Sunshade for my deck.

[Creamcracker]

Hi all, I figure this is the place where you can find the brightest and best minds in the universe! So I'm looking for some ideas....

We have a small deck on the back of our house 10 x 12 that is approx 3 feet off the ground. Last year I put up a cheap (and I mean cheap) version of a shade that consisted of a number of poles that you put together and then cover the roof area with a plastic type tarp....we used it all summer and spent more time on the deck than ever before. Of course the tarp only lasted the summer and when I took it down it just fell to pieces. I have all the tubes. However it didn't cover the whole deck and I'm thinking of erecting something that will cover the deck, my wife can sew a new canvas covering, and make it a little more permanent. I'm thinking that perhaps I could use plumbing pvc pipes and connect them together if I can find the right connectors; however I don't believe I will find them. Anyone have any ideas that might be helpful...or has anyone done something similar?

Philip

[rebapuck]

Can you attach an awning rail to the house? That would take care of one edge with no need for poles on that side. I can send you awning welt.

[toypusher]

BE careful what you put up. If you get wind much at all, most things can be torn to pieces very quickly. We have a standalone gazebo that is basically a screen room with a canvas top. Been using it for about 3 years, but always put spring clamps on around the edges when it is not in use to prevent it from being taken away by a gust of wind.

I think the attached to the house awning is a good bet, especially if you do not need it screened. You can get them that will retract and that is the type that I would advise. For you size deck, you would need about 3 feet (if I remember correctly) above any doorway that you have opening onto the deck to make that size work correctly.

Awning can be pricey, but if it allows you to use your deck a lot and you enjoy it, then the cost is worth it.

[mezmo]

Hi Creamcracker,

Here's a couple websites for pvc fittings:

http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/pvc.shtml

http://www.pvcfittingsdirect.com/?gclid ... 5QodrlUJCA

Just google "pvc pipe fittings" for more.

Just be sure of strength issues, i.e. enough for your use/purpose.

Maybe it'd be a better idea to do it in tubing/electrical conduit.

http://www.steelconduit.org/pdf/ConGuide.pdf

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[Fenlason]

In addition to concern of wind, I would think potential water pooling, and therefore strength might be a concern.

I don't know if you are primarily after shade, or rain protection.

I have a 10 by 36ft deck in front of a sunroom. I am putting an awning up on that. My primary concern was shading of the sunroom, yet, I suspect I will like a shady deck also. I was not able to use much slope, so I had a potential for pooling problems.


I will use something for a shade cloth.. vs a waterproof cover. The shade cloth will be cooler than an awning, for air will move through it. It will also allow water to pass through, alleviating any pooling issues.

I used 1 1/4" aluminum tubing with fittings for my frame work. [That might be overkill for your situation]

[mcspin50]

This might be too small for what you want to do, but over my shop entrance I put a 4 x 5 rectangular "sail" of Sunbrella fabric that I had sewed the edges and had the shoe repair guy put big brass grommets in the corners. Then I screwed two big screw eyes into the side of the shop a foot or so above the door. I used s-hooks to connect the sunbrella rectangle to the screw eyes.
I have two big 6x6 @ 9 ft. tall posts that the former owner cemented in the ground about 8 ft. out from the shop entrance and @8 ft. apart. Kinda like they were going to build a covered deck, but never did. Then I hooked bungee cords into the outside corner grommets and around those big posts with enough tension to keep the rectangle fairly taut. We've had some pretty nasty winds, and the only thing that has been damaged and needed replacing were the bungee cords. Other than that, the fabric just floats up and down in the breeze.
When it rains, the water drips off the middle of the fabric rectangle, but other than that, it does a great job of keeping the afternoon sun from baking the inside of the shop.

[Miriam C.]

Shade cloth You might look into some of this cloth. Walmart carries some also. It is a UV blocker too.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... E8Q8gIwAw#

http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... FcQ8gIwBQ#

[Mark & Andrea Jones]

Two years ago in May, my parents had their 50th Anniversary party outdoors. Renting a canopy was exhorbitant and buying a standard shelter and reselling it wasn't much better. We didn't have much money left over for canopy rental, but our outlook improved when we found a company like Creative Shelters. We bought the kit (which consisted of just the fittings and the tarp), bought the poles from local electrical store (cheaper there), cut them to the lengths we wanted them and put it up. We spent less than $800 on a 20' x 30' silver canopy w/ valence, feet, and side walls (the whole shebang) and turned around and sold it for $1,100 two months later on Craigs List (after putting it up only twice - once to assemble it and figure out the pole lengths and once at the party) - which helped to pay for the pig that was put on the barbeque.

These fittings look EXACTLY like the ones that were in the kit we got. I don't think that this is the same company, but it may be. The fittings are VERY sturdy. In fact, the fittings are more durable then the tubing. I think we bent one of the tubes while putting it together. You've got to be careful on lifting / moving the canopy, but once you get it fastened down, it is likely to stay that way.

I will attach a couple of pics from the canopy that we put up but I've got to load them first.

AJ

EDIT: OK, here they are!



In looking thru their website, they have UV stabilized shade tarps - in multiple colors. That could be an answer to someone's shade issues.

[rowerwet]

when my parents had their deck built, they put one side under a pergola, boards on edge mounted to a frame that could support a roof. In my parents case they had the boards mounted vertically, depending on your sun angle you can have them mounted at different angles. you could put cloth over the top of the pergola or on the sides but they have never needed it, their deck is on the south side and with no shade at all for most of the day, the pergola makes it very comfortable to be out there, I gave them a nice wood porch swing and they hung it underneath the pergola as the frame is way stronger than needed in case they ever put a roof on it. (snow loads)
when the contractor was building the deck he found it much cooler to work on the shaded side than the open side and it was a very hot summer that year, he saved the open side for early morning and late afternoon.