How Do You Build a Wooden Patio Cover

How Do You Build a Wooden Patio Cover?

Building your own patio cover is a great way of boosting the comfort of your home for an affordable price. In this guide, we will go over the steps you'll need to create the perfect addition to your home.

To begin, you'll want to measure out the space you want your patio cover to encompass. Make sure that the surface you will be placing the cover on is sturdy and level enough to support it. Once you have the dimensions of the enclosed space, you will need to decide the type of wood you want to use in your structure. Cedar, teak, cypress, and redwood are all options ideal for outdoor use. If you decide to stain or paint your wood, you will want to do so before assembling the patio enclosure.

In terms of supplies, you will need several 2x4 planks of your chosen wood. One of these planks should be the length you have chosen for your cover. The rest should have a length corresponding to the depth you have chosen, and you should buy enough to space them about a foot and a half apart down its full length. In addition to the 2x4s, you will need a 4x6 wood beam for support, and at least two 6x6 posts. For each additional ten feet in length, you will want to add a 6x6 post. You will also need enough galvanized screws and nails to fully anchor your structure.

To assemble the cover, you will first want to stand the 6x6 posts every ten feet and secure them to your patio deck using galvanized post anchors. Then, you will need to raise the 4x6 beam to lay across the posts and affix it with lag screws. Once that is done, take the longer 2x4 and attach it to your home fascia using galvanized deck nails and lag screws. To form your rafters, secure the shorter 2x4s to the cross-beam about a foot and a half apart from one another and use galvanized wood screws to attach the other ends to the 2x4 against your home.

You can choose to finish your cover in various ways. If you choose to keep an all-wooden look, you can nail plywood sheets across the top of your rafters. You can also choose to cover it using a weather-resistant canvas. Whatever you choose, you now have the perfect enclosure for relaxation!