Pavilions, or gazebos as they are more commonly known, are free-standing, open-sided structures.
A typical pavilion has an octagonal shape with open walls and side railings. However, pavilions can be any shape. Their latticed roofs work like a big tree letting only a portion of the sunshine through. Pavilions can also have covered roofs, making them a handy shelter in the rain. You can decorate your pavilion with hanging plants and baskets. Before you start building, take note of the following:
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- Make sure to build a pavilion large enough to accommodate the furniture you want to put in it.
- Make sure you place the pavilion in a flat area of your garden. You may have to flatten out the area some more.
Now, you're ready to start building.
- Dig holes where you want the four corners of your pavilion to be.
- Sink four 4-by-4-inch posts in the holes. Your pavilion will be as tall as the exposed part of the posts. Fill the area around the posts with cement, making sure the posts are standing straight.
- Connect the posts with four 2-by-8-inch beams laid horizontally on the top of the posts. Strengthen the structure by attaching a V-shaped brace to each post. Make the braces by attaching two 2-by-6-inch beams to each horizontal beam and each post.
- Place roofing slats on the beams across the top of the pavilion. If you want a lattice roof, leave a few inches (centimeters) of space between each slat. Otherwise, place the slats close to each other. Attach the slats to the beams with deck screws.
- You can either leave the floor in its natural state or you can put down slate slabs.
[sources: Real Cedar, DIY Network]
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