple, long ladders allow installation from the top. When the roof is completed, the sharp
roof edges are sanded or planed down so that the subsequent layer of roofing felt is
not punctured. Samuel (my son) completed the roof boards that the crown.
TIP: To minimize changes to miter settings, set the saw to 18° left miter, 15° right tilt. Make first cut in roof board at right end, good face down. Advance the cut board, turn good-face up, measure board length and make second cut.
TIP: To minimize waste, transfer cut end of board to right side of saw good face down and make cut. Advance board, turn good face up, measure and make second cut.
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Roofing Paper Installation Rofing paper is stapled or nailed to the roof boards starting from the bottom. The next course is added with at least 8" of overlap at the edges and corners. Courses of paper are installed panel by panel and the last (4th) course is stapled and folded over the crown.TIP: Don't undertake this in hot weather! Railing Installation A 2x6 railing is installed 32" above the floor. The railing is notched and mitered at 22.5° around each upright.TIP: Make a template from scrap and use it to cut each rail to suit. |
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Post Trim Installation Each composite corner post is trimmed with 1x cedar. The 2x6 railing is captured between upper and lower lengths of inside trim while the outside trim extends between upper and lower sills.The inside and outside trim is ripped to width at 22.5° angle and all outside edges treated with a 1/2" roundover. |
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Arch Trim Installation Arches are added to each panel. Made from glued-up 2x6, the curve is cut using a router with a spiral up-cut bit at the end of a trammel (R=68"). The waste of the arch is sawn away and the curve completed with a bearing guided flush cut bit mounted in the router table. The arch is screwed to the post trim and upper sill. |
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Screens and Screen Frame Installation Screens are added to both upper and lower sections of each panel. Each screen frame is made from 6/4 cedar and consists a deeply grooved top, a shallow grooved base and 2 sides with end tenons to fit the grooves and a rabbet to accept the screen. The screens are made up from cut-to-length aluminium framing, push-fit corners, fiberglass mesh and spline. |
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Roof Fascia Installation The end of the rafters are cut back to install a 4/4 fascia. All rafters are cut plumb about 2" in from the roof edge and horizontal at 3" below the roof line. The top of the fascia is ripped to match the roof pitch (34°), the ends mitered to 22.5° to butt join the next board.TIP: Cut the rafters BEFORE installing roof boards! Installing Cedar Shakes A drip edge is stapled to the end roof board and tar paper installed on each arris. Shakes (18") are installed with 1.5" overhang and a double course to start. Each board at the end of a row is mitred (18°), planed to fit and glued to the next board. The planed fit of the butt joint is alternated every course. (Look closely!) Subsequent courses are laid with a 5" reveal. |
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Installing Entry Door The entrance to the gazebo is a two-part screen door that open from the middle outwards. The top is arched to match the arches in all other sides. Opposing rabbets mate the door top with the top arch and one door to the other. Screens are fitted in both top and bottom panels.TIP: The fascia is curved to allow the doors to open fully. Installing Cedar Shakes More shingling and shaking in the heat! And so it continues until you are sick of @#$% shingles! |
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And finally, with a sealed and stained roof, joisting and floor and the crowning "nipple"
Ta dah!
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