How to build gazebos that nurture your spirit

When I first began to build gazebos, I started with a hexagonal design, a six-sided structure. However, I wasn’t satisfied with it. Hexagon gazebos lack symmetry and don’t have the structural beauty I was seeking. Eventually, I lost interest in them and switched to building octagonal gazebos. It wasn’t because I was drawn to Feng Shui, where the octagon represents the unification of heaven and earth, prosperity, health, and rebirth. At 38, I had just completed my 40-foot sailboat with a cement hull after nine years of hard work and was searching for the next project in my life. I instinctively knew that building gazebos were the right fit for me, and that’s how my journey into building gazebos began.

In 1999, we landed a major contract with the U.S. Army in Washington, to build twenty 20-foot octagonal gazebos. While we had previously supplied gazebos for U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force bases locally, this was a game changer. It marked a turning point, pushing us to elevate our designs and recreate custom-quality gazebo kits that were optimized for easy assembly. I’ve always disliked products that come with an overwhelming number of parts to put together. Our approach is simple: fewer parts, easier assembly. Our gazebo kits can be put together in a day, with minimal pre-assembly required, making the process as streamlined and customer-friendly as possible.

• Rafters: In the early days, I used to build gazebos the traditional way—using headers to sandwich the rafters, which were then joined at the top by a cupola. This method caused major assembly challenges, particularly at the top of the ladder, where the posts were unstable. Eventually, I started notching the rafters at top and bottom: one to hang the roof panels and the other to lock the rafters into the headers, making it a breeze to assemble large octagonal gazebos on roof top.

• Headers: Over time, I transitioned to double headers, which consist of a horizontal member sitting on a post and a vertical one where the rafters rest. The notches in the top headers securely catch the rafters at an angle, and the hanger bolts at the top of the posts made assembly much more manageable, even when working on tall ladders.

• Rafter Joints at the Peak: I soon abandoned the cupola that previously held the rafters together, opting instead to have the rafters meet at the peak. This required cutting the rafters to precise lengths and angles. It’s highly technical work—knowing the precise length and angles is one thing, making such piece is another. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing eight rafters of an octagonal gazebo perfectly join at the peak. I recall struggling to convince my structural engineer, Jack, how the rafters literally support each other at the peak. Ultimately, I ended up adding metal straps at the peak for structural purposes, which concealed the perfect rafter joinery. He was not always right, though.  On one occasion, he specified 4x3’s for the valley rafters, but there wasn't enough space for that. He must have overlooked the fact that the notches on the rafters and headers fit closely together, which lowered the roof position. As a result, we had to use the same material sideways as 3x4’s for a better fit.

• Posts: My engineer insisted on bulky wooden knee braces for gazebos with the wooden posts. This became an issue when a landscape architect specified an octagonal gazebo with wooden posts and decorative butterfly braces. To address this, we had to design decorative braces to conceal the unsightly big fat knee braces. While wooden posts were my initial preference, I soon realized that steel posts with anchor bolts eliminated the need for these big braces. This change was a huge relief, especially when we began fabricating large octagonal gazebo kits for other contractors to assemble on job sites and realized that they don't always install those big knee braces.

• Templates: The idea for my templates came about by accident. A contractor needed to pour concrete and set post connectors, but I wasn’t available. Diagrams with dimensions alone weren’t enough to help others position the post connectors or anchor bolts correctly. So, I created templates to make the process easier for contractors. These templates helped them position everything correctly at level to each other, streamlining the octagon gazebo assembly process.

• Octagon Dome Gazebos with Sixteen Rafters: My engineer was initially skeptical of my design for a 16-rafter octagonal gazebo (O-16), due to its complex engineering requirements. The design featured sixteen rafters on eight one-eighth circular-shaped headers, supported by eight posts to create a graceful dome. He called for bulky wooden braces between the rafters and tons of metal hardware. Fortunately, most of these connectors were concealed inside the gazebo, so they didn’t interfere with the final appearance.

• Metal Strapper: When building gazebos, I use a metal strap around the lower headers and tighten the fit with a metal strapper. This is a very useful tool, keeps the headers from falling apart while I assemble the rafters and roof panels. I leave the straps in place until the roof is finished.

• Fasteners and metal connectors: My engineer often insists on adding metal connectors to simplify his calculations. While it’s not my preferred style to use visible metal hardware, I’m willing to incorporate them when absolutely necessary—typically for building permits or structural reasons.

• Hidden joinery: The beauty of my gazebos goes beyond their distinctive designs, with the real magic found in the intricate hidden joinery and multi-angled cuts that set them apart. Take the post boxes, for example—the hidden joinery is designed to keep them secure over time, using techniques inspired by boat building. These careful, thoughtful details are what truly distinguish SamsGazebos products.