Following some decking I built for her last year, the Boss has decided that the garden really needs a gazebo. For encouragement, I was also given a book entitled " Building the perfect Gazebo" by David Schiff. I tried to talk her out of this by suggesting that what it really needed was a stone patio in the corner where there is a rockery. Unfortunately, she called my bluff and I have spent days moving boulders and levelling out the rockery. I have moved several tons of stones and earth. As a result the back has finally given up, the blood pressure is off the scale and I can no longer play golf. All this and I still have to build the retaining walls and lay the slabs!
In my few quiet moments, I have been thinking about the gazebo and looking at the one built by Mailee. I think this is excellent but the boss wants an octagonal one. I have tried to explain to her that this involves a lot of complicated joints buit she is confident of my ability. I must say that I do not share this confidence but I am prepared to give it a go.
I think I can see how the thing should be constructed but I have two basic questions. The first is on the foundations. The Schiff book, being American, goes into great detail about frost lines and ground heave and suggests that foundations sufficient to support the tallest building in the land are required. I live in Glasgow which gets wet ( although not as wet as Gloucester ) and feel that it would be sufficient to use about six inches of gravel as a base, rather than use posts cemented into the ground. The gazebo will only be about 10 feet in diamater. Is this reasonable or should I go for the cement option?
The second is on the type of wood to use. Mr Schiff suggest Canadian Redwood which is in fairly short supply in this part of the country. I am involved in a charity which recycles hardwood which Councils would otherwise put into landfill and I could buy a supply of oak, elm, larch, ash or whatever. Have members any views as to what would be best or could I just use standard pine and coat it well?
As a supplementary, the Boss has suggested that I should make shingles for the roof. I have suggested that the roofing used by Mailee is just what we need as I do not fancy making a few hundred shingles. Does anybody know if you can buy wooden shingles or will I have to spend the winter making them?
In my few quiet moments, I have been thinking about the gazebo and looking at the one built by Mailee. I think this is excellent but the boss wants an octagonal one. I have tried to explain to her that this involves a lot of complicated joints buit she is confident of my ability. I must say that I do not share this confidence but I am prepared to give it a go.
I think I can see how the thing should be constructed but I have two basic questions. The first is on the foundations. The Schiff book, being American, goes into great detail about frost lines and ground heave and suggests that foundations sufficient to support the tallest building in the land are required. I live in Glasgow which gets wet ( although not as wet as Gloucester ) and feel that it would be sufficient to use about six inches of gravel as a base, rather than use posts cemented into the ground. The gazebo will only be about 10 feet in diamater. Is this reasonable or should I go for the cement option?
The second is on the type of wood to use. Mr Schiff suggest Canadian Redwood which is in fairly short supply in this part of the country. I am involved in a charity which recycles hardwood which Councils would otherwise put into landfill and I could buy a supply of oak, elm, larch, ash or whatever. Have members any views as to what would be best or could I just use standard pine and coat it well?
As a supplementary, the Boss has suggested that I should make shingles for the roof. I have suggested that the roofing used by Mailee is just what we need as I do not fancy making a few hundred shingles. Does anybody know if you can buy wooden shingles or will I have to spend the winter making them?
