Our Favorite Patio Gazebos for Summer 2018
A gazebo is a structure that is for decoration or used as a space to relax or entertain. Originally, gazebo plans always had a roof, but today’s versions are much more innovative and don’t always follow the same style.
Additionally, when you’re looking for gazebo plans nowadays, you might notice pavilions, pergolas, and pagodas tend to fall into the gazebo category. It doesn’t matter which type you choose, with a few tips, some hard work, and quality products, you can build a structure you’ll enjoy on your patio for years to come.
Tips for Choosing Gazebo Plans for Your Patio
After you decide to create a gazebo on your patio, you have to search through gazebo plans to find the one for you, but the process is much simpler when you take a few factors into consideration.
Match or Complement Your Décor
When you’re trying to find a plan, you have to decide if you want to match the design with your current décor or complement it. Obviously, you want to match the style of your home with the style of your décor. However, you could opt to use colors that offset the color of your home or use hues that match it, which is strictly a personal preference.
Choosing the Location of Your Gazebo
You can opt to situate a gazebo on your current patio or create a portion of patio separately. Either one works, but if you position one on your current patio, you have to pay attention to size and figure out how you’re going to position the supports on or around your patio.
Before you position the patio and gazebo, you should always call your utility companies to ensure pipes or lines aren’t directly underneath the area. Even if you hire someone to execute your gazebo plans, if you or someone else should happen to damage a pipe in the building process, you’re responsible for the damage. In most states, it’s the law to contact utility companies before you start construction projects where you’re digging.
You want to position your gazebo on your patio closer to your home if you’re going to use it as an outdoor dining area. You don’t want to have to walk a long distance with dishes.
Obtaining a Permit for the Gazebo
Even if you’re positioning the gazebo on your patio, depending on the size, you may have to obtain a permit for the project. It’s best to contact your local government and explain your gazebo plans, specifically the size. Generally, if your gazebo is under 10 foot by 10 foot, you don’t need a permit.
Keep in mind, if you build your gazebo and don’t have a permit, you could receive a “Cease and desist” or “Stop work” order. If your local government states your gazebo didn’t follow local laws because you built without a permit, you could have to remove it and rebuild it correctly at your own expense.
Choosing Gazebo Plans Based on Function
When you’re selecting gazebo plans, you must consider the purpose of the gazebo. For instance, you may just want the gazebo to enhance the appeal of your yard, or you might want a space to relax or read. Maybe you would like a space for you and you’re loved one to spend summer nights together.
Obviously, what you want it for determines the size you need or want. It also determines the style you want. For example, if you plan on entertaining in your gazebo or having a table to enjoy family meals, you need gazebo plans that are larger than 10 foot by 10 foot. A smaller gazebo is ideal as a decorative piece that you’ll grow vining plants up.
Using Gazebo Plans or Kits
You have to decide whether you’re going to use gazebo plans or find a kit. You have to carefully choose no matter which option you select when you’re building on a patio. Not all designs are for constructing a gazebo over a patio, so you may need to alter the plans a bit.
With plans, you’re able to tailor them to exactly what you want, even in terms of size because you can recalculate the given ratios. You have to purchase all the appropriately sized materials or cut them to meet your needs while you can purchase a kit that does all of the hard work for you.
Choosing a Finish for Your Gazebo Plans
Choosing a finish for your gazebo means you have to decide between a natural or sealed finish. Allowing a finish to weather naturally gives it a rustic look while a sealed finish tends to last longer. Painted gazebos, in particular white, tend to appear more formal while natural or natural stains give the gazebo a rustic appeal.
Our Favorite Gazebo Plans for Your Patio
Certain gazebo plans for your patio for summer of 2018 stand out among others.
Gazebo Plan for a Small Patio
If you’re looking for a gazebo for a small patio not connected to your home – or you’re looking to create a patio away from your home – this gazebo plan is ideal. While you can use a concrete patio, you could also choose to get creative and position the gazebo around tiling.
The gazebo consists of both wood and metal, but if you’re resourceful, you might want to find scrap metal and weld it to create the structure.
The project doesn’t require a great amount of building materials. You can use large screws, a ladder, silicone, metal bars, and wood. You must position the gazebo over a patio, so you’ll need either concrete or outdoor tiling.
This particular gazebo is large enough to situate a table on, but if you would like it larger, you could always alter the dimensions to match the desired size. The original instructions are easy to follow, so you shouldn’t have any difficulty if you’ve worked with wood and metal in the past.
Grilling Under Your Gazebo on Your Patio
Often, people use a gazebo to create a space for entertaining. You can situate a gazebo on a patio that protects your grill and creates a space where you can grill for family or friends. It even has storage for your spices and grill accessories. You could even make it into an outdoor bar.
The original gazebo plan is eight by 14 feet, but you may want to change that configuration a bit if you’re looking for a space where people are able to fit under the gazebo, too.
By finishing all of the lumber you use for this project with a high-quality outdoor stain, you’re able to put together a patio gazebo that will last.
If you’re looking for gazebo plans with descriptive directions, the instructions are step-by-step and easy to follow. The pictures clarify any of the parts that are more difficult to follow.
Pergola Gazebo with a Patio
A pergola has an open roof, which isn’t ideal if you want a space to grill or entertain rain or shine, but they do look stylish, especially when they’re above a patio.
This particular option is spacious enough for one large table in addition to a small end stand or two. The wood finish they used is a cross between modern and rustic when paired with the brick patio, but you can always alter the finish of the wood as well as the patio design.
Building this pergola requires a bit more skill than some of the other gazebo plans, but if you have the skill and time, the finished product is worth it. When compared to many other plans, the instructions are simple and easy to follow.
If you’ve completed similar projects in the past, you probably have all the tools you need, such as a circular saw, level, shovel, and a post hole digger.
Octagonal Gazebo Plan
Simple, yet sophisticated describes this particular octagonal gazebo plan. The original design doesn’t have any flooring, but you can decide to put in slabs, tiles, or concrete once it’s done or any time in the future. It works as an addition to your existing patio or as a free-standing patio and gazebo combo.
The roof features several tiers, and the flooring in the picture is gravel, but you can use your imagination and create a totally new design based off of this original plan.
Don’t think you have to use green and blue for the railing and roofing, either. You can sand and paint the wood any color you want to match or offset your home and landscaping.
Basic Gazebo Plan
We rank this basic gazebo plan high because the possibilities are endless. The guide provides a basic patio gazebo that’s more like a shed you position beside your patio, but you’re able to choose the color, wood, window style, and flooring to make it more than what it looks like in the picture.
The original gazebo plan is for an eight-foot by eight-foot structure, but feel free to alter the dimensions to make it what you want.
The gazebo looks like a small house, and you can use it as a close-to-home retreat or a space for your children to play. The directions are easy to follow, so you shouldn’t have much difficulty constructing the gazebo if you’re familiar with woodwork and construction.
Corner Patio Gazebo
Designate a corner of your patio as a space for a simplistic gazebo with a unique style. What truly makes this gazebo plan is the wall surrounding two sides of it. The gazebo isn’t large – only six feet by eight feet – but it’s spacious enough for a table to entertain outdoors.
Although the gazebo doesn’t provide shade or protection from the elements, it does have character and can make for an ideal space for you to host outdoor dinner parties or to relax at the end of the workday.
When compared to other gazebo plans, it’s relatively easy to build. The designer provided detailed instructions, so you don’t have to guess at creating any portion of the gazebo. The pictures act as a reference during all aspects of the build.
Hexagonal Gazebo With Brick Patio
While DIY Network doesn’t provide you with a guide to follow, if you’re a person who is able to create a structure based on a picture, this gazebo is well worth the time and effort it takes to draft a plan. The design is rather modern with a whimsical feel.
It features a railing on all but one side and has a pattern below the roof around the entire structure. The open sides allow air to flow through freely, and you to get an outstanding view of your yard from various angles. The gazebo is large enough to fit a small to medium-sized table along with a few chairs. Use it as a space to entertain or a place on your patio to destress.
Keep in mind, you must lay the patio first before constructing the gazebo.
Lodge-Style Gazebo
Lodges naturally have a rustic look with logs and stone fireplaces, and this particular gazebo provides you with that same style. The picture showcases an outdoor kitchen with a fireplace, but you can create a space that best suits your needs.
The picture actually isn’t a gazebo plan, but if you’re creative and have the skill to build, the lodge-style gazebo will enhance the look of your landscape.
Huge Open Pergola
If you have the yard to create your dream gazebo, this open-top structure features rods that create a rounded roof over top of spaced patio tiles. The original builder decided to create a reading room with a bookshelf and plenty of sitting space.
Despite the gazebo not coming with instructions, it’s worth the time it would take to carefully plan the design because there’s so much room for creativity with the concept. You could use the space to place a yoga mat and create the ultimate outdoor room for doing the downward dog and getting in touch with your spiritual side.
Feel free to change the flooring and concrete the entire floor or choose decorative tiles to situate on the ground.
Keywords: gazebo plans