Base / Fixings for large gazebo

[timetex]

We're planning to put a largeish (5.9m x 3.4m) rectangular gazebo in the garden of our holiday cottage. Next to the gazebo, I also want to put a smallish shed (looked at gazebos with 'summerhouses' included but the shed is for storage not for lounging in).

Basically this: https://www.tuin.co.uk/Superior-Gazebo-3.4x5.9m.ht...

With a shed next to it.

Also going to clad one long end and the short end nearest the shed with wood to match our new rear porch, and maybe up to 1/2 height on the other short side.

I want a decent 'floor' inside - probably a slabbed base, extending under the shed, and also extending outwards on the openside to create a walk-way and even an area to pull the table / chairs out.

Question is - would you put the gazebo up using something like metal post spikes set in postcrete and then do the slab work around it OR would you put the slabs in first and then try and put the gazebo over it?

Or something else?!

[sidekickdmr]

If you are spending that kind of money on the structure youll want it to last, which means the wood not touching the floor, so ideally you want a metal, brick or concrete "plynth" for the posts/legs to sit on.

I'd avoid fencepost type solutions, and go for some proper things like these:

[Jonboy_t]

My parents have just bought a shed & wooden gazebo combination from the company you're looking at and could not recommend them enough! The only thing that's been a pain in the arse is painting it - it's taken my dad nearly two weeks of working every day to do it! There's just a shade over 2 metric st-tons of wood there!

I'd avoid the pre-treatment that they offer, if you were considering it, as they add a caveat that you will still need to treat it yourself for it to be done fully. A decent coating of Sadolin should do just as good a job and you will save yourself a few bob and 6 weeks wait. If you get shingles for the roof, they are a fker to fit properly too, but do look lovely when they're on.

For fitting the legs, as said above, raise anything you can off the ground. I would personally avoid fixing them and then paving around it, but that's only from a long term point of view as you may decide in 10 years to change the gazebo or something and you're lumped with a big job of taking the paving up to get at it. If the plan is that it's there until eternity, fixing before paving would definitely give you a better finish IMO.