How to Build a Roof Over an Outdoor Bar

Cover your outdoor bar to fend off rain and sun.

If you've installed an outdoor bar, you may want to build a roof over it. It will shade the bar from the sun, provide shelter in light rain and generally make the bar more accessible in different weather. It can be an elaborate structure, such as a solid gazebo; it can also be a simple summer pavilion made from wooden posts and easy-to-find materials -- an attractive, fairly easy structure you can put together over a weekend.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Post-hole digger
• Sand
• Pea gravel
• Concrete mix
• Power drill
• 3-inch galvanized screws
• 2 cedar landscape posts from 4-by-4 lumber or natural peeled logs, 12 feet long
• 2 cedar landscape posts from 4-by-4 lumber or natural peeled logs, 10 feet long
• 2 cedar support pieces from 2-by-4 lumber or stripped sapling trees, 12 feet long
• 4 cedar cross pieces from 2-by-4 lumber or stripped sapling trees, 4 feet long
• 4 corrugated fiberglass panels, 5 feet long by 3 feet wide
• Silicone caulk

Instructions

1. Find out about local laws and ordinances about building backyard structures in your area, and contact local utilities before digging to avoid damaging underground cables or lines.

2. Measure a space that is 10 feet long and 4 feet wide, and mark four corners with stakes or rocks.

3. Dig a hole 2 feet deep and 6 inches in diameter at each corner, and put 1/2 inch of sand and 1 inch of gravel in each hole.

4. Mix the concrete, place the 12-foot posts in the two front holes and the 10-foot posts in the two back holes, and fill around the posts with concrete. Let the concrete dry at least 24 hours, and brace the posts if necessary to keep them straight while the footings dry. You will have two 10-foot-tall posts in front and two 8-foot-tall posts in back, creating a slanted roof.

5. Screw in the four cross pieces on the 4-foot sides of the structure, two on each side, at 3 and 4 feet from the ground.

6. Place the 12-foot support pieces across the tops of the front posts and the tops of the back posts, parallel to each other. Position the support pieces so that they extend a foot on each side of the structure and screw them into the posts.

7. Place the corrugated fiberglass panels next to each other on top of the support pieces on the structure, with the 3-foot-wide edges parallel to the support pieces. The four panels should be wide enough to cover the length of the support pieces, extending on each side of the structure by a foot. Screw the panels into the support pieces.

8. Caulk the seams of the panels where they join on top of the structure so rain doesn't drip through.

Tips & Warnings

• Make the structure any size you want to accommodate the size of the bar by adjusting the sizes of the materials.

• If you use natural peeled logs, seal them with deck sealer.

References

• "Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Backyard Recreation Projects"; Eric W. Smith; 2010
• "Black & Decker The Complete Photo Guide to Sheds, Barns, & Outbuildings"; Editors of Creative Publishing; 2010
• "Landscape Construction"; David Sauter; 2010
• "New Backyard Idea Book"; Natalie Russell; 2010
• "Black & Decker The Complete Outdoor Builder"; Editors of CPi; 2009
• "Ultimate Guide to Outdoor Projects"; Editors of Creative Homeowner; 2009