How to Cover a Patio With an Arbor

A patio arbor provides a subtle sense of shelter and enclosure and varying degrees of shade.

An arbor makes a great overhead cover for a patio, offering the perfect blend of shelter, definition of space and an open-air feel. In the context of patios, a typical arbor is a freestanding structure with four or more posts supporting an overhead grid-like frame of beams, rafters and roof slats. The posts are buried in the ground with concrete or anchored to the top of concrete pier footings. The size and spacing of the rafters and optional roof slats are up to you. Use deeper rafters and closer spacing, plus roof slats, for more shade at certain times of the day, or fewer, smaller rafters and no slats for more sun exposure.

Things You'll Need

• Basic carpentry tools
• Excavation tools
• Gravel
• 4-by-4 or 6-by-6 posts
• Scrap lumber (for bracing)
• Concrete and concrete mixing tools
• Laser level
• 2-by-8 or larger lumber (for beams)
• Circular saw
• Clamps
• Drill
• 1/2-inch galvanized carriage or machine bolts with washers and nuts
• Ratchet wrench
• 2-by-4 or larger lumber (for rafters)
• 16d galvanized nails or metal framing connectors and nails
• 2-by-2 lumber (for optional roof slats)

Instructions

1. Mark the center of each support post onto the patio surface or ground. If necessary, remove the patio paving or other surface material in a 16-inch-diameter area at each location.

2. Dig a hole for each post, making it 12 inches in diameter (for 4-by-4 posts) or 16 to 18 inches (for 6-by-6 posts) and at a depth that extends below the frost line (the depth to which the ground freezes in winter; this varies by area), plus 6 inches. Fill each hole with 6 inches of gravel and compact the gravel with a 4-by-4 scrap.

3. Set each post in its hole and secure it with cross-bracing so it is plumb (perfectly vertical) and aligned with the other posts. Mix bags of dry pre-mixed concrete, as directed by the manufacturer, and fill the holes with concrete. Let the concrete dry as directed.

4. Mark the height of the beams onto one of the posts, then use a laser level or a mason's string and line level to transfer the height mark to the remaining posts. For each beam, cut two 2-by-8 or larger boards to equal the distance between the outsides of the post pairs, plus 2 to 3 feet (depending on how much overhang you desire beyond the posts). Cut the beams with a circular saw.

5. Sandwich the beam boards over the post pairs (one board on each side of the posts), and clamp them in place at their height marks. Drill pilot holes through the beams and posts and anchor the beams to the posts with 1/2-inch carriage bolts or machine bolts with washers and nuts; tighten the bolts with a ratchet wrench.

6. Mark the layout of the rafters onto one of the beam boards on each side of the arbor, using the desired spacing; the rafters run perpendicular to the beams. Cut 2-by-4 or larger rafters to span over the tops of the beams; overhang the beams as desired. Install the rafters on their layout marks, fastening them to the beam boards with 16d common nails or metal framing connectors (and the manufacturer's specified nails).

7. Mark the layout of the roof slats (if you're using them) onto the tops of the outer rafters, using the desired spacing; the slats run perpendicular to the rafters. Cut 2-by-2 slats to span beyond the outer rafters as desired. Install the slats with 16d nails or 3 1/2-inch deck screws.

8. Replace any patio paving materials around the arbor posts, as applicable.

Tips & Warnings

• If you'd like to build the arbor atop a concrete slab patio, contact your city's building department for recommendations; you may be able to anchor the posts directly to the slab, using approved post bases.

• Arbors are permanent structures that may require a building permit. Check with your city's building department to learn about permitting and structural requirements for your project.

References

• "Lowe's Complete Patio & Deck Book;" Sunset Publishing Corporation; 2004