Backyard Canopy / Shade / Cover / Pergola: Build or Buy

[Nifty]

We've got a cement slab behind our house that would be a great place to hang out during the day, but it tends to get pretty sunny and hot back there.

I've often thought about building some kind of pergola, awning, shade, canopy, or something. Basically a bunch of 4x4's supporting a slanted roof that would have corrugated plastic PVC panels on top. Nothing terribly fancy or expensive... just enough to keep the sun off during the summer... maybe a place to keep the rain off in the Winter / Spring.

Well, I was getting ready to figure out how to build the thing and then we were at Costco today where I saw a beautiful 10 x 20 canopy that comes with the roof and also includes SIDES!

Basically it is very similar to this:

Well, get this... the price: ONLY $189

I mean, seriously!?!?!

I know it wouldn't last as long as wood, but for the price I'm thinking I just throw this up in the backyard.
I never build stuff so have no idea what the cost would be to build a wood and corrugated plastic version of the same.


What do you think?

 

[Ldychef2k]

My first thought isn't that it's a scam, but whether the structure would withstand wind, and if it would be unbearably hot inside!

 

[miss_thenorth]

We bought a sun shleter from costco a few years ago. Similar to the one in the middle. It stilll wasn't that pricey. Mind you this is the canadian costco, but the US should have even nicer selection. Ours was similar to the one in the middle. http://www.costco.ca/Common/Categor...nav=&cat=22894&eCat=BCCA|114|22894&lang=en-CA

The one you are looking at is for a car or ATV etc. I also have a freind who took down her sun shelter and bult a pergola. I don't know how much it cost, but for us, living in the city, ours worked fine. We sold it when we moved here to wind country.

 

[Farmgirlpastandfuture]

If its anything like the picture you posted its sort of similar to art show tents (which I know alot about). We use a light dome tent and it handles the weather pretty good. You'd want to bolt down the legs otherwise they are great at creating 'lift'. We usually put 50lb on each leg our our tent and there have been times I grab hold and hang on.
The material for the walls and roof isn't really made for daily use. They stain easily and are a pain to clean.
For comparison we paid $1300 for our 10x10 light dome. If what you are looking at is from the EZ Up brand they are well known as the EZ Down on the show circuit.

 

[Nifty]

Thanks for the info!

Yup, the one at Costco is almost exactly the same as the one in the pic... maybe a bit on the tan color side.

We installed a similar one from Costco about 10 years ago at our first house (when we got our new car). The canopy/cover held up pretty well for the 3 years that we lived there. I heard that the material started to fall apart, but no idea how badly.

We'd definitely anchor it to the ground... probably with bolts driven into the concrete.

We're not 100% decided on this vs. building a wood structure, but we do like that this is cheap and easy... at least until we decide what kind of permanent structure we'd like to build.

 

[elijahboy]

look on craigslist often

i found my super nice octagon gazebo for 50.00

its huge like 15'x15'

i kept it under an oak tree for 3 years and it ruined the tarp along with the kids using it as a "clubhouse" so now its going to be used as a grape arbor when i move

 

[SKR8PN]

We bought this 10' x 12' gazebo at Sears 3 years ago. It has held up pretty well so far! We take the canvas cover and screen sides off for the winter. That pole going up from the table is an outdoor fan with lights. Found that at Home Depot about the same time as we got the gazebo.

If you look through the gazebo, you will see my fence project.

 

[Rebecka]

What perfect timing for this thread. I was just sorting the budget on our wood thing. Its really not a gazebo, so i dont know what to call it. 10x10 elevated platform with decking , 4 posts and slanted decking on the roof as well. Nothing fancy, just a place for me to get out of the sun while working in the garden or take my laptop out to work. Its going to run us about 300 bucks. Everything purchased in 10 and 12 foot lengths , so there is no fuss for assembly . Lots cheaper than my summer kitchen!

 

[Nifty]

Too funny!

The cover on our canopy got to the point where it was falling apart, so I needed to replace it. I got a tarp at costco and it barely lasted 1 year.

So I jumped on the internet and searched for replacement tops. The prices were high and I thought I'd try to see how much I paid at costco since I couldn't remember. I searched google for "cotsco canopy 10 20" and went to image search and started clicking images.

Well, guess my surprise when I stumbled on my own thread from 4 years ago!!!

Internet and SS FOR THE WIN!!!!

 

[Denim Deb]

I've had the same thing happen.