A classic gazebo is a rather large and very expensive structure, requiring a large amount of materials, time and effort. When I wanted to improve the local area, an alternative solution came to mind: a gazebo made of pallets. The result of this method of cost reduction was practical and functional, and the process took very little time.
Source 1001pallets.com
Pallets as a building material
The idea of using products intended for other purposes as building materials is not new, especially when it comes to pallets. A variety of furniture have been successfully made from them for a long time, not only for the garden or terrace, but also for apartments. A variety of tables, sofas and beds decorate urban interiors, decorated in modern styles.
A gazebo made of pallets is another interesting solution, attractive due to its simplicity of execution. To assemble such a structure, a couple of days will be enough, and this includes the furniture to fill it.
Pallets (or pallets) are shipping containers designed to be stored or moved using a forklift. The container is a rigid platform made of wooden boards, complemented by support bars. Pallets come in single- and double-layer types; in the latter case, there is a platform for placing the cargo on both sides.
Source: amazonaws.com
There are several types of pallets used around the world. They differ slightly in size (length, width), but the height of common standards is the same, and is 144 mm. The container is made from well-dried wood and undergoes special heat treatment.
It is worth refusing to use pallets marked IPPC (spikelet). This container undergoes fumigation - treatment with liquid or gaseous chemicals (phytosanitary control requirements for interstate transportation).
The risk of mold growing on treated wood is extremely low. However, traces of chemicals remain on it, and if enterprises associated with the food industry refuse to use such containers, then you should not build a gazebo from it.
Where to get containers
Building material for a gazebo from pallets can be obtained in two ways:
- Assemble it yourself (and for free). Companies and supermarkets often simply throw away containers when they are no longer needed. Although such pallets are likely to be of low quality.
- Buy at low cost. Other companies sell used containers that are no longer needed.
Source obustroeno.club
If you are unlucky enough to find a shipment of unattended pallets, it is worth contacting transport companies. You save them the cost if you take away the material that has to be disposed of.
If pallets are sold, then you need to find out: for firewood or as a building material. The container, made from thick and crooked boards, on which bricks were transported, is only suitable for firewood. But pallets with thin and smooth planks are suitable for building gazebos and furniture.
It is not necessary to look for pallets in stores and warehouses. Wholesale sales can be found, for example, through VKontakte groups. It will turn out to be easy on the budget, even if you count transportation and loaders.
Drawing
After defining the architectural forms, it's time to put the gazebo design on paper. In this case, complete design documentation is not required, but it is highly desirable to make a drawing with structural sections of the structure.
Also, on the plan of the land plot, you can plot the contours of the future building to assess the general concept of landscape design of the territory. In the simplest graphic editors, you can make a 3D visualization of the gazebo and see what the structure will look like on the ground.
Pros and cons of pallets and products made from them
Before you start making a gazebo from pallets and pallets, it is useful to understand the strengths and weaknesses of packaging. Pallets can be considered as an almost ready-made material for construction, hence its other advantages:
- Simple construction. This is not construction in the usual sense of the word, but in many ways an assembly of parts, as in a construction set. With a minimum of tools in stock, even a person without special construction skills can handle the construction.
Source stavnistavim.ru
- Quick results. It will take several weeks to build a wooden or brick gazebo with a foundation; a building made from pallets can be used in just 2-3 days.
- Saving. You will get the pallets for free or for a modest amount (especially used ones).
- Environmental friendliness. In essence, this is an ordinary wooden gazebo.
- Appearance. The result is an attractive building in a modern style; it is important to decorate it correctly.
The main disadvantage is that the pallets were not originally intended for outdoor use, and were not processed in any way for this. Therefore, in order to preserve the building, careful care will be required: periodic (every 2-3 years) impregnation with an antiseptic and renewal of the paint layer.
The downside is the difficulty associated with disassembling Euro pallets. They are often used for construction purposes due to their good quality. But in Euro pallets, rough nails (with a transverse notch) are often used, and they are difficult to pull out in the usual way (with a nail puller). A hammer combined with a small hatchet will help you pull out the nails.
Source art-pallet.ru
Detailed diagram of creating a coffee table
Assembly requires 1 pallet and a minimum of tools. You will need to buy a special tint for wood, a primer, paint of a suitable color and 4 carved legs, which are also made of wood. For fastening you will need hardware, nails and screws.
- Any pallet must have an upper and lower plane. One is made flat, there should be no gaps between the boards. The final result looks like this - only the top plane with 6 intermediate bars should remain of your pallet. Every 3 bars are fixed with a separate board.
- Before nailing the purchased legs, they need to be coated with a primer and then painted with paint - preferably from a spray can.
- The upper plane and side elements are tinted, after which the legs are installed.
By spending a minimal amount of money, you can build a full-fledged table using the most ordinary pallets. In the future, it can be placed indoors or taken outside.
Preparatory work
Even before purchasing the material, you need to decide on the size and shape of the flight gazebo (as well as furniture) in order to understand how much material will be needed. To do this, you need a drawing, which you draw yourself, or find a ready-made one on the Internet and modify it to suit your needs.
Once the pallets are in place, they are prepared as follows:
- Sorted: inspect the material, check for strength. Rejection (damaged pallets) is postponed. It can be used on boards for other needs.
- The selected material is cleaned of dirt. If wane remains on the lumber, it is removed.
- Wooden surfaces are sanded using a sanding machine.
- All material is treated with an antiseptic composition. Without this processing step, the wood will darken and deteriorate.
- After the impregnation has dried, the pallets are painted (before building the gazebo). Use stain (for tinting) or waterproof wood paint. A layer of waterproof varnish would be a good idea.
Source stroy-podskazka.ru
Roof
The roof should be done last. What material you make it from is up to you. You can choose tiles, roofing felt or polycarbonate. Each of the presented materials has its pros and cons.
The tiles have an attractive appearance, however, it will take a lot of time to lay them. Ruberoid is characterized by quick installation, but visually the roof looks very specific. Polycarbonate appears to be a middle option. It installs relatively quickly and looks quite neat and attractive. In some cases, the pallets themselves are used for roofing, but this is not the best option. You can disassemble them and use them to build a gazebo roof.
Tools and materials
To work you will need the following accessories:
- At the initial stage: grinding machine.
- Hammer, axe, saw.
- Jigsaw.
- Drill with a set of drills.
- Screwdriver, self-tapping screws. There are a lot of them, so it’s worth purchasing with a reserve.
- For marking and control: tape measure, pencil, level.
- Brushes; The spray gun will significantly speed up the process.
- The total consumption of paint (varnish) depends on the scope of construction. It takes approximately 0.5 kg of paint per pallet if you paint with a brush 2 times.
Foundation preparation
Before making a gazebo from pallets, prepare the foundation. Of course, you can do without it and build a light version by digging wooden posts into the ground at the corners of the building. A gazebo with an earthen floor has a right to exist, but it will be less comfortable and will last less. Three options are suitable as a basis:
- Shallow strip foundation. Selected if the soil is problematic or the building is quite massive. A hole 0.5 m deep is dug around the perimeter, and the foundation is poured in the classical way. It is important to make it level, for which you need to use a level.
Source diesel.elcat.kg
- Concrete piles. They are made using formwork, which is installed in holes measuring 0.2 x 0.2 m and a depth of 0.5 m. The height of the finished piles is 30 cm above the ground. The method stretches out the construction, since after pouring the concrete mixture you need to wait until it completely sets.
- Screw piles. Recommended for clay and wet soil. Piles of the required size are screwed into the ground so that the pile heads are at the same level.
Preliminary activities
Before you start building, you must develop at least an indicative drawing of the future structure. This way it will be possible to correctly calculate the amount of materials and finishing needed.
When creating a drawing, it would be more rational to proceed from the dimensions of the pallets. Since the most common dimensions are 120x80 cm, it is better to lay the gazebo with a base of 240x240 or 360x360 cm. With such dimensions it will be more convenient for you to work without having to cut the pallets to the required size.
When choosing a place for a gazebo, be guided by your preferences and the capabilities of the site. For example, if you want to place a barbecue there, then you will have to build a structure with a larger area, away from the fence, and think through a smoke exhaust system. If you will be building near a pond or on clay soil, then it is recommended to build the building on small piles.
It is advisable to place the entrance to the building in the south or southwest direction.
First you need to make a drawing
Assembly
A simple version of a gazebo made from pallets for a summer residence is assembled in the following order:
- A timber frame is installed around the perimeter of the foundation. Anchors are used for fastening to the foundation.
- Corner posts are installed, using self-tapping screws, corners, and anchors as fasteners.
- Lay floor boards.
- Two rows of crossbars are fixed between the support posts; sheathing made from pallets is attached to them.
- The roof is made from boards from pallets or other material (for example, polycarbonate, ondulin or metal tiles).
Source hotel-a.ru
Design project
This stage opens up endless possibilities for creativity. The material chosen for construction is reminiscent of design elements, and accordingly, many design options are obtained.
This version of the gazebo illustrates that quite decent structures can be made from pallets, if only there was an idea.
Perhaps it will be a simple quadrangular house, “Baba Yaga’s hut” or a multifaceted gazebo consisting of six or more corners. Various modifications are available, limited only by the author's imagination.
Finishing touches
When the pallet canopy is ready, furniture is assembled from the same material: a table, benches or sofas. To give your vacation spot a complete look, use the following techniques:
- Paint those parts that were not painted at the preparation stage (for example, supports).
- Climbing plants are planted around, flowers are placed in pots and containers.
- They sew covers and pillows for furniture, hang light curtains or camouflage netting.
- Organize lighting; Small lamps or lanterns installed in the gaps of the pallets will look beautiful.
Source na-dache.pro
About a simple gazebo made of pallets in the following video:
Drawing
We correlate the sizes with the number of family members and guests who will certainly come and appreciate our work. Drawing is a very important matter, you need to take everything into account:
- how many rows will there be at the base;
- how many pallets will be in a row;
- how many pillars are needed for the roof;
- will the entrance to the gazebo be determined by the doorway, or will the entire front part of the gazebo itself be an entrance;
- determine the angle of inclination of the roof;
- We decide how many rows there will be in our walls, one or two.
The drawing and calculations will give us enormous savings in materials, and therefore in money.
Briefly about the main thing
Pallets have long been successfully used as a building material for the manufacture of lightweight summerhouses. To decorate a garden with such a design, you need to choose a high-quality container, sand it, treat it with an antiseptic and paint it. Ignoring these steps will shorten the life of the building. Construction includes preparation of drawings, construction of the foundation, walls and roof. At the finish line, furniture is made and the gazebo is decorated to taste.
Question
Write in the comments what you think - is it worth additionally priming the surface of the wood before painting?
Table
A special word needs to be said about the manufacture of the table, because it is, of course, the pride of the entire project.
To build it, bring 4 more pallets and, freeing them from the skis, connect the resulting elements together according to the following diagram.
Make 4 more “2/3” parts and install them on the previously assembled stand, screwing them immediately behind the hundredth board, symmetrically about the central axis.
As a result, you should have a design like this.
Attention! Don’t forget to not only twist the parts together, but also attach them to other elements of the gazebo. To make a table cover, you need to select four more good-quality pallets and move their outer legs 63 mm closer to the center
To make a table cover, you need to select four more good-quality pallets and move their outer legs 63 mm closer to the center.
Then completely dismantle the existing flooring and, adding several boards from broken pallets, assemble in its place a solid board with edges protruding four centimeters.
If you did everything correctly, the lid will fit tightly onto the prepared “leg”. All that remains is to secure it in place with screws and you will get an excellent table for the gazebo.
By the way, at this stage you should get a picture like this.
