DIY - How I Built/Assembled a Sunjoy Octagon 13x13 ft. Cedar Framed Gazebo

[@janetm2956]

Dave, I am in the process of building my gazebo, and I must have watched your video 20 times already! I am definitely not a handyman... Made a mistake when building the panels and had to redo them the next day! Now they are sitting until I can find a couple of people to hold them for me. Thanks for the video, it's been a tremendous help so far.

[@davidegg22]

Many thanks for watching. Although the process looks simple in the video I also had a problem with one panel. I didn’t get one of the supports bolted down right and the panel wouldn’t fit. It took me a while to figure this out. We certainly like our gazebo and spend a lot of time enjoying this new environment. Good luck on your build and thanks again for watching/commenting. Dave in Montana.

[@davidegg22]

@@janetm2956 I was responding to another person about this kit and re-read your post. By now you have built and hopefully enjoyed your gazebo for a year now. I trust it was to your liking. We use ours as an outside living room and enjoy it immensely. Dave.

[@GemFever]

This was such a helpful video, thank you!

[@davidegg22]

Glad it was helpful! We are enjoying our gazebo immensely. Dave in Montana.

[@indyme2]

Turned out great! Going to be a great place to unwind and take in some fresh air.

[@davidegg22]

I think so also. We now need some summer weather!

[@26Clipper]

Great video! My wife and I just finished putting ours together on an octagonal deck I made. I couldn't believe how well engineered it is and how all of the parts fit so well. The illustrations in the directions are easy to understand, too. We plan to add railing like you did, but want to use bamboo to match a nearby gate. We referred to your video many times and really appreciate you making it. Thanks!!

[@davidegg22]

Awesome comment Dave! Yes, I was also impressed with the wood and metal and how everything fit together nicely. I appreciate you watching my video a few times. I hope it made it easier for you and your wife to assemble. Bamboo railings should look awesome in your structure. We have been using our gazebo almost daily as an extension to our patio. It feels so much better with a roof over your head and still offers views of our yard. Thanks again for commenting and many happy hours to you and yours in your new environment. You just made my day! Dave in Montana.

[@davidegg22]

@@26Clipper I was just responding to another question someone had on this gazebo and came across your post. How did your gazebo turn out? Did the bamboo railing work well? We are still enjoying our gazebo and it even made it through a few Montana winters! Dave.

[@26Clipper]

@@davidegg22 Hi Dave, yes, it came out great! We're going to seal the bamboo before it starts raining here. The moisture in the air turns some gray or black, but it comes right off with a green scrubber pad. We love the gazebo and it's a great addition to our yard. Thanks again for the helpful video! Dave

[@davidegg22]

Awesome to hear and I am pleased that my little video helped with your build. Have a fantastic day. Dave.

[@user-pp4nd7vw8m]

lovely!

[@victoriajohnnyrodriguez1369]

Nice!

[@davidegg22]

Thank you! Cheers! Dave.

[@grahambrown5874]

Excellent video. I have been trying to decide how to best construct the base for my octagonal summerhouse. What thickness and width would did you use for base foundation and flooring, and type of wood that won’t rot. Thanks for sharing

[@davidegg22]

Glad it was helpful. I used treated 2x8’s for the floor joists (under structure). The decking and railing was all 5/4 cedar, 1” thick and 5.5” wide. I chose both materials for longevity. The treated joists are ugly but covered with cedar. Western cedar is rot and bug proof due to the natural oils within the wood. I love the look of the cedar since it closely matched the china cedar used in the kit for the uprights and upper structure. Have fun with your build, it will look just awesome when finished. We use our gazebo almost daily in the warmer months. Thanks for viewing and asking questions. Dave in Montana.

[@hamiltonanderson338]

Beautiful video and great job! Hey, I just ordered the same gazebo and I am going to get the site prep done, anchoring legs to large cement blocks. I can’t find the spacing and dimensions of where the eight legs come down though. What dimensions did you build your deck?

[@davidegg22]

Congratulations on your new gazebo Hamilton. I just measured and the distance from opposite uprights (outside dimensions) is 13’2”. A metal flange adds about 1” to each post. I made my decking 13”10” (furthest point to point). The overhang of the roof is still on the outside of this dimension so rain (without any wind) will still clear the decking. I let the gazebo floor weather for three months and today I just applied Cabot clear wood protector. I made the railing system for simple removal (four screws/section) so sealing the railing was ez on sawhorses in the shop. Have fun with your build and please ask if you have further questions. Dave.

[@hamiltonanderson338]

@@davidegg22 Thank you! Just got my kit in the mail and I’m taking another tool from your bag by pre-constructing upright sections. It’s dumping buckets of rain in Seattle and I’m grateful to have some work to do under my pop-up canopy today lol

[@davidegg22]

@@hamiltonanderson338 Sweet! Just keep that rain on the west coast since you have sent more rain than usual to Montana this spring! At least we haven't had to water the yard yet! Do have fun with your project and enjoy the build. Dave.

[@SunjoyLife]

Hello, thank you for sharing this assembly video of Sunjoy gazebo. I am wondering if we can feature it on our social media platforms? (we will credit you)

[@davidegg22]

Many thanks for watching and asking. This was definitely a fun build and we have spent many hours entertaining in our new gazebo. I was impressed with the quality of the materials and the precision fit of all of the hardware. You do have my permission to post on your social media platforms. Many thanks again for an excellent product. Dave in Montana.

[@SunjoyLife]

@@davidegg22 Thank you so much for the feedback on our product. We really appreciate it!

[@jonathanblock3032]

Hi Dave, I enjoyed your video. I was hoping you can help me out with a question. I bought this same gazebo to install on a round 12 foot diameter concrete pad. From reading the comments it looks like it might be a little too big for my 12' round concrete pad. I might have to pour some small "bump outs" where the 8 legs will fall. So you measured from outside leg to outside leg with the base covers was 13' 2" ? I will have to bump out 10" just to be safe it looks like. Any ideas on this? I wish I would have watched your video before purchasing it because according to the sales picture it was 12' outside post to outside post.

[@davidegg22]

Jonathan, thanks for your question. I too got sucked into using the web description of the gazebo dimensions. I actually needed to cantilever my deck out 6” all around to accommodate the width of the legs. That’s what I get for not having all materials on-hand before I started the project. I just re-measured and yes, 13’2” to the outside of the metal base-cap to the opposite. I added 2.5” more width per leg to make everything look proportional and not crowded. Good luck with your build. I know it will look awesome and you will have many years of enjoyment. Dave. Ps: Shoot me any additional questions and I will try to answer.

[@saraelorza6017]

Where could I buy this gazebo kit?

[@davidegg22]

@@saraelorza6017 Good day. I purchased mine at Lowe’s in western Montana. I believe most big-box stores have Sunjoy or could order for you. I was impressed with the kit. Please read my description of this build, it may be beneficial to you. Thanks for asking. Dave.

[@chriscaprio6944]

Fantastic work Dave! Love it! Any tips on the angles/dimension for your floor perimeter and supports? That really made the difference.

[@davidegg22]

Yes, absolutely. I wanted a fun floor design, so I used this style of floor based around the eight uprights. I built the flooring in my shop and started with the eight outside rim joists and worked in from there. Most everything is cut at a 22.5° angle, so it made the project a bit easier (360 divided by eight was 22.5). I also needed the flooring to be in sections so that if I needed to move the gazebo I could. I decked the first section using 5/4 cedar and then worked around the circle from the outside-in. All cuts were 22.5° but I test-fitted each piece for length. I then moved the eight flooring sections outside and leveled it. When the 13' gazebo came in, I noticed the flooring was not wide enough to accommodate! I needed to add triangles around the base and cantilevered another 6" out all around for a final decking OD of 14'. Everything now fits well. I hope your questions were answered. Thanks for commenting and good luck on your future project. Dave. ps: Post any more questions you may have. DIY - How I Built/Assembled a Sunjoy Octagon 13x13 ft. Cedar Framed Gazebo: Follow my three-week progress to build and assemble this gazebo. I started by designing and constructing the floor structure and railing system. Watch us as we installed the gazebo on the wood platform, some assembly required! I used treated 2" x 6" structural wood for the floor joists and 5/4 x 6" cedar for the decking. The railing system was designed around 5/4 x 4" cedar. I built the floor before the Sunjoy kit was delivered and was off by a few inches. This required widening the structure by cantilevering the deck six inches. I was impressed with the Sunjoy Gazebo (made in China.) It was packaged well with all metal parts powdered-coated and individually wrapped. The cedar was first-quality and pre-stained. The instructions were straightforward and all 750 nuts/bolts/washers were well packaged and marked. The bolt holes were pre-drilled and the metal roof had generous slots for alignment. Embedded nuts were used in the roofing supports to make assembly easier. As you can see, the upright posts of the gazebo required more than one person although the roof structure was designed for one-person assembly. This kit was extremely well engineered and thought out. We will be enjoying this gazebo for many years.

[@wip1664]

Can you help Sherpa's Day (KZbin channel build a 16X16 gazebo similar to this? It's in the UK - Cornwall - though...great for gazebos! Where did roof come from?

[@miguelgioia8755]

Could you pass me the gazebo link to buy it? Thanks

[@davidegg22]

Thanks for watching and asking. I purchased mine from a local home center, Lowe’s, but they are available from a number of stores. Sunjoy has many models to choose from. www.lowes.com/pd/Sunjoy-Natural-Wood-Finish-Wood-Octagon-Gazebo-Exterior-12-ft-x-12-ft-Foundation-13-ft-x-13-ft/1002665232

[@handwedge11]

Great vid! How do you think the roof would withstand some snow in winter?

[@davidegg22]

Thanks for viewing and commenting. The manufacture recommends removing any snow over 4” deep. I will keep an eye on it next winter to see if snow easily slides off the roof or if I need to purchase small roof rake to keep it cleared. Thanks for asking. Dave in Montana.

[@handwedge11]

Thanks Dave! What size are the posts? Are they square 4x4? Enjoy!

[@davidegg22]

@@handwedge11 Thanks for watching and commenting. The eight cedar uprights supplied in the gazebo kit were custom milled five-sided, six inches by 2.5 inches. It all went together surprisingly easy. I am impressed with the quality of the gazebo kit. Thanks again for asking. Dave.

[@handwedge11]

Thanks Dave 👍🏻 enjoy

[@handwedge11]

Hi again! How sturdy is the gazebo from side to side (does it have much play if you give it a shove)? Ours arrives in a week and we're planning on building some railings (as you did). Can't wait - looks like a fun build. Thanks again!

[@yeimigomez7381]

❤

[@miguelgioia8755]

La estructura y chapas del techo de qué material son? Comprados dónde? Gracias

[@davidegg22]

Please see my other response to your question. Thanks for asking. Dave.