Wooden gazebos for summer cottages: how to organize with your own hands?

Summer is the best time for both rest and work on the ground. In between standing over the beds or in the evening, after dinner, you don't want to go into the house at all. The best way to comfortably spend time outdoors is to sit in a gazebo. It is easy to hide from the sun here, it is nice to have tea, sit with a book. It is desirable that this structure is just wooden - it will seem the most organic in the garden.

It is no coincidence that wooden gazebos for summer cottages are widely used:

• The tree is easy to handle. It can be used to create buildings of a wide variety of shapes with ornate decor, which is achieved using artistic carving.
• Such a structure fits best with landscape design. For example, brick would not look so appropriate in a natural atmosphere.
• Wood is warm in nature. Thanks to this, it will be cozy in the evening in the gazebo, but it will be cool on a sultry afternoon.
• During construction, a serious foundation is not required, since a fairly light material is used for the construction of the gazebo. Financial investments in this case will not become ruinous.

By design, structures of this type can be very different:

• Shelter from the scorching sun and precipitation. Essentially a simple resting shed.
• For meetings and privacy. They are usually located in cozy, poorly visible areas of the garden.
• A platform from which you can admire nature. These are the so-called belvederes (which is translated from Italian as "beautiful view"). They are usually built on hills, where there is a good overview of scenic spots - rivers, forests and other things.
• A place to hang out with friends and family. There should be enough space inside for installing a table and benches.
• Barbecue area. On such sites, among other things, a stove or barbecue is arranged.

For the construction of arbors, different types of wood are used. You can use larch or oak, although this is not the best solution. These rocks themselves cannot be classified as cheap, and there are many problems in processing such material. It is better to look at the pine when choosing a breed. It is easy to work with and quite affordable for the price.

For construction, dried wood must be used, protected by special means from rotting and other negative influences. The details of the gazebo can be treated with the same stain, which will protect it from the effects of water and sun, fungus, and various pests. In addition, such an impregnation gives the wood a beautiful natural shade.

Even a simple design without decorative frills, with an uncomplicated roof made of metal or slate, can look very organic on the site. If the climbing plants are allowed to grow around it, this will be the very decoration that the primitive outlines lack.

Traditional octagonal suburban buildings look good. They include carved elements that make the buildings unique. Roofs can also be intricate, with multiple levels.

If such a "room" is tightened from the inside with special nets or curtains, you can avoid intrusive insects from entering it, take shelter from the heat and cold wind, for example, in bad weather or in the evening.

Octagonal garden pavilions painted white look very elegant and noble. They look especially advantageous against the background of a reservoir on a small hill. The feeling is created that they are hovering above the ground.

You can choose a construction option in which only slightly processed tree trunks act as supports. The construction is deliberately rude. It can have symmetrically located building elements or vice versa. For such a structure, for the sake of a certain style, you can make a roof of an irregular shape or emphasize the "wildness" of the structure using special design techniques.

Guests and neighbors will be surprised by the Hawaiian-style hut with a cone-shaped thatched roof. At its core, this is unlikely to become a functional structure, since a thatched roof will not survive the Russian winter with winds, frosts and snow, but it can be very useful as an unusual addition to the garden.

Many people find it easier to purchase a ready-made gazebo, but sometimes it makes sense to make it yourself. For a person who loves to work with wood and knows exactly how to handle it, this will be an excellent investment of energy to embody their own creative ideas.

First, decide on the location of the future structure. The lowland is not suitable for this for obvious reasons - the tree there will quickly rot, and it is simply unpleasant to be above the puddle, which will periodically form under the gazebo. It would be nice to choose such a point for construction, from which a view of a picturesque place opens up, and not a fence or a barn.

The next is the preparation of the drawing, in which all dimensions are fixed - general and all elements of the structure, from the foundation to the roof. You should also take into account the methods of connecting parts of the structure and the amount of materials that will be required for the case. A detailed diagram and preliminary calculation will allow you to avoid mistakes in construction and not spend extra money.

The most common form of a gazebo, which ordinary people, and not professional builders, undertake to translate into reality, is a square or rectangle.

To create such a structure, you will need the following:

• concrete, which is needed for the foundation or fixing the racks;
• a bar measuring 15 by 15 centimeters to create a base and racks;
• timber 10 by 10 centimeters for the formation of the lathing and roof elements;
• timber for logs 5 by 15 centimeters;

• floor board;
• board (plywood) for the roof;
• for the roof - slate, metal tiles, corrugated board or some other material for covering the roof;
• to create railings - timber or boards;
• for wall cladding - lining or boards;
• screws, screws, nails, etc. for fasteners.

Before starting construction, treat the tree with moisture-proof and antiseptic agents.

Start work with the foundation or supports. To do this, use a rope and pegs to mark the perimeter of the future structure. Measure the diagonals of the rope mark. They must be equal so that in the future the structure has the correct shape.

The foundation can be poured completely or only the racks can be concreted. The second way is easier. Dig holes about a meter deep, pour gravel or sand there in a layer of about 5 cm. Pour about ten centimeters of concrete and wait a little for it to set. Until the mixture is completely frozen, lower the anchors under the posts into the pits. Each post is installed strictly vertically into the hole. Check the correctness of its position by level. Then pour concrete into the pit to the top. The fixed posts must form a square or rectangle.

The next step is to create the wireframe. Work begins with the formation of the lower harness. Lagami is a bar. It is laid with a distance of half a meter - this will allow the structure to withstand the weight of the flooring. After that, mount the rest of the posts, which will support the upper trim and the roof. The number of racks is calculated depending on the area of ​​the gazebo.

When the frame is ready, start making the floor. Attach the boards to the crate with screws or nails.

To create a roof, make a top strapping from a bar, attaching it to the supports with nails. Further actions will depend on the shape of the roof. Most often it is made gable or hipped. The second option looks the most interesting. In the case of a hipped roof, the rafters converge in the center of the structure. Bars for them need to be prepared in advance, in the process of work, fix them in pairs, driving in nails at an angle.

To make the roof reliable, install additional rafters, attaching them to the main ones, as well as to the upper harness. Cover the roof itself with boards or plywood, and on top place tiles, slate or other roofing material of your choice. It is desirable that the roof of the gazebo is decorated in the same way as the roof of the house.

Finally, decorate the walls and railing of the gazebo. Use timber to create the top and bottom of the railing. Sheathe the railings themselves with clapboard or board. You can use wood carving in decoration.

When thinking about creating a gazebo, you need to keep in mind a number of nuances:

• After turning the building into reality, it will play not only a practical role, but also become the final element in the design of the landscape of the territory. Therefore, the appearance of the gazebo is very important.
• The size of the building depends on the area of ​​the garden - the smaller it is, the more elegant and smaller the gazebo should be.

• When decorating a gazebo, it makes sense to plant climbing plants next to it. Expanding on the lattice of the gazebo, they will fence off the inner space under the canopy from the outside world, creating an atmosphere of intimacy and comfort.
• If instead of the usual bindweed, you plant curly strawberries near the building, then it will be possible to harvest berries from the gazebo.
• Surrounded by flowers, any light building can look elegant. You can plant roses next to it or some other garden flowers that will give the structure nobility and charm.

• You should think over the options for choosing furniture in advance. For a small building, it is enough to install benches along the inner perimeter. In a more spacious gazebo, you can install an oval table (preferably complete with benches). It is good if it is handmade furniture. Wicker chairs and armchairs can also be used.
• The dimensions of the furniture must correspond to the area of ​​the room.
• It is better to take care of the electric lighting of the gazebo and its protection with a mosquito net.

• If you like oriental design, you can make a spacious Chinese-style gazebo with characteristic roof outlines. If you place comfortable sofas and armchairs with pillows under it, and place a small coffee table in the middle, you will get a great place to relax.
• A large gazebo with an intricate two-level roof, located by the reservoir, will become a favorite meeting place. Curtains and a table lamp installed on a small table will create a unique atmosphere here that can encourage you to have frank, sincere conversations.

• A spacious gazebo with a hipped roof and walls in the form of a decorative lattice will be a convenient place for evening gatherings with family and friends. When a bindweed grows on the trellis, it will become especially cozy here.
• With the help of fine wood carving, such a structure can be turned into a real masterpiece that will attract guests and neighbors like a magnet.Furniture made with the same pattern as on the building will complete the look.

For information on how to independently make a wooden gazebo for a summer residence, see below.