Gazebo
We wanted a gazebo that was open and inviting. It was placed next to the apple tree in a central part of the yard that gave a commanding view of the family’s goings on.
It has a slight curve to the roof’s pitch and shaker-style vertical decoration at the roofline. The cupola at top allows any hot air to escape.
The structure is all made out of redwood and the shingles are cedar. The most difficult task was definitely placing all of those cedar shingles. A vast majority of them needed to be trimmed for the angle at the edge of each roof section.
Roofing paper was skipped at the expense of water-proofing so that the cedar shingles could be seen from underneath.
Once again Sketchup comes to the rescue. With a CAD program like Sketchup, attention can be paid to how every joint will be made. Every inside and outside dimension can be examined. Each piece of wood can be sized to reflect real lumber dimensions. Dimensions and angles can be referenced during the build process. Overall design balance and fit can be viewed. This model of the gazebo is a couple of feet wider than the one I built.
I’ve learned a lot about Sketchup since creating this model. I’ve learned that each piece in the design should be made into a group so that pieces that touch it will not affect it.
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