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Structural Details: Gazebo
Let’s take a look at the major components of a Gazebo. The individual sizes, shapes, and options we offer regarding these parts are sometimes different between structure types (and even between the same structures at different dimensions) but most standard features are shown on the Octagon Gazebo below.
 

12’ Treated Pine Octagon Single Roof Gazebo
Shown Unstained with Cedar Shingles, Cupola, Treated Pine Deck, and Standard 1x3" Railings.
 
Gazebo Details
(Listed in Alphabetical Order)

Braces These pieces keep the gazebo square and help support the weight of the roof. While you can choose to exclude the Top Railings to which the Braces usually attach, the Braces themselves are required for strength. They are available in different styles such as Standard or Half-Moon (shown above) and Decorative for those with a passion for elegant flare.
Cupola The cupola is one of the few mostly-decorative options, a traditional accent for adding another level of grandeur and detail to the overall shape of the roof. They come by default with many of our structures, and can be added to most others if desired. The construction and roof materials on a Cupola will match the rest of the structure (shown above in Treated Pine with Cedar Shingles). The roof is not open to the cupola by default to maintain the structural integrity of the roof, but with extra reinforcement elsewhere we can make the Cupola functional, allowing ventilation through the vents and a hole in the roof.
Fascia This 1” x 6” Board sits just under the edge of the roof, hiding and protecting the Roof Frame where it attaches to the beams and posts, and it reinforces this bond. We offer 2 styles that are structurally comparable: Wavy (shown above) and Straight. The Fascia boards are crafted from the same material as the rest of your structure (such as Treated Pine in this example).
Floor Frame Decks are not included by default, but adding one is a great idea for many reasons. Built with 2” x 6” heavy-duty floor joists for long life and durability, these frames can hold everything from your hot tub to large groups of people. When floor sections are assembled in our Easy-to-Assemble Kits the floor joists are doubled (two 2” x 6” joists side-by-side), but floor joists on structures shipped Fully Assembled are single joists. In addition, Gazebos that are 18' or larger use 2” x 8” joists for extra strength.
Floor Decking If you add deck to your structure, it will increase the overall integrity by a large margin. Our wood decks are built with 1¼” x 6” boards with minimal spacing between them and firmly supported by a sturdy Floor Frame. They are built from the same material as the rest of your structure (such as Treated Pine, shown above). We also offer Composite Decking created from recycled materials that last even longer than time-tested lumber and are offered in a variety of color choices such as Harbor Gray, Rosewood, Teakwood, and Sandcastle.
Posts The standard 4” x 4” posts for Gazebos are different in each of our three main materials:
  • Treated Pine Gazebos feature laminated posts, made by gluing southern yellow pine boards together under pressure to produce a post that is stronger and less likely to twist, split, or check than single-log posts.
  • Red Cedar Gazebos have solid cedar posts (western red cedar cannot be laminated due to the wood’s chemical makeup) which are just slightly beneath Treated Pine in terms of strength.
  • Vinyl Gazebos have Treated Pine 4” x 4” post cores that are covered with highly durable vinyl sleeves in one of several color options: White, Almond, Clay, and Black. The vinyl sleeves add roughly ½” to the width and depth of the post, making these posts 4½” x 4½” in overall size.
Post height can be customized to provide more headspace as you see fit. For Gazebos less than 16’ in size, we can offer stylish Decorative Posts as well to match our Decorative Braces.
Railing A top hand rail 2” x 4” matches the Gazebo’s material (Cedar, Pine, or Vinyl). This rail adds strength to the railing and stability to the posts, but can potentially be excluded if other reinforcements are added. Options are available such as different sizing and spacing of balusters and spindles, as well as a solid railing made of tongue and groove 1” x 6” boards. All railings are 32” tall by default, but can be upgraded to 36” tall if desired.
Roof Frame The standard Roof Frame for a gazebo with Cedar Shingles is shown above. The exposed roof rafters are 2” x 4” boards or 2” x 6” boards on large gazebos. Like the Floor Frame, gazebos shipped Fully Assembled have single rafters, while the Easy-to-Assemble Kits have doubled rafters and provide extra support. Vinyl Gazebos have wooden rafters by default (not covered by vinyl sleeves) that can be painted, left natural, or covered by one of our ceiling options which are available on all of our gazebos: Cedar Tongue & Groove Ceiling, Treated Pine Tongue & Groove Ceiling, or Vinyl Finished Ceiling.

Cedar Shingles need to breathe, so they are installed using 1” x 4” strips of wood (Cedar or Treated Pine) called “purlins”. Looking up from inside your gazebo, you will see the bottom of the cedar shingles between the purlins. When using Asphalt or Rubber shingles, the purlins are replaced with 1” x 6” tongue and groove boards which completely cover the underside of the shingles.
Roof Shingles We offer a variety of shingles and roofing options:
  • Cedar Shingles (shown above) hold up for decades and are naturally resistant to insects, rot, and inclement weather. With proper application of stain/sealer (we recommend once every 2 years at least) they will look brand new for years to come, or if left unstained they will weather to a light gray patina which appeals to a rustic style.
  • Asphalt Shingles are one of the most common roofing solutions in the world. These heavyweight 30-year architectural shingles feature a triple-layer fiberglass mat construction with top saw tooth design. The three layers of mat are coated with asphalt, surfaced with mineral granules, and then laminated together with special asphalt adhesive. We offer numerous shingle color options by TAMKO Building Products.
  • Rubber Shingles are designed to emulate the look and feel of natural slate without the negatives that come with the real material. Rubber slate is a quarter of the weight, flexible, eco-friendly, made from 80% recycled post-industrial rubber and plastic which is guaranteed to offer years of superior performance and wind resistance. Several color options are available such as Earth Green, Midnight Gray, Stone Red, and Cedar Brown Seneca.
  • Metal Roofing has become an increasingly popular modern roof solution. We supply upwards of 20 color options which fit a huge range of styles. The ribbed panels are made with 29 gauge high-tensile steel that are resistant to dents and will not expand or contract with the changing weather. Snow slides off the metal easier than other roofing. Each panel is coated with galvalume (an aluminum/zinc alloy that provides extra protection), bonded with Epoxy primer providing flexibility and an excellent base for the final coat of paint. The panels are also coated with Cream-A-Sil, a pigmented ceramic silicone polyester which creates strength, hardness, and durability against the elements, is extremely resistant to mildew, and will not blister, peel, or flake. This superior roofing material is practically maintenance-free.
These choices provide perfect solutions for nearly every climate and situation, as well as a wide variety of style and design options to suit your favored aesthetic.
Top Railing These upper railing sections measure roughly 7” tall on Cedar and Pine gazebos, and 9” tall on Vinyl, and have full-length 2” x 3” top and bottom plate boards for strength. The spindles match the main railings in both material and style. These railing sections may be excluded if you prefer a clean look, but this will reduce the overall integrity of the structure. If you order your gazebo with no bottom rails and no floor, we highly suggest keeping the top railing for stability.
 

12' x 18' Vinyl Oval Double Roof Gazebo
Shown with Asphalt Shingles, Decorative Braces, Decorative Spindle Railings,
Wavy Fascia, and a Vinyl Finished Ceiling.
 
Hopefully this overview of Gazebo Structure Details has been informative. The options mentioned above can be seen in our Design Wizard with real-time previews and pricing. Please note that these are the most prominent and common parts of our gazebos, but there are additional pieces and customizations we can discuss as well. If you would like any further assistance, feel free to give us a call, email, or live chat!
 
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