Wood Canopy Ideas
- A wood canopy is a great idea for a backyard space, and these structures can be particularly refreshing if you house is situated in one of the warmer parts of the country. If your local climate features frequent heavy rains, you can build the canopy so that it sheds water, but for those whose live in arid country, consider building a wooden lattice and cover the structure with green plants.
- A wood canopy provides protection from the heat and elements. One of the most popular wood canopies is a gazebo, and despite the complex image that often comes to mind when this word is mentioned, the construction of a gazebo does not have to be a difficult carpentry task. True, some gazebos need advanced skills in cutting and construction. However, there are a couple of ways around this: you can buy a gazebo kit, where all the pieces are already cut, or you can build a four-cornered gazebo.
If you would like an attractive octagonal canopy with a peaked roof, the kit might make the most sense. Many companies make these popular items, but their construction still requires some pretty good carpentry skills.
Another idea, also requiring some better-than-average woodworking skills, is the construction of a four-cornered, free-standing wood canopy. This gazebo can have a hipped roof that comes to a point in the center or it can have a gabled roof with a roof ridge that runs from one end to the other. In any case, start with a concrete pier at each corner, use 4-by-4 inch post and beam framing with a modern, rafter-type roof frame on top of the post and beam. On top of the whole structure, place asphalt shingles to shed the rain. - When putting up a wood canopy, you might consider a roof made from corrugated and translucent roof panels.This type of roof will give you the best of both worlds, for with these clear transparent panels you can have a waterproof shelter that also lets in lots of sunlight.
When building a structure to support the translucent roofing material, make a post and beam frame that supports a shed-style roof with a minimum slope. Lay out roof rafters just as in a regular shed roof, only you will need blocking that runs the entire width of the roof. The blocking should occur at 2-foot intervals, and it is necessary for the placement of special strips of wood that come with the corrugated sheets. These strips of wood match the contour of the roofing material and they get nailed to the top of the blocking before the translucent roof panels are installed. This results in a very practical and attractive shelter above your head. Be sure to put concrete anchors underneath each post and don't take any shortcuts during the building process or else your canopy may become airborne during a wind storm. - A open-air wooden canopy is sometimes called a pergola. One of these structures can be put together in your backyard using four corner posts for support and a lattice of small beams running across the top for a partial shade. For an interesting effect you can train plants to grow on the structure or even build places into the unit where you can place large potted plants that produce shade. Use posts sized 4-by-4 inch or larger anchored on top of concrete piers.
