Don Vandervort, Head Homeboy, has written more than 30 DIY home improvement books, been a segment host on HGTV, served as MSN.com's home improvement expert and written countless magazine articles.
Illustrated diagrams of both adjustable and fixed louvers for patio roofs
Wooden slat louvers offer excellent control of direct sunlight when installed in a patio roof or gazebo roof. Fixed louvers can be set at an angle to block the sun at the time of day it is most unwanted. Adjustable louvers can permit almost any degree of light or shade throughout the day.
Louver orientation. If you run louvers east to west, slanting the boards away from the sun, you will obstruct the midday sun and admit morning and afternoon sun. If you run them north to south, you will admit morning or afternoon sun, depending on the slant of the louvers.
Since a fixed-louver overhead is designed to block direct light for only part of the day, you will want to figure out what time the sun is highest in the sky during summer. When figuring louvers for a pitched roof, do not forget to factor in the angle of the pitch to the angle of the sun.
Installing fixed louvers. Fixed louvers can be nailed directly to rafters, or they can be built in modular sections and then fastened in place. The illustrations above and below left and right show three different ways of fastening louvers to their supports.
If you cut stepped rafters, be sure that the width at the shallowest point is not less than that specified for the span. For the louver material, 1 by 3s, 1 by 4s, or 1 by 6s not more than 3 feet long are best.
Installing adjustable louvers. Though adjustable louvers can be exacting to build, they offer excellent sun control. If you do not want to attempt the precision work involved in making adjustable louvers, consider buying a ready-made system.
Shown in the illustrations at right and below is one design for building your own system. Build the modules separately, and then fasten them between the rafters. Louvers should not exceed 4 feet in length; cut them slightly shorter than the space between the rafters. Use alumuminum nails with the heads clipped off for the pins.
Patio Roofs & Gazebos All you need to know about building outdoor structures, from an inspirational gallery for unique ways to extend your living space outdoors, to step-by-step photo sequences to build an outdoor structure precisely suited to your needs.
Wooden slat louvers offer excellent control of direct sunlight when installed in a patio roof or gazebo roof. Fixed louvers can be set at an angle to block the sun at the time of day it is most unwanted. Adjustable louvers can permit almost any degree of light or shade throughout the day.
Shown in the illustrations at right and below is one design for building your own system. Build the modules separately, and then fasten them between the rafters. Louvers should not exceed 4 feet in length; cut them slightly shorter than the space between the rafters. Use alumuminum nails with the heads clipped off for the pins.
