Twin Locust Gazebos & Outdoor Lawn Furniture
Serving Southeastern PA, Northern MD, NJ, and DE
Phone: 717-246-2455

Site preparation is one of the most important parts of your gazebo project.

1 - Site excavation can be back breaking work, leave it to us - you can have the day (or usually days) to go have fun.

2 - Less scheduling and project coordination - we take care of your project from beginning to completion. You won't have to deal with the stress of worrying about the site being ready in time for the building delivery.

3 - You can be sure that your pad will be square and level for proper placement. A level site is necessary to keep your doors working properly.

4 - Experience - we know what it takes to properly set a gazebo because we've done thousands of them. We will make sure yours is done right too.

5 - Our stone pads are built to provide a roof drip line - this reduces mud pooling around your building.

6 - The Lumber Frame provides a mowing edge to save you time when you trim.

7 - A stone pad gives a finished appearance to your project and adds value to your property.

8 - You won't have to wait for your friends to show up to get your project completed. We bring all of the tools, material, and manpower to get your project done.

9 - We provide a level excavation of the site, and handle the removal of any undesirable debris. We also include a 4"x6" Pressure Treated Lumber frame to create a no-drip perimeter.

10 - Our site prep also includes ½" Steel Rebar properly spaced to anchor the Lumber Frame. Clean Crushed Stone, raked to level, typically 4 to 6 inches deep.

Please review these guidelines:

BASE

We strongly recommend a hard, compact base for your gazebo. The base both supports the gazebo and allows for proper drainage below the structure. The hard, compact material can be anything from pea gravel to a concrete pad - and everything inbetween, including brick or stone pavers.

Once you have selected the foundation material, it must be leveled within 1-2 inches from side to side. Loose stones are easier to level, and this base material provides ample support. Stones are also much less expensive than solid materials such as concrete, flagstone or brick. If you choose a concrete pad, it must be square, level and plumb. A sloping pad means a leaning gazebo, which will put extra stress on joints. A benefit of concrete, flagstone or brick pads is the additional functionality, as they can be expanded for other uses and support larger weights.

ELEVATION

If you choose to elevate your gazebo, please consult with our design consultants. We can typically recommend where to place the anchors and posts to support the raised gazebo. Like everything, being off by a few inches can mean a lot! Our design consultants can provide on-posts drawings and advice to properly support your raised gazebo.

PERMITS

In some areas, home owners associations and local governments like to be consulted about gazebo, shed and other outdoor structure projects. Very often, the local codes are available on the web, making it easier for you to determine if a permit is necessary. It is our pledge to you that we will provide any necessary information, so that you may obtain a permit in as little time as possible.

Local codes will always take precedence over our footer designs: frost lines, distance from property lines, floodplains, attaching to, or adding to a deck all can present certain issues that may change design plans depending on your location.

The customer will be responsible for obtaining any necessary permits or engineers' stamps, as well as the cost of any structural changes to adhere to local codes. Unless we are building your foundation for you ourselves, and are contracted to do so, the cost and engineering of the foundation are also the customer's responsibility.

If you need assistance, or have any questions concerning your site preparation, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are more than happy to answer any quesitons.