Gazebo Hardware  
Gazebo Parts  
Gazebo Building Kits  

Let's start with the nuts and bolts of gazebo hardware -- I mean the fasteners -- I mean the nails.

Make sure that only high-quality rust-resistant nails, screws, staples, washers, and bolts are used to construct your gazebo. 

Triple-dipped galvanized, stainless steal, copper, brass and bronze fasteners are best.

For plastic or metal roofing materials, use roofing nails with a rubber washer underneath the head. The rubber seals out moisture giving you a waterproof installation.

Spiral, threaded, or coated fasteners have the real holding power.

Coated fasteners are covered with a transparent resin. The friction caused by driving the fastener melts the coating and grips the wood fibers better.

Use screws instead of nails if the fastener head will show.

You can remove screws much easier than nails, and screws add quality to the gazebo look that nails just can't match.

Lag screws are heavy-duty fasteners.

And they're your best bet for attaching heavy objects to wood or masonry.

Use lead expansion shields to drive these fasteners into masonry.

Did you know that washers can be decorative as well as functional? This gazebo hardware is used to keep the screw head from pulling into or scaring the material being fastened.

Bolts are two-sided fasteners that give you access to either side of a joint for easy assembly and disassembly.

A fastener that's too small won't hold. And one that's too big will split or poke through the material being connected. So make sure to use the right size fastener for the project.

Easy Outdoor Decor Tip...Get a neat, finished gazebo hardware look and avoid damaging the wood by hand driving nails into siding, trim, or any other exposed area at equal intervals. The nail head should sit flush with the wood surface.

Using the wrong fasteners in the wrong way can loosen or worse. Over time, they stain your beautiful gazebo and cause the wood to decay and rot.

Gazebo hardware tools, like pneumatic nailers save money and make quick work of any nailing job. But when done wrong, it looks wrong, too. Especially if the nail placement isn't precise and symmetrical.

You can easily tell if a pneumatic framing nailer is used improperly. Just look for nail heads that are sunken below the surface of the wood.

Looking bad isn't the worst of it. Water collects in the space between the sunken nail head and the surface of the wood and will almost certainly promote wood rot.

Air nailers typically use plated fasteners. Plated fasteners rust up pretty fast. The rust stains the wood and eventually rusts through entirely making your gazebo unsafe to use.

Framing Connectors

 

Do you really need framing connectors? I'm glad you asked!

If the weather's not severe where you live, you can probably do without this gazebo hardware.

Framing connectors are a quick and easy way to add strength to the major structural parts of your gazebo. So they can speed up your gazebo construction. But they also have a utilitarian look that you'll want to disguise.

They have nails or metal prongs embedded in them that you drive into the wood. And they also have pre-drilled holes that you drive nails through.

Easy Outdoor Decor Tip...Framing connectors come singly, in small packages, or in bulk. You'll save half the cost of small packages or single connectors by choosing the bulk option.

Post beam caps are mounted on top of posts. They have channels that hold beams of different dimensions. And there are versions of post beam caps for round as well as square posts.

Joist hangers attach joists to beams or headers and can be used to reinforce almost any right-angle connection.

Multi-purpose joist hangers help to further strengthen joist connectors. They have angled straps that you nail to the tops of the boards.

Angled brackets help to reinforce perpendicular joints. They come in a variety of styles for different applications. So make sure you get the right ones for your project.

Hurricane ties are used to attach notched rafters to top plates. They're spendy because they're designed for frames intended to withstand lots of stress, like hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes.

If you live where hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquakes occur, the money will be well spent.

Gazebo Hardware

 

Hinges, handles, latches and such are gazebo hardware that are most often used on partially and completely enclosed gazebos. They impact a gazebo's appearance, ease of use, and ruggedness.

Building this gazebo yourself? Your hardware choices are unlimited and almost anything can be special ordered.

On the other hand, if your gazebo is part of a package or a complete unit, you may still have several gazebo hardware options.

Talk to the gazebo manufacturer and ask what hardware comes in the package. 

If the package deal doesn't have the hardware options you're looking for, ask about upgrades.

Plated gate latches are considered a little utilitarian or barnyard chic, depending on your POV.

They're very inexpensive, bored for heavy-duty fasteners, functional, and strong.

Get an extra secure closure with sliding bolt latches. They allow your door to be latched at the top and bottom.

Heavy-duty steel vintage-style hinges make an excellent choice for gazebo doors. Attach them to door jambs and the thickest part of the door with big lag screws.

Easy Outdoor Decor Tip...Salvage hardware is fabulous! Especially if the lumber, windows, doors, or other second-hand materials are salvage. Just make sure they're robust enough to be long lasting.

Gazebo hardware like brass door handles and newel posts are top-drawer choices that take on a mellow patina over time enhancing your gazebo's nature feel.

Old but sturdy strap hinges are plenty strong enough to handle a gazebo door. If the hinge has a rusty patina, it will easily blend with recycled barn board. Use gold-tone screws to add a gem-like quality to the vintage hardware.

Make wooden hardware from old scrap lumber. Simple, hand-cut wood latches and handles can be used to open doors and windows, or to keep them shut.

Dated brass cabinet latches complement weathered siding. This vintage hardware is easily found at flea markets and junk shops. If installed as is, they'll accent the character of your gazebo. So resist the urge to clean up these finds.