Trellis Provides Shade, Living Area

When it’s hot, a sun trellis like this one has many advantages.

It extends a home’s living area, provides a shady place to host barbecues and outdoor parties, and shields people, pets, plants and outdoor furniture from the summer sun’s rays.

It also cuts down on the heat and glare that concrete yards and patios reflect through a home’s rear windows or sliding glass doors, keeping the back of the house cool.

And with the addition of shade cloth and plantings of wisteria, bougainvillea or other climbers- along with plenty of potted plants around the patio - the entire yard assumes a refreshing new personality, with plenty of extra cover, fragrance and color.

Although this sun trellis project is fairly large - either 12 feet-by-16 feet or 12 feet-by-24 feet - it’s really not difficult. Its simple post-and-beam construction uses mostly 2-by-2s, 4-by-4s and 2-by-6s of rough Douglas fir, which can be painted or stained.

Do-it-yourselfers can substitute cedar, pine or another weatherresistant lumber, depending upon availability.

The Sun Trellis plan, No. 608, is $6.50 and includes step-by-step instructions with 24 photos, exploded construction diagrams, a complete shopping list (with guidelines to shopping for lumber) and a cutting schedule.

For a more comprehensive patio renovation, a package of six other projects, No. C50, is available for $14.00. It includes plans for three different decks (wood, brick and concrete), a carport, patio storage bench and patio cover. A catalog picturing hundreds of other do-ityourself projects for spring and summer is $3.95. Prices include sales tax, postage and handling.

MEMO: To order, clip this article and send it with a check or money order to U-Bild Features, c/o The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2383, Van Nuys, CA 91409-2383. Specify plan number and allow three to four weeks for delivery (for first-class mail, add $1 per item).