My Zen Garden: Gazebo Rebuild

Last year I had to take down the old gazebo because it was old and dangerous. Through the summer of 2018 there was no gazebo at all, mostly due to my lack of time to build the new one, and my ignorance on how to proceed. Over the winter I watched lots of videos and finally decided how to get started. I would dig post holes, add cement footings and attach the new gazebo.

Keep in mind, building the gazebo started May 17. I didn't finish everything related to the gazebo and patio area until July 4. Rather than make numerous postings, I decided to limi th number of gazebo relate posts.

Needless to say, it wasn't that simple. The Gazebo, a Palmero 300 Gazebo, is 10 x 10 and the same footprint as the previous gazebo. This was the best Gazebo I could find with a solid roof that could sustain winter snow and not get excessively hot. Most gazebos with aluminum roofs get hot, this one has polycarbonate roof panels that are strong and allow diffused light to pass through, but no UV. It can take a snow load of 20 lbs/ft squared. For little snows, I will be o.k., bigger ones will mean I get out the snow rake - just part of life in the Northeast. What I won't have to do is take down, rebuild, or replace a cloth canopy. Life should be a bit easier.

Note: this was a challenge to build - it requires two people, but I somehow managed by myself with some creative use of my Little Giant ladder (super sturdy).

Once I had the basic frame up, I had to dig post holes. This should have been easy enough. With some help from Pythagorus I made sure the posts were properly squared - I also used the post/frame to make sure the holes were properly aligned. Once I broke through the gravel bed, there was nothing but sand underneath. However, I was surprised by how much dirt was generated by the holes.

The one problem I faced was with a single post hole - back left near the fence. For some reason I kept hitting lots of chunks of cement, and they kept getting bigger the deeper I went. Must have been a smashed up old patio or dry well. It took a very long time to get it all out before I could put in the cement post.

I then poured the cement and waited a week before I continued with attaching the gazebo posts.

Next step was to attach the roof panels. This turned out to be remarkably easy. Did it alone with no problem. Panels are strong but super light.

I then had to find a use for all that dirt. Years ago when I laid this patio with crushed gravel, I sloped it away from the house. However, at the back right corner the slope was overly dramatic (at that time I ran out of crushed stone, so it was never very level. So, I removed all the pea stone for the entire 12 x 21 area (no easy task), dug up the crushed gravel to get back to dirt in the right quadrant, then moved the dirt in and tamped it down, replaced the gravel and tamped it down repeatedly (no machine, all by hand).