Shade structures can include anything from canopies, gazebos, and trellises to pergolas, cabanas, and pavilions.
They are an excellent addition to your backyard if you want to extend your enjoyment of time spent in your yard even after the sun has begun its descent.
Adding some shade structures doesn’t take any special skills; in fact, it’s fairly simple and inexpensive too.
Here are 7 steps that will help you build some shade structures in your yard:
- Measure out what space you have available for shade structures. You may also want to sketch out where these could go as well as how much room they need on all sides. This helps you figure out what types of structures would work best with your space limitations and budget limitations.
- Find out which materials would be most cost-effective and durable based on your needs. You may want something that can withstand wind or rain, for example, so you’ll need to do some research before making any decisions. This will also help you figure out how much it will cost overall.
- Choose what type of structure you want (e.g., pergola, gazebo, etc.). Once you have an idea of what types of structures are available, choose one that works best with your space limitations and budget limitations as well as other factors like size and appearance.
- Measure out where each support beam will go. If it’s a freestanding structure, then you’ll need to figure out how many support beams there will be in total based on how big it is and whether or not it needs to be anchored into anything else.
- Buy all of your materials for building shade structures once you know exactly what they are going to look like and where they will go in your yard. You may also want to hire someone to help you with any heavy lifting if necessary.
- Start building! If it’s something that needs to be anchored into anything else, make sure that’s done first before moving on.
- Enjoy your new structure!