How to Build a Covered Japanese Sitting Area

Consult with your local code enforcement office to confirm the height allowable for exterior structures that can be built without planning permission. It is unlikely that the office will mandate maximum dimensions for an open-sided ornamental structure, but asking before building is always recommended.

Draw a plan of your gazebo project on graph paper. An 8-foot square roof is typical for such structures; for this size finish, plan to locate the corner posts 7 feet apart on each side. The pergola structure is simple, consisting only of the posts, stringers and crossbeams, with roofing material as an option.

Dig holes for the posts using a shovel or post-hole digger. Both hand-held and free-standing powered post-hole diggers are commonly available at tool rental stores and home improvement warehouses; the time savings vs. rental costs are dictated by the number of posts necessary for the size of your pergola. To prevent the posts eventually shifting from upright, the holes should be deeper than the frost line in regions subject to severe winters.

Install 4-inch-by-4-inch square pressure-treated cedar posts or -- for a more traditional look -- bundles of bamboo canes held together with tie wires. Place them one at a time in their holes and fit temporary braces to lock them in an exactly vertical position. Use quick-setting concrete to fill the holes around the posts; use a carpenter’s level to check the posts are still vertical after pouring the concrete in and tamping it down. When the concrete is set, remove the braces.

Cut four 2-by-6-inch cedar planks to size for use as stringers, which are the timbers that stretch from the top of each post to the next on all four sides. Working one at a time, clamp them in place and use deck screws and an electric drill fitted with a driver attachment to fasten them around the posts.

Stand the first of the crossbeams in place; 2-inch-by-2-inch lumber is ideal for this part of the project. Crossbeams should be 1 foot longer than the distance between the stringers and positioned so that they overhang 6 inches at each end. The timbers are positioned on their narrow face so that when all are in place, they create a finlike structure that blocks all but the sunlight directly overhead. Notch the crossbeams so that they drop down an inch over the stringers, then use galvanized deck plates to secure them in place; locate the plates on the interior edges so that they are not visible from the ground.

Add bamboo rolled fencing as a roof covering. This material is available year-round from specialty suppliers and, in season, from home improvement warehouses in some parts of the country. Choose Tonkin cane if available; this bamboo is naturally straight and free of branches, and the nodes are almost flat. Unroll the fencing in place above the crossbeams and fix it down with tie wires, then cut the bamboo to shape using a fine-toothed -- 40 teeth per inch -- hand or electric saw. If the roof is to be left permanently in place, treat it with a ultraviolet-light-resistant, oil-based sealant according to the manufacturer’s instructions; also treat the posts if you used bundled bamboo.