Are you looking to add a stylish and functional shade covering to your workshop or outdoor space? This guide provides a step-by-step process to build a DIY wood awning frame that is wall-mounted, strong, lightweight, and requires no posts for support.
Adding an awning to the north side of the workshop can create a perfect outdoor covered space. The goal was to have an awning that is wallmounted and would not require any post to support it. It would need to be strong and lightweight with enough head clearance and a similar slope to other buildings. This design would allow the rainwater pipe to remain on the wall.
After a few variations, this design was selected. The metal roof would be 48 in with a slope down off horizontal of 20°. A 2×4 on the flat would be screwed to the studs behind the sheathing. The rafter and Brace 2x4s would be vertically oriented for symmetry with the rafter. The brace 2×4 would be on a 20° Downs slope.
This guide provides specifics on the design, cutting, and assembly of the awning brackets. The brace is designed so the pieces could be cut efficiently from a standard 8T board. To make the six awning braces, the parts were cut from 7 2x4s. Parts A and C could be cut three per 2×4 length, and for Part B, two could be cut from a length. This approach left the least amount of waste.
After selecting the best 2x4s, the miter saw was set up in the shop to cut all the parts.
Cutting the Awning Components
First, cut Part B, the rafter component of the awning brace. Two of these can be obtained from an 8T 2×4. Both ends will have a 20° cut. A drawing of the SketchUp model can be referenced for the dimensions.
A free drawing is available on the website that can be downloaded. Go to manot tools.com Awning or see the link in the description below.
A balance between strength, weight, and cost was the goal. Standard framing lumber was selected for these braces to satisfy these requirements. If cost was not as much of a concern, then using Cedar would also be good, as it’s strong enough but lighter. A lot of weight will also be saved by using corrugated sheet steel for the roof.
The laser sight on the miter saw can be hard to see, so often the blade is sighted down to line up the angled Cuts Like These. Marking a pencil line at this precise angle would also work here, and an adjustable angle gauge would be great for drawing that.
Then, three part C pieces can be cut from an 8T length. Each of these has a 20° cut on one end and a 50° on the other. Lastly, the part A pieces are cut. They have a 20° bevel on both ends, and three of these can be cut from a 2×4.
Assembling the Awning Braces
The piece that attaches to the Wall (Part A) is taken and three pilot holes are drilled using a 3/16 bit. Each brace will be held in place with 3 5/16 by 4in grk screws. These are a structural washer head screw that’s much like a galvanized lag bolt, but they’re stronger and much higher quality.
Some scrap 2x4s were screwed to the bench to make a jig. A piece of plywood was cut at 50° to line up the walls of The Jig. This way, the angles will be consistent, and all the pieces of the brace can be held during assembly. Two of the pieces, B and C, are lifted using these one-inch thick plywood angle brackets. They happen to be the right thickness to Center these pieces that are lying on their flat side to part A, which is sitting up on its Edge.
It’s possible to assemble these braces without this improvised jig on the bench. The goal was to create six identical units, so starting this way, being as accurate as possible, would increase the chances of them all being identical. Once up on the wall, it would be very easy to spot any that weren’t. Some pencil marks are made on Part B where it meets part C, and those marks will help with alignment in the pocket hole jig.
There are many ways to attach these two parts. For the 3 and 1/2 in thickness of the 2X Force, 2 and 1/2 in Pocket screws are used, two on one side and one on the other. Now On The Backs side of part A that attaches to the wall, a center line is marked where it meets B and C. The screw locations can then be eyeballed, and two 1/8 in pilot holes are drilled going through a and into B, then through the lower end of a and into C. Glue is applied to the end of Part B, then the screws are run in.
Next, glue is applied to both ends of part C, then it’s held in place while the grk screws are run in. This is where the jig and clamps come in handy. They maintain the critical angle made up between A and B while C is being added. Also, a pilot hole is drilled near the sharp end of c and into B, and a screw is run in there and into the two pockets drilled in Part B earlier.
Finishing and Installation
With the glue at the joints dry, a coat of primer is applied, first with a brush into the corners and then with a roller on all the flat surfaces. An extra coat was also added to the cut ends. The next day, two coats of semigloss enamel paint are applied, again with brush and then roller. The 1×4 strapping that the roof screws will be driven into was also primed and painted.
On this north wall, there is a 3-in pipe that connects the rain gutters on the east and west side of both this shop and another out building. This Plumbing setup runs into the thg tank at the far corner. This pipe will need to be removed for the awning installation and then put back after. Two temporary supports will help with this. They will support the pipe while the existing metal brackets and standoff blocks are removed and also later when the pipe is put back in place.
The screws and the metal pipe brackets can now be removed. Rubber couplings with screw clamps were used on each end of this long run, and those are loosened now and Slide the couplings off each end so that pipe can be moved out of the way.
That went pretty well, and it was good that rubber couples were used. This rubber seems to be holding up well on the North side; it doesn’t see a lot of sun, so hopefully it doesn’t degrade very quickly. The small 2×2 standoff block box that the metal U brackets were attached to will be removed. A drawing for the layout and location of the brackets is available now.
A mark is added on the wall where the bottom of the awning braces will land. At this point, a straight 2×4 is attached and checked that it’s level, then a small block is added to support the end end of the next 2×4. The nail heads from the 4×8 siding panels are visible on this wall, so it’s easy to find the center of each stud inside the wall here.
A mark is made over from the center half the width of part A, which is 1 and 3/4 in, and a few points are marked vertically or Plum above that. The first awning bracket is then placed on that line and drilled through the pilot hole into the wall and into the stud behind the siding. A screw is run in with the impact driver, and it’s checked that the bracket didn’t move and it’s still Plum. The pilot holes are drilled and the other two screws are run in.
As the pilot holes were drilled through part A on the drill press earlier, it is known that they are at right angles to the wall face, and then the screws will go straight into the center of the studs. This was just repeated for the rest of the brackets, and as it was going along, it was thought that the Middle Screw location could have been about an inch higher. It was a bit tight to get the drill than driver in with part C in the way, but there was just enough room and that was just by luck as those clearances weren’t specifically checked ahead of time.
Those grk screws are very nice to work with. Even though pilot holes are often drilled, you really don’t need to most of the time with these screws. That’s the last bracket going up, and there weren’t any issues. The only concern at this point was fitting the pipe back into place, and hoping that there was enough clearance to keep it sloped as it was before. The pipe was slowly threaded Through The Eyes of the awning braces trying to get the pipe to rest on the temporary blocks.
This was another one of those times where it was worth the effort to plan ahead. With such a long pipe, it was felt a hand needed to be given to a future self. It was possible to get it all lined up to where it was before, slip the rubber couples over the joints, then tighten the screw clamps, so that was a relief.
Part A provides the same standoff distance as the 2x two blocks used earlier, so the U brackets could be attached right to them. With all the metal pipe brackets on, the two temporary support blocks are removed. Then the Level 2x4s can be removed from the wall.
On the wall there are three electrical boxes, the one on the left will be for the rainwater tank pump, the middle box is a service disconnect for a heat pump, and the one on the right is a 30 amp outlet for an RV or for electric car charging videos on some of that coming up soon.
Before the 1×4 slats can be installed across the awning brackets, it needs to be checked for square corner to corner. Two pieces of plywood were cut and attached across the two endmost braces. This allowed the ends to be squared to the wall. With it as Square as it could get, screwing the roof strapping on began.
There was a stack of these 1×4 fors that were being used as temporary post braces from a previous project. They are only 8 ft long strips, so they had to be put up in more pieces than intended, but it’s what was available, so it had to be worked with. With the price of lumber, it was wanted to use what was already on hand. Also, the 1x4s will do the job and they will not add much additional weight. So it was a lot of up and down the ladder and squeezing in between the strapping and bra bra es to screw all these boards on.
When there were a few rows of strapping on, the plywood that was holding the end brace as Square could be removed. The roofing supplier cut the corrugated sheets to 48 in in length. The overall length of the strapping was worked out so there wouldn’t be a need to rip any of the roofing sheets down, at least according to those calculations. As you go along, things can vary.
When you’re overlapping the edges with the first panel, it’s important to get get it positioned square and lined up with the roof strapping as best possible. The wall had some bows to it at this end, so the best fit line was also tried to be found where the panel touches the wall. Later, any gaps in that upper edge can be filled with flashing. Looking back at it now, a chalk line could have been snapped for that best fit reference.
The roofing screw locations are marked with a sharpie before a sheet is hauled up. Then it’s known that the screw will find the strapping below it. A 3/4 in rubber gasket with metal washer Roofing screw was used to install these panels. It was tight working in that little space beside the cedar Hedges, just not a lot of room for positioning the ladders or myself, but it was all coming together and the finish line was visible. Luckily the last sheet fell into place without having to trim the sheet or the strapping, and it also looked like the end flashing that was left over from the shed extension would fit as well.
Conclusion
Building a DIY wood awning frame is a straightforward project that adds both aesthetic appeal and practical shelter to your outdoor spaces. By following these step-by-step instructions, you can create a sturdy and attractive awning that enhances your workshop or any other area needing protection from the elements.
