Planning the arrangement of the courtyard space of a private house often involves making a canopy. This relatively simple and reliable design can be used to protect the car from rain, snow or direct sunlight. Places for outdoor recreation are arranged under it. How to make a canopy in the courtyard of a private house with your own hands at minimal cost?
Choosing a canopy design
At the first stage, you need to choose the right place for the future structure. To do this, the total area of the canopy, its height and configuration are calculated. It should not reduce the natural lighting of rooms in a private house; there must be no direct contact with power lines. The next stage is the choice of design.
The main difference between the models is the roof configuration. According to this parameter, canopies are conditionally divided into the following groups:
- Single-pitch. The easiest option for self-production. It is important to correctly calculate the angle of inclination of the roof and choose the appropriate material for its arrangement. Disadvantage – insufficient degree of protection in case of side winds during rain or snow. Such canopies are most often made close to the house to reduce the influence of this factor.
- Gable. They have all the advantages of a similar roof for a house - uniform load on the snow cap, protection from slanting rain. The complexity of the arrangement lies in the formation of the ridge part and the calculation of the angle of inclination of the slopes.
- Arched. They have the best aesthetic and performance properties. They are used as roofing material. Difficulties arise during the manufacture of the frame - the arched parts must be identical to avoid refractions of the polycarbonate and ensure its tight pressing.
The choice depends on the availability of materials, the possibility of purchasing them, tools and experience in the construction of such structures. Most often they stop at a simple lean-to canopy.
Manufacturing materials
The future design is subject to special requirements - it must be reliable, not subject to change over a long period of time, and resistant to moisture and temperature changes. In addition to the configuration, these parameters are affected by the material of manufacture.
The main elements of a canopy for the yard of a private house:
- Support posts. They must withstand the weight of the roof, and the snow load is additionally taken into account.
- Roofing material fixation system. Most often, a lattice base is made on which the roofing material is installed. If it is polycarbonate, the distance between the fasteners is as large as possible to ensure illumination of the enclosed area.
- Roofing material. You can use any suitable material, from ordinary roofing felt to cellular polycarbonate. It is important to follow the installation technology and provide waterproof protection.
Each of these elements needs to be considered in more detail.
Frame
To save space and reliability, it is recommended to choose round or square pipes as the material for making racks. They are relatively easy to process; after installation, a protective coating of a layer of paint is applied. The connection of elements is done using welding. The mechanical assembly is not reliable enough.
The supporting racks must be made of square pipes with a minimum size of 100 * 100 mm. The support for the roof deck is made from scraps of a smaller section - 50 * 50 mm. The amount of material depends on the size of the canopy and its height.
An alternative to steel pipes is a frame made of wooden blocks and boards. It is less reliable than metal; wood dries out and changes shape under the influence of moisture and temperatures.
It is used if consumables are available, in order to create an architectural ensemble that is unified with the house. Before assembly, the elements must be treated with moisture-proof and antifungal agents.
Roof
The use of traditional roofing material will provide protection from moisture and a long service life of the coating. Additionally, you need to take into account the rules of arrangement. Some will require a solid base, which will increase the labor intensity of the work.
Materials used for canopy roofing:
- Polycarbonate. The best choice in terms of quality, installation complexity and reliability. The low specific gravity and windage are compensated by the increased frequency of fastening. ABOUT .
- Sheet slate. An economical option, but it is heavy, so be sure to use a waterproof film.
- Bitumen roofing. It is laid on a solid base and is light in weight. Disadvantage: to ensure tightness, the seams undergo heat treatment, which requires standing on the roof. This is impossible if the structure is not designed to support the weight of an adult.
- Profiled sheeting. Its properties are similar to slate, but it is characterized by light weight and ease of installation.
After selecting all consumables, you can begin construction.
Canopy in the courtyard of a house: step-by-step manufacturing instructions
First you need to prepare the site. It is leveled and filled with concrete. An alternative is laying paving slabs. An option with less labor costs is to arrange a foundation only for support columns. A prerequisite is a flat surface for attaching the racks.
Then you need to do the following.
- Install support columns and secure them. Use a level and plumb to check the correct position.
- Temporary stiffeners can be used to secure the supports.
- Installation of the base for the roof, fastening it to the supporting structure.
- Installation of roofing material.
- Checking the reliability of the canopy.
If profile pipes were used as the manufacturing material, after assembly they need to be primed and painted.
A canopy is an uninsulated structure erected near premises or fixed above doorways. It is also built as an independent object and is used to protect cars from precipitation, as a shelter for summer recreation areas, or as a temporary building for storing building materials. It’s possible to make a canopy with your own hands, thanks to which you can save on calling builders or purchasing a ready-made structure.
You can build a canopy from any material - it can be wood, plastic or metal structures, but the choice of building materials depends on its purpose and location. After all, a building made of unplaned boards will look unsightly against the backdrop of a nice lawn or house.
Canopies are made from the following materials:
- Wood. Convenient to use. Frame elements can be assembled from round, square or laminated veneer lumber. To work with wooden products, you will need simple carpentry tools: a hacksaw, a plane, an ax and a hammer. The beams are secured with nails or screws. To increase its service life, wood is coated with varnish, paint or other protective mixtures.
- Metal. Any building material made from it can be used, these can be profiles made of aluminum, iron or stainless steel. Forged structures are also used. Iron products are susceptible to corrosion, so they must be painted or treated with other protective agents.
- Natural stone, brick. Used in the construction of supports for canopies. Stone pillars made of natural stone or facing bricks look beautiful. For any brick or stone structure it is necessary to make a foundation.
If you need light under the canopy, the roof is made of light-colored polycarbonate or plexiglass, and for darkening, choose dark shades or any other roofing covering. When installing a canopy over a door or making an extension to a house, you need to use materials that match the style of the building's design.
Creating a Project
Having decided on the choice of building materials, you should prepare a sketch of the future canopy. They take into account the location, size, cardinal directions and wind rose.
When drawing up a project, you need to take into account all the design features, including where the canopy will be located:
- Near the house, above the door, measure the distance at which the building will adjoin the wall and the height.
- If under a car, then take into account the location of the support pillars in relation to the parameters of the car, so that there is enough space for comfortable departure and arrival.
- For a recreation area, then you need to take into account the height of the grill or barbecue oven so that the structure does not catch fire.
- If a canopy is built over a pool, then when choosing building materials, the increased humidity and size of the artificial reservoir are taken into account.
The roof on a canopy can be straight, sloping, single-pitched, gable or complex.
In order for the canopy to be stable and not deformed, calculations must be made for the speed and direction of the wind, as well as the amount of snow. The inclined part of the pitched roof is installed on the leeward side.
Preparatory work
To build a canopy with your own hands, you choose the type of foundation. It is mounted taking into account the terrain. On a site with a slope, a pile foundation is made, and on more level areas - a strip foundation. The heavier the canopy structure, the more supports will be required for a strong construction, which means the foundation must be strong.
To install the support pillars evenly on the site, the space for their location is measured and marks are made: a peg is driven in or a hole is dug. A hole is dug at the designated locations, 10 cm wider than the diameter of the support and 90 cm deep. Load-bearing pillars are installed and secured in any way:
- Place it in a hole and bury it with the selected soil.
- Fill with concrete mortar.
- They are secured using metal brackets or angles to an H-shaped building concrete base.
For a pitched roof, the height of the front pillars is made 30 cm less than the rear pillars, so that rainwater does not stagnate, but flows off the roof. The vertical evenness of the supports is checked using a building level. If wooden posts are used, then the part that will be in the ground is treated with a protective agent against rotting. The depth of the holes dug for the installation of load-bearing supports should be below the freezing level of the soil.
Creating a sheathing
If the canopy is attached to the house, then a horizontal beam of wood with a cross-section of 80×90 mm is attached to the wall. It is screwed with dowels into the drilled holes, with a distance between them of 50-70 cm. If the length of one beam is not enough, extensions are made using another butt-to-butt method, using a metal plate. This will be the rear cross member. It is connected to the rear posts using metal corners.
Along the perimeter of the canopy from above, from one pillar to another, transverse horizontal bars with a cross-section of 70×90 mm are fixed, connecting the frame of the building together. Metal corners are used to firmly fasten structural elements.
The rafters are laid at an equal distance from each other and from the rear crossbar (from the wall of the house) to the front. In order for rainwater to drain beyond the perimeter of the canopy, the rafters are placed with a protrusion of 15 cm behind the front cross member. For the rafters, timber with a cross section of 70x70 mm is used. They are fixed to the beams using corners and self-tapping screws.
To form the sheathing, beams with a cross-section of 60×60 mm and a distance of 90 cm between them are placed across the rafters (along the length of the canopy). Screwed to the rafters with self-tapping screws. The sheathing frame for the roofing deck is prepared.
Roof installation
Various roofing materials are used to cover the roof. The main thing is that it harmoniously combines with the roof of the main building. It could be:
- Asbestos cement slate.
- Metal tiles.
- Polycarbonate.
- Ondulin.
- Profiled sheeting.
- Ceramic, bitumen, cement-sand tiles.
- Slate roofing.
- Bitumen slate.
Wave roofing material is placed on the sheathing, with the waves positioned from the wall to the bottom of the canopy. This is done for better drainage of rainwater. The sheets are connected to each other by overlapping one another, with a distance of one wave. They are secured to the sheathing with slate screws and soft washers.
Laying any roofing sheets or tiles begins from the edge of the building, moving towards its top. For smaller roof covering materials, more frequent sheathing is done. The tiles on the slope are secured with clamps, and along the side edges of the canopy roof - with self-tapping screws, into the factory holes in the tiles.
Before starting to create a project, you can find information on construction sites, see what your neighbors’ building looks like, and make your own sketch of the canopy.
If possible, it is better to buy building materials all at once so as not to be interrupted from the intended work.
It is advisable to treat all wooden elements with a protective antiseptic or varnish or paint them with water-repellent paint.
When choosing a roofing material, take into account its weight on the sheathing of the building.
If a carport is being built, then it is necessary to arrange a site under the building. Crushed stone, asphalt, paving stones or concrete are suitable for covering.
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An important part of the exterior of a country house is the canopy. It is designed to protect part of the yard from precipitation and ultraviolet rays, and also performs a decorative function. A small area, covered with material on top, consists of sheds attached to the house. Photos of similar structures can be seen in this review. In this case, the supports of the structure are brought to the required height. Attaching to the main structure involves attaching one side of the structure to the wall of the house.
The canopy structure allows you to create a magnificent outdoor recreation area
Sheds attached to the house can be made with your own hands. The photo shows the main stages of installation. The frame of the structure is often made of profiled pipe or timber. This structure is adjacent to the wall and takes on the load from the snow accumulated on the roof.
The roof is usually covered with corrugated sheets, slate or galvanized material. The metal for the frame structure has ductility and strength. It suits different design styles. Such structures can be erected with your own hands.
The wood frame system combines well with other materials. Wood suits most architectural designs. Before use, this material should be treated with protective agents. Polycarbonate canopies attached to the house are becoming increasingly popular, photos of which can be viewed on the Internet.
Polycarbonate is easy to assemble and comes in a variety of colors
Polycarbonate enjoys the following advantages:
- plastic is characterized by durability. Mechanical impact is not scary for him;
- light weight of the material;
- polycarbonate transmits light well;
- flexibility of the canvas.
Useful information! When purchasing a design kit for self-assembly, you must check the integrity and strength of all connections.
Sheds attached to the house: photos and design features
Sheds attached to the house, as shown in the photo, can be of two types. These are cantilever models and awnings on supports. The console version can be of any length, but its width should not be more than two meters. Support structures can be used for a variety of purposes.
Awnings can have different purposes:
- awnings for car protection;
- various awnings: with posts, retractable or basket.
Related article:
Features of wooden canopies attached to the house: photos and design solutions
Homeowners often choose wood sheds. Such structures have an excellent set of characteristics:
- are distinguished by ease of construction;
- can withstand long periods of exposure to the open air, especially when properly processed;
- characterized by safety for human health;
- have an affordable price.
Useful information! For comfortable use of the canopy, it is worth taking care of the installation of light and lighting fixtures.
Options for canopies attached to a house made of corrugated sheets: photos and design features
An awning made of corrugated sheets can be made in various configurations. Single-pitch, gable and arched structures are created from corrugated sheets. In addition, a structure made from this material has the following features:
- ease of manufacture;
- saving money;
- long service life.
Important! A canopy made of corrugated sheets is mounted only with galvanized self-tapping screws that have a rubber seal.
Creating a Project
When choosing a design project, it is worth deciding on the following parameters:
- dimensions and purpose of the structure;
- plot size;
- snow and wind loads;
- snow depth and expected annual precipitation;
- structural features of the main structure.
Before installation work, a drawing must be completed. Based on the size of the building, the required amount of material is determined.
Useful information! When creating a carport, it is worth considering the passage of a loaded vehicle.
Preparatory work
Before the planned sheds attached to the house are created, photos of which can be viewed on the website, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work. For this purpose, a suitable area is marked out, and trees are uprooted from it. The clean area is leveled. At the same time, sand and gravel are added.
Recesses are drilled under the canopy supports. And at this stage it is worth considering laying the cable under the lighting sources. A certain step for placing supports is selected. It depends on the weight of the roof and frame part.
The stands are lowered into the prepared pits and filled with concrete mixture. The pillars are set according to level.
Important information! If groundwater is located nearby, then the ends of the pillars need to be additionally waterproofed. Metal supports are pre-treated with a primer.
How to make a polycarbonate canopy attached to a house: photos and installation steps
12-15 days after the concrete has completely hardened, you can begin assembling the structure. Brackets are mounted on the wall, and then a transverse beam is mounted on top.
Creating a sheathing
The top trim is being done. The end parts of the racks are connected using a transverse beam and to each other. In this case, parallel laid profiles are used. The metal frame system is welded together, and the wooden frame system is tightened with steel corners.
Welding areas are cleaned, primed and painted. The rafters are mounted with transverse parts in increments of 600 mm. The structure is attached to the supporting beam using steel angles. The sheathing is laid across the rafters and mounted with self-tapping screws.
Roof installation
Sheets of roofing material are cut to size. Then they are attached to the sheathing. Holes for self-tapping screws are first made in the polycarbonate.
To facilitate water drainage, the cells should be directed downwards. When working with plastic, do not forget to leave gaps between. The dimensions of the holes should be made with a margin of 2-3 mm. There are some features of installing roofs made of other materials.
Wood beams can be used as beams. Over time, cracks may appear in the material, which will reduce the rigidity of the structure. After installing the beams, transverse boards are installed, and then the metal tiles are fastened. Installation of this material is carried out from the bottom sheets. It is worth considering that there should be an overlap of the upper sheets on the lower ones.
First, let's figure out what a canopy is and how it differs from a gazebo and an awning? This is a building that has long been built during bad weather to hide people, animals, and things. Distributed everywhere. It’s easy to build canopies for your dacha using scrap materials with your own hands.
Advantages of awnings
- The design is lightweight and easy to install.
- The structure is strong, but not as fundamental as a gazebo or building.
- A stationary roof, unlike an awning, is more durable. It will serve its owners for many years.
- Much cheaper than other similar structures, but it performs the function of protection from bad weather perfectly.
As for the shortcomings, we can name only one. This building is open to all winds and is well ventilated. You need to remember this during construction and make sure that your creation stands firmly on the ground, is especially durable, and can withstand any weather conditions. This condition is not difficult to fulfill; you, of course, can cope with it if you decide to build a shed at your dacha.
First, we decide on the type of structure and the necessary materials. 
Types of canopies
- As a continuation of the roof, attached canopies are built - canopies. On one side of such a structure there is a wall (part of the house), the other sides are open.
Used to cover porches, stacked firewood, verandas, and barbecues. - Free-standing structures are the second type of such structures. In the countryside, at the dacha, an “umbrella” covers wells and summer kitchens; in the city limits, there are transport stops, parking lots, cafe areas, sports facilities, bus stations, and market stalls. At the dacha, a green hedge is planted near such sheds. The result is a wonderful garden gazebo.
The universal building protects the population from scorching sun rays, pouring rain, unpleasant wind, and snowfall.
The roofs of buildings also come in different types - straight or inclined.
- Direct. The simplest option is direct coating. Used for parking.
- Inclined. There are single and double slopes. Due to the fact that the roof has an angle of inclination, water drains from the roof in a timely manner.
- Complex. Sometimes in design projects non-standard, unusual, or original shapes are chosen. For example, with a semi-arch. It will also be easy to make such a canopy with your own hands.
Materials for hanging structures
Structures of this type are built from available materials that are sold everywhere.
- For the frame they use wood or metal, or combine wooden parts of the building with metal ones.
- Plastic pipes have been used more and more often lately as a base.
- For the roof, choose, at your discretion, a covering from the list:
- metal tiles;
- modern polymer material - monolithic polycarbonate, fiberglass, other durable coating;
- corrugated sheeting;
- slate;
- special fabrics intended for awnings;
- durable glass, plexiglass;
- durable polyethylene.
Preliminary work before construction
- We think over the canopy diagram, draw a drawing.
- We choose a place for the extension, clean and level it, and make markings for supports.
- To protect wood from mold and rot, we treat wood parts with an antiseptic. With a ready-made composition or, for example, we paint it with a primer and then with paint.
- Let's prepare supports for the structure. We take 5 blocks of wood (90x90 mm). Since the roof is planned to be sloping, the bars intended for the front supports should be 40-50 cm less than the height that is measured on the wall of the house. We prepare the rafters and blanks for the sheathing.
- We fix the vertical distance on the building with a horizontal block (2.4 meters).
We build a wooden canopy with a polycarbonate roof with our own hands according to the instructions
- We drill holes for installing a vertical beam. If there is no drill, we simply dig holes 0.5 meters deep.
- Pour sand and crushed stone (10 cm) into the holes to create a pillow. Then we insert the supports strictly perpendicularly, checking the correct installation with a plumb line and level.
- Fill the holes with concrete.
- We connect the horizontal beam and the corners of the support to each other.
- We mount the rafters on horizontally attached slats and the sheathing of the structure.
- We connect two polycarbonate sheets (1000x3000 mm) 8 mm thick to obtain the intended roof size (2000x3000). We suggest using an HP profile for this. To prevent the plastic from cracking during operation, use self-tapping screws with rubber washers.
- We install the roof on the sheathing. Due to the difficulty of access to the top with large plates, preliminary work can be done at the bottom, and then lifted, say, with an electric hoist and secured.
- The canopy for the cottage is ready. The result was something like a canopy, an extension of the roof of the house.
Polycarbonate is a translucent, lightweight and durable plastic. A summer cottage canopy with a plastic roof provides good protection from rain and snow. It does not deform, although it is easier to bend the required shape from it than from other materials. A modern polycarbonate roof will last you for many years.
We install a free-standing canopy with a corrugated roof
Roofing made from profiled corrugated sheets is used in most cases for car parks in country houses. Mounted on metal stands.
The holes for the racks are drilled deeper - up to 1 meter deep.
The main parts of the structure are welded - you will need a welding machine. Side trusses and sheathing are prepared in advance, and then everything is connected into a single frame.
The roof is attached to the sheathing.
Canopies with fabric covering
Its advantage is the variety of colors and shades, fabric patterns. A fabric awning can become a work of art. It is chosen in cases of manufacturing exotic designer canopies. A roof made from this material will decorate your summer cottage and please the eye. Most often used for summer cottages.
The peculiarity of this design is that the fabric, in any case, is a short-lived material. During autumn bad weather, winter snowfalls, and during non-resort periods, it can become unusable and tear. Therefore, the fabric covering from such structures is removed for the autumn-winter period and put on in the spring, before the next summer season.
This canopy is built in the same way as the previous options. 
The simplest do-it-yourself canopy made from the simplest materials
If you urgently need to build a hanging structure for your dacha with your own hands, you can do it in a very simple way.
To build a canopy, take
- 2 five-meter PVC pipes (vinyl);
- 2 pieces of thick polyethylene (shower curtains are suitable);
- braid, strong threads.
Build the canopy according to the instructions:
- Sew the curtains into one large sheet.
- From the braid, make 40 loops on which the awning will be held (cut 40 suitable pieces).
- Sew the loops to the polyethylene.
- Place loops on the pipes.
Then decide on the installation location of the structure. Mark with pegs on the ground the points where you will insert the awning pipes. Place your structure by digging PVC pipes into the ground. Your canopy is ready! Your imagination will tell you the colors of the curtains - and the awning will come out wonderful.
Modern materials also suggest other design solutions. Take plastic pipes and, using clamps (also PVC), assemble a rectangular frame (after drawing its diagram). Attach thick fabric or polyethylene on top. You will get a wonderful carport.
In the same way, you can make a universal structure from thin plastic pipes and durable polyethylene. Such pipes bend easily. Experiment with arched shapes. You will get a folding portable canopy.
Put in a little work and patience - as a result, you will have the much-needed canopy at your dacha.
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We can say that the private sector is a vast field for home-grown craftsmen and designers, so the question of how to make a canopy for a house with your own hands, also quickly and cheaply, is quite relevant and important for many residents. Such a structure not only decorates the home - it protects it from precipitation, therefore, it increases the service life of covered structures, as a rule, a porch (terrace) doors and windows. A visor will also come in handy in hot sunny weather - in the shade you can simply sit down and relax in the fresh air.
Simple wooden shed attached to a house
What is needed for this
Since we are talking about simple and inexpensive canopies, first of all, all the elements from which the protective and decorative structure will be assembled must meet these criteria. But, despite the supposed low cost, you can always make a choice, since different materials can be used for the roof, rafter system (sheathing) and support posts, and their price will remain almost the same. You also need a certain set of tools, without which such an assembly is impossible and on which the quality of construction work also depends.
What materials can be used to build a canopy?
Metal tiles can be of different colors
This list lists the main materials for building sheds, which are relatively inexpensive, and also gives their brief characteristics:
- Metal tiles and corrugated sheets are sheet coverings with a large margin of mechanical strength. Powder painting on metal does not react to ultraviolet radiation (sunlight), therefore, does not lose its original color. The service life here is practically unlimited.
- – it can be cast or cellular, but for canopies it is better to use the first option (my opinion). In terms of mechanical strength, its performance is 200 times higher than that of glass of the same thickness and 100 times higher than that of acrylic. Sheets can be completely transparent, matte or have many other shades according to the RAL table (color table).
- Asbestos-cement slate - the name of the material indicates what it is made of, that is, from asbestos and cement. Sheets can be flat or wavy. The second option implies the presence of 5, 6, 7 and 8 waves (for roofing work it should be the same). In production and operation, corrugated asbestos-cement slate must comply with GOST 30340-95, and flat slate GOST 118124-95.
- Fiber cement slate - sheets consist of cement and mineral fillers, which are reinforced with cellulose fibers (fiber). This is a very durable material that can withstand heavy mechanical loads, such as a blow from a branch. At the household level, it is used very rarely as a roofing material.
- Lumber – timber, boards, timber, moisture-resistant plywood, OSB. For vertical supports, a board of 50×100 mm, 50×70 mm is usually used, or it can be a beam of 100×100 mm. For the Mauerlat (load-bearing beams) and rafter legs, boards of 50×100 mm and 50×70 mm are also suitable. Bars of different sections are often used to create fencing, and plywood and OSB are used as roofing.
- Metal profile – a hollow profile of round, square and rectangular cross-section can be used. For support posts, as a rule, a pipe with a diameter of at least 60 mm, a square with a cross-section of at least 60×60 mm, and a rectangle with a cross-section of at least 70×40 mm are used. For rafter legs, a 20x50 mm profile mounted on an edge (50 mm in height and 20 mm in width) is suitable.
- Fasteners - self-tapping screws for wood and metal with and without a press washer, bolts with nuts and washers, steel angles and plates.
What tools may be needed
Electric hand-held circular saw
The following tools may be needed for work:
- A hand-powered circular saw, but you can also use a wood saw.
- Angle grinder (grinder) with cutting disc for metal.
- Electric or cordless drill with a set of drills and attachments.
- Hammer with a set of pobedit drills.
- Electric welding of direct or alternating current.
- Measuring tools - levels of different types of action, plumb line, tape measure, construction square, chokeline, pencil.
The basic design principle of all awnings
The simplest frame design for a canopy
In this case, we are not talking about free-standing canopies, but about structures that are adjacent to the wall of the house, that is, one edge of the roof is against the wall, and the other is on supporting pillars. Most often, the connection is made to a horizontal beam, which is screwed to the wall with regular or anchor dowels, but in order to attach a canopy to the house, it is not necessary to make holes in the wall. In some cases, vertical posts are installed close to the building and the support beam is fixed to them - if the overhang from the roof is properly installed, this method is almost justified, it eliminates any leakage.
Simple matte polycarbonate canopy
Since we are talking about how to make a canopy for your house with your own hands quickly and cheaply, it is quite natural that it will be a single-pitched straight roof, as in the photo above. But if we talk about canopies as architectural decorations, they are sometimes made rounded, and sometimes even double, in the Chinese style. But in this case it is better to focus on speed and ease of execution.
General stages of shed construction. Sequence
The principle of assembling a wooden frame adjacent to the house
If we talk about the construction of canopies near a house with wooden frames, then all work can be divided into the following five stages:
- Attaching a load-bearing beam to the wall, which can be a board or even a 50x50 mm block.
- Installation of vertical supports at the required distance from the building, taking into account the already installed load-bearing beam.
- Installing the Mauerlat on support pillars - this beam is mounted so that it is strictly parallel to the first beam, and is also located lower to create a slope.
- Fixing rafter legs or sheathing under the roof. Performed using different methods.
- Attaching the roofing material to the finished frame.
Note. The assembly of a frame from a metal profile differs only in the execution technique. That is, if lumber units are assembled using corners, overlays and self-tapping screws, then electric welding is used for this purpose. But fastening the profile to the wall, both wooden and metal, is carried out in the same way, using ordinary or anchor dowels.
Canopy over the front door
It should also be noted the importance of another type of work, on which the method of installing the canopy frame directly depends - this is the construction of a porch or terrace. The fact is that the base of the support pillars can simply be filled with concrete screed and this is an excellent fastener, but in some cases the pillars have to be mounted on the surface of the porch or terrace, using reinforced steel corners. In this case, the mechanical strength of the fixation is also good, but at the same time the aesthetic indicators are somewhat reduced, although if desired, the corner can be decorated with a wooden or plastic plinth.
Assembling a wooden and metal frame
Attaching a horizontal support beam to a wall
As mentioned in the first step of the instructions above, first of all you need to attach a load-bearing beam to the wall on which the rafter system or the roofing material itself will rest. In some cases, home owners do not want to make holes in the wall for fasteners, citing the fact that the cladding of the house will be damaged, but personally I think this approach is unfounded. Firstly, if a canopy is installed over a terrace or porch, then it will last for a long time, if not forever, and, secondly, if necessary, such holes can be easily sealed with a material identical to the cladding.
The only option when attaching a load-bearing beam directly to the wall is impractical is to decorate the house with siding of any type (metal, vinyl, acrylic), since there is emptiness underneath and the panels themselves are soft. In such a situation, the support beam is mounted on racks that are installed close to the building. But even here you cannot do without fastening to the wall - firstly, you need at least one anchor per pole to maintain a strictly vertical position and at least one anchor per horizontal beam for rigidity. It will not be possible to not attach a wooden frame to the wall at any point - wood is not such a mechanically strong material to make it into a completely autonomous structure on four supports - to avoid play, you will have to install jumpers according to the triangle principle, and this is unnecessary trouble.
One of the types of fasteners for wooden supports
Often or are made by pouring concrete into the formwork, so the vertical posts can either be concreted by pouring their base, or special metal brackets (see photo above) can be concreted on which the pillars will be held. But this is not the only way to install brackets. Firstly, a threaded pin can be screwed into a plastic dowel, which is very easy to install in a concrete screed by drilling a mounting hole under it with a hammer drill. Secondly, it is easy to make such a bracket yourself for any support section: to do this, bend a steel strip in the shape of the letter “P”, drill mounting holes on the sides and in the center and attach it to the screed with an anchor dowel.
Note. If you use a homemade bracket, then you will need to drill a hole (sunk hole) under the head of the bolt in the support, and use a chisel to select a shallow groove under the strip so that the base of the post completely sits on the screed.
Perforated reinforced steel angle for fastening
In cases where a wooden support needs to be installed on a plank flooring or on a terrace board (this is WPC - wood-polymer composite), then reinforced steel corners are used as fasteners - they are quite sufficient for the rigidity of the installation. As a rule, corners are screwed along the terrace or porch on two sides of the post, but sometimes, for insurance, such a corner is also screwed on the inside of the post. The distance between the supports should not exceed two meters so that the Mauerlat beam does not bend when there is an excessively large layer of snow.
Ready-made steel supports with flanges for fastening
In the top photo you see ready-made steel supports with flanges for fastening, manufactured at the factory - such profiles are very convenient to use. The flange has four mounting holes through which the stand can be fixed with regular or anchor dowels, placing a washer under the head of the self-tapping screw or anchor bolt so that the head does not fall inside. In some cases, a porch or even a terrace can be made of sheet steel, and then electric welding is used for fastening without any dowels or anchors. The flange is simply welded around the perimeter and this is the most reliable fastening.
Installing the rafter leg on the supporting beam using special steel fasteners
After installing the supports, you can proceed to attaching the front load-bearing beam (mauerlat) and rafter legs, which also act as sheathing for the roofing material. It is most convenient to fix the front beam using steel reinforced angles or even long bolts with nuts and washers, however, this does not matter, the main thing is that the units fit well and there is no play.
Special fasteners for rafter legs
For perpendicular joining of wooden profiles (rafter legs and load-bearing beam), it is very convenient to use special steel fasteners, like what you see in the top photo. But if suddenly there is no such fastener, then it can be replaced with reinforced corners on both sides of the rafter leg - this is your private property and in such situations no one has the right to regulate anything.
This is what a simple assembled lumber frame will look like
If you used lumber (timber, board) to assemble the frame, then you seem to be dooming your structure to fragility in advance - the wood will quickly rot, and before that it will lose its attractiveness (it will turn black). To get rid of such consequences, supports, beams and sheathing should be treated with an antiseptic, and to maintain attractiveness, coated with clear or tinted wood varnish. Often the timber is first opened with stain and then topped with colorless varnish.
Shed with steel frame
If you decide to build a simple canopy with a metal frame, then it is assembled in the same way as a wooden one - without bends or decorative overlays. All the same straight lines, only electric welding is used to join the nodes, and sometimes bolts with nuts and washers. But if we are talking about speed, then, of course, it is better to use welding.
Roofing installation
Installation of polycarbonate on the roof
Either cast or cellular polycarbonate is used as roofing. Personally, I prefer the first option, but my opinion cannot be categorical - some people prefer honeycomb sheets, especially since transparency is not needed for the roof, otherwise it will not protect from the sun. In any case, if these are cast plates, then it is better to choose tinted ones (yellow, green, blue, pink) - the sun's rays do not penetrate through them so much.
Polycarbonate canopy for $84
Polycarbonate sheets are attached to the sheathing using self-tapping screws with a press washer, which completely covers the hole, eliminating any leakage. The PC is joined using a special split profile, and at the edges for the cellular version, an end profile is put on, which is best placed with glue.
The principle of installing corrugated sheets
Corrugated sheeting, just like , is laid overlapping and fixed with special self-tapping screws with a press washer. Since the press washer in this case has a rubber gasket, the self-tapping screw can be screwed in not only along the wave crest, as on slate, but also between the waves - the rubber gasket prevents leakage. The screw heads are matched to the color of the roof.
The principle of laying slate
The slate is laid overlapping, starting from the bottom row, it is attached to the sheathing with slate nails through the crest of the wave, but they are not hammered in completely, leaving a 1-1.5 mm gap for thermal deformation. It is strictly forbidden to bend nails from the inside of the slope - due to thermal deformation, this will cause cracking of the slate. If you still want to get rid of the sharp protruding ends, then simply cut them off with a grinder.
Conclusion
We have now figured out how to make a canopy for your house with your own hands, quickly and cheaply. The most expensive option of all those discussed above is a metal tile roof and a metal profile frame, and the cheapest is a slate roof and a lumber frame.