Has your gazebo lost its original appeal and beauty? There is nothing wrong with that, it is fixable.
I hope that the information below will help you and will be useful in restoring arbors from various materials.
Step 1: rebuilding the walls
Depending on the materials from which the gazebo is made, and the restoration of the walls will differ.
Renovation of wooden arbors
The easiest way to update an old wooden gazebo is to paint it. This process consists of several stages:
- Treatment of all wooden surfaces with a special antiseptic that destroys fungi and microorganisms, prevents the formation of mold.
- Impregnation application. Thanks to it, a film forms on the surfaces, through which air penetrates, which allows the wood to breathe. It prevents the wood from shrinking and cracking.
- Painting with a special agent that forms an oil film. You can use it yourself or add color and give the gazebo the desired color.
Before starting painting, it is worth understanding some of the nuances: for example, for replaced parts or added elements from a new tree, it is better to use transparent paints. They will accentuate the unique natural pattern of wood and add an additional unusual flavor to your building.
And for gazebos "aged", which have already been painted earlier, the algorithm of actions is somewhat different:
- First, it is necessary to remove the previous layer of paint as much as possible. This can be done with a scraper or iron scrubber. Do not be afraid to harm the wood with such active actions, all the irregularities will hide under the fresh paint and become invisible, but the remnants of the previous one can spoil the appearance.
- I recommend treating the surface with an antiseptic after removing the old coating, so you will extend the life of the gazebo. But if you don't want to waste your time on it, you can do without it.
- Next, choose a paint that is as similar as possible in shade to the previous one, or a little darker. Thanks to this little trick, the remnants of the old paint layer will be almost invisible.
Renovation of metal gazebos
- Remove rust and old paint with an iron brush, there are special ones that can be put on the drill, this will speed up the cleaning process and make your job easier.
- Next, degrease all surfaces with white spirit, gasoline or any other solvent.
- It is advisable to apply a primer, but this is not important, many do without it and say that the paint lasts the same time with and without it.
- Next, apply paint, it is better to use acrylic.
Updating a brick or stone gazebo
There are only 2 update options:
- Apply plaster to brick or masonry, allow to dry, prime and paint in the selected color.
- A more expensive, but also more effective way is to sheathe it with siding or clapboard. In this case, it is worth giving preference to materials that are resistant to fire and moisture, or treat all surfaces with special means that prevent sudden ignition.
Step 2: renewing the floor
For the manufacture and renovation of the floor in the gazebo, completely different materials are used. Among the most popular are:
- pouring with concrete;
- laying of paving slabs;
- laying out from natural stone;
- wood floor;
- tiles with a non-slip surface.
Before replacing the floor in the gazebo, it is worth completely removing the previous coating and thinking carefully about the options for a new one, because each is good for certain purposes and the degree of closeness of the room itself. This is a very important point to evaluate in advance.
Concrete floor
A concrete floor will serve you for more than one year, and with proper filling and high-quality materials, it will last for decades.
Natural stone floor
This floor option is most optimal for gazebos that are fully or partially open. The stone is laid on a concrete screed or a special substrate is prepared from sand and crushed stone. The joints between the stones are filled with concrete or a special mixture. Moreover, it is important that there is no air or voids, otherwise destruction will begin.
Paving slabs floor
Paving slabs are another good covering for open and semi-open gazebos. Its installation is a rather laborious process that requires additional preparation and the formation of a cushion of sand and gravel. They are poured in layers, the thickness of each should be at least 3 cm. The layers are carefully compacted and only then the tiles are laid with a rubber roll and verified using a building level.
Wooden floor
It is better to use wood for the floor in closed gazebos, otherwise it will quickly deteriorate. The most suitable types of boards: deck, terrace and garden parquet.
Creating a beautiful wood floor requires at least minimal skills in working with wood, and it is better, of course, to entrust this work to specialists.
Tiled floor
When using tiles, it is important to prepare a sand cushion that is poured over with a concrete screed. The tile itself is laid on it using frost-resistant glue. Better such a coating is suitable for gazebos of a closed type.
Also for floors in gazebos are used: cement-particle boards, adobe floor, sand, gravel, etc.
Step 3: lighting solutions
It is best to make the lighting in the gazebo not only beautiful but also practical.
Inside the gazebo, the light should be unambiguous! Despite the fact that summer twilight comes quite late, lighting is necessary. It is very pleasant to sit outside on a warm summer night, you should not deny yourself this pleasure. If there was no light in your old gazebo at all, first hang up at least a light bulb. Or think about the design of all lighting right away. A great option is to use LED strips. They are inexpensive, but they create a lot of light.
What about lighting around the gazebo? Many people think that it is not necessary to additionally highlight the path to the gazebo and the area around it. But, I’ll tell you from my own experience, it’s very pleasant to walk along the illuminated territory in the evening. You can install lanterns along the path, which are charged from the sun. Or run a row of light bulbs through the air. Recently I read a great option with the design of the paths with stones. They can be painted in glow-in-the-dark paint and you get an original frame that no one of the neighbors has anymore!
Decorative lighting does not give a lot of light, but it will add flavor to your gazebo and create additional coziness. You can hold several small lanterns or a garland along the ceiling, wrap light strips around the gazebo outside around the perimeter, lay out fancy patterns from them. There is a place for your imagination to roam.
Step 4: decorating the gazebo
In addition to decorating the gazebo with decorative lighting, you can play with flowers when painting the walls. For example, use a solid color paint, and on top draw contrasting flowers, butterflies, floral ornaments, stylized animals. If you are not very good at drawing, buy special stencils. Another option is to download drawings from websites, print and transfer them to the walls, and then paint them.
Step 5: plants next to the gazebo
You can also give an unusual look with the help of ornamental plants, which are located not only inside, but also outside the gazebo. These can be flower beds of dahlias, daffodils, gladioli, daisies and any other flowers. If the gazebo is of an open or semi-open type, various bindweed plants can be planted along the posts, which will grow around them. Another option is undersized shrubs.