deck / gazebo question

[utmck]

I want to build a deck (15x15) and a gazebo on top if it. Just your standard deck and gazebo (high enough to have a ceiling fan).

My question is do I have to have the four posts for the gazebo in the ground or can they sit on top of the deck?

FYI, posts will be 6x6 with cross timbers probably 4x6, with something like 1x2's on top of that. So it will be heavy, but does it still have to be in the ground?

 

[voteforhank]

Posts don't have to be in the ground, but I would recommend pouring a concrete footing and attaching the posts to them if possible, otherwise, the posts will sink into the ground at an irregular pace on their own, and you could have a tilted deck or gazebo inside of a year or two, depending on your soil conditions...

 

[utmck]

In reply to:

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[WooHorn]

I think that voteforhank is talking about posts in general.

Without getting into building codes, I can understand why you would want to avoid sending the gazebo posts all of the way to the ground and I would try it your way, but you may have issues:

setting the posts in the gournd or in footers secures them without additional braces and you will have to worry about keeping those heavy timbers from moving laterally;

depending on how tall it is and what type of roof you use, the gazebo may be pretty top-heavy;

it sounds heavy, so you should design it so that there are deck supports in the correct place.

 

[utmck]

I am looking at using 1x2's every 4" running North and South (to block sun) and 2x6's to frame out the roof. Do you think it would still be top heavy?