How To Build a DIY Cedar Screen House

The Foundation

Place the beams

• Once you’ve staked out your perimeter on well-drained level ground (see Fig. C for the foundation dimensions), you’ll need to dig trenches for the 6×6 treated beams (A). (Be sure they’re .60 treated and rated for underground protection. Special-order them if necessary.) Follow the foundation plan in Fig. C for the correct placement.
• Dig each trench about 10 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Fill each trench with about 5 inches of crushed rock (we used crushed limestone because it packs well).
• Now, cut the beams to length and lay them in the trench. Level them with each other and ensure the diagonal measurements from the ends of the two outer beams are equal. This ensures that the foundation will have square corners. The beams should sit proud of the surrounding grade about an inch so the joists that lie over them can clear the soil.
• Once the beams are in place, pour crushed rock around them to lock them into position.

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Fasten the corner posts

The next phase involves setting the posts (B) onto the beams.

• First, cut them to length and notch the bottom, as shown in the photo above.
• Measure in from the ends of the outer beams (A) as shown in Fig. C. Get a helper to hold the notched end of the post perfectly vertical (plumb) on the beam and aligned with the mark.
• Drill two 3/8-in. pilot holes through the post and into the beam.
• Now insert your lag screws (1/2 x 5 in.) and washers and tighten them (Photo 2). Repeat this for each post.

TIP: If you’re working alone, you can tack each post into position with nails and 2×4 braces.

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Install the joists

• Install the joists at each end first, then string a line between them. Align the ends of the other joists 3/4 in. from the string (use a spacer block on each end joist as shown). Then tack them in place, mark them and join them with blocks.
• The joists that butt against the posts must be lag-screwed to the sides of the posts with 1/2 x 3-1/2 in. lag screws to keep them from racking out of alignment. Also, ensure all the joists are toenailed with three 16d galvanized nails where they overlap each foundation beam.

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Nail the decking

• Nail the 5/4 x 5-1/2 in. decking (D) to the tops of the joists with 10d finish nails.
• If your decking feels moist when you’re nailing it, butt the sides tight. If the decking feels dry, leave a 1/16-in. space between the boards for expansion during wet weather.

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Headers

Attach the headers

• Screw the inner headers (E1 and E2) flush with the top of the posts. Drill a 1/2-in. deep recess with a 1-1/4 in. spade bit, then a 1/2-in. dia. clearance hole for the lag screws. Be sure to drill a 3/8-in. pilot hole into the post.
• The upper headers (E1, E2, E3 and E4) fastened from post to post (Fig. D) are the main support for the roof. The stationary doors that fit later under the lower headers (M1 and M2) help support the roof as well.
• When you install the inner headers (E1 and E2), be sure your posts are plumb and that the distance from post to post is identical at the top and bottom of the posts. Lag-screw (1/2 x 3-1/2 in.) the inner headers to the posts as shown in photo above, then nail the outer headers over the inner headers with a pair of 10d galvanized nails every 16 in.

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Figure D: Roof Framing

Bolt the upper headers to the screen house posts, as shown in this plan. Then add the rafters.

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The Rafters

Common rafters

• The common rafters are all the same length and have the same miter cut at the top and the same “bird’s-mouth” or notch cut near the bottom. Cut them to the dimensions in Fig. E and nail them to the ridge board (F).
• Support the ridge board temporarily with a 12-ft. 2×6 toenailed to the decking and to the ridge itself. The top of the ridge should be roughly 123 inches up from the decking (you may need to raise or lower it slightly for a tight fit for the miter cuts on the rafters).
• Once you like the fit, fasten all the common rafters to the ridge board with 16d galvanized nails.
• Nail the rafters through the ridge from the back to hide the nailheads.

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Compound angles

The four hip rafters rest over each corner and meet the ends of the ridge board. You’ll notice that the upper miter is a compound cut. This miter angle differs from that of the common rafters (Fig. E), and you’ll notice it has a 45-degree bevel cut on each side along with the miter cut. This allows the hip rafters to fit snugly between the common rafters. The bird’s-mouth notch is also unusual because it sits at an angle to the common rafters. You can leave a bit of extra length at the overhang of each hip rafter and trim it to final length once the other rafters are in place.

Cut the compound angles for the hip and jack rafters. Remember that opposite hips and jacks are mirror images of each other.

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Nail the jack rafters

• The jack rafters (Photo 8 and Fig. E) rest on the header just like the common rafters and have the same degree of measurement at the top. However, the edge of the jack rafter has a 45-degree bevel (a cheek cut), so it fits tight against the hip rafter. Toenail each of these cheek cuts to the side of the hip with three 8d galvanized nails. Note that the cheek cuts (Fig. E) on each side of the hip rafter are mirror images of each other.
• When you’re finished installing the rafters, nail the subfascia (H1, H2) to the tails of the rafters and install the 2×6 lower headers (M1, M2) directly beneath the upper headers. Also nail (8d galvanized casing) the 5/4 header trim (M3, M4) to finish off the transition between the upper headers and the lower header.

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TIP: Before you set the roof boards over the rafters, nail temporary 2×4 braces on two sides of the structure, from the middle of the header diagonally to the bottom of the post. This will minimize any racking during the building process.

NOTE: Think of these supports as a structural skeleton to hold the roof skin in place. Our roof has three basic types of rafters: common, hip and jack. Pick your lumber for the rafters carefully because they’ll be visible when the project is finished.

Figure E: Rafter Details

Follow the measurements shown here when you cut the hip, common and jack rafters. See Additional Information for a larger version.

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Roofing

Attach the roof boards

Much of the beauty of the interior comes from the 1×6 cedar boards visible between the rafters. These boards alone, however, aren’t enough to give stability to the structure, so they’re backed with 5/8-in. CDX plywood. The plywood also adds enough thickness to keep the shingle nails from poking through the underside of the roof.

• First, nail the 1×6 roof boards to the rafters with 8d nails.
• Start at the bottom flush with the ends of the rafters and work your way to the top, leaving a 1/8-inch clearance between the boards.

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Add a plywood overlay

• Overlay the plywood onto the 1×6 and nail it through the plywood and roof boards into the rafters with 10d nails.
• Nail the 1×6 cedar roof boards (J) to the tops of the rafters after installing the subfascia (H1 and H2) over the exposed ends of the rafter tails.
• Leave a 1/8-in. space between the boards and alternate end joints so they don’t all fall on the same rafter.
• We used a combination of 12-foot and 8-foot long boards.
• Finish opposite sides first, then trim the board ends to length all at once (set your circular saw at a 15-degree bevel).

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Shingle the roof

• Once the plywood layer is complete, nail the finished fascia (L1, L2) over the subfascia and align it with the bottom edge of the plywood.
• Next, roll on the 30-lb. roofing felt and overlap each layer by 3 inches.
• Then nail the No. 2 cedar shingles to the roof deck with 4d galvanized nails (follow the positioning instructions that come with each bundle). The first course of shingles must be double thickness and overhang the fascia (L1, L2) by 1 in.
• You’ll need to trim the cedar shingles to conform to the angle above the hip as you lay them.
• Once you’ve finished shingling, cover the gaps over the hip by ripping 4-inch wide pieces of shingle to create a cap over the hips and ridge.

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Figure F: Eave Details

Construct the eaves and roof for the screen house as shown in this cutaway plan detail.

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Make the Doors

Making the doors is the most time-consuming part of the project, so we broke it down into manageable tasks. Since you can build them in the garage on a work table, it’s the perfect job for rainy days.

Cut the half-laps

• First cut the door stiles (side pieces) and the rails (upper and lower horizontal pieces) to length. The door frames are made from 2×4 and 2×6 cedar. The side stiles and top rail are 2×4. The bottom rail is 2×6.
• Then, set up a simple jig for your router to make the half-lap joints on the ends of all the stiles and rails. Use a 3/4-in. straight bit. If you have a table saw, you could make the half-laps with a dado blade.

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Build the doors

• The next step is to set up a 3/4-in. thick, 4 x 8-ft. plywood work surface over a pair of sawhorses. Use scrap wood to make blocks (Photo 13) to hold the door parts square.
• Assemble each door using a jig to ensure each frame is square.
• Apply construction adhesive to the lap joints on each corner, then screw the parts of each lap joint together with five 1-1/4 in. decking screws.
• Keep the screws at least 1 in. from the edges of the frame because you’ll need to trim the door to size later.

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Attach the screen

• Flip the door over once you’ve assembled the frame.
• Cut your 30-in. wide screen to length (leave an extra 2 in. on each end for stretching) and staple it to the frame every 2 in. with 1/4-in. staples.
  • It’s best to start at the top and work your way down each side for a tight-fitting screen.

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Attach the trim

• Cut your screen molding and muntin trim to size from 2×6 cedar using a table saw.
• Attach the screen molding to the door frame using 3d galvanized finish nails.

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Figure G: Door Assembly

Build the door frame first, tack on the screen, and then add the bars and molding.

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Installing the doors

Attach the cleats

• Before you install the doors, nail the cleats to the deck (Photo 16) and the upper doorstop to the inside edge of the lower header.
  • It’s best to use a string line to mark the deck to get the floor cleats positioned in a straight line.
• To align the doors properly in the opening, find the center of each side and measure each door width (mark it off on the deck) back to the corners.

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Install the stationary doors

• Fit each stationary door, trimming the top or bottom if necessary.
  • You may have to trim each door’s height slightly to fit the opening. The stationary doors should fit snugly, and the operable doors need 3/16-inch clearance on the bottom and 1/8-inch on the top.
• Once each stationary door fits snugly from the floor to the header, screw it to the upper doorstop (P3) and the floor cleats (P1 and P2) with 2-in. galvanized screws.
  • The longer side has an additional door, which should be positioned tight to the corner door and nailed to the floor cleat and the upper doorstop.

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Install the operable doors

• Attach the freeswinging doors to the stationary doors with self-closing face-mounted hinges.
  • The operable doors (the double doors on the front and back, and the single on the long side) must be shimmed on the bottom and top. This will hold them in place while you screw the self-closing hinges to the adjacent stationary door frame and the swinging door.
  • Use three hinges per door and make sure each door has a bit more than 1/8-inch clearance on all sides.
• Remove the shims and make sure the operable doors swing freely. To finish the door system, you’ll need to install the vertical stop (P5, P6, P7) as shown in Fig. A to the back of the doors. This trim runs from the floor cleats to the upper doorstop, covers the gaps between the doors and finishes off the interior.
• Finish each exposed post with a cedar 2×4 and a 2×6 (T1 and T2; see Fig. H) that are ripped to width and then cut to length. Be sure the front of the screen house has the wider piece to overlap the longer side post trim.

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The corner brackets

Corner brackets

• Cut the bracket supports and the curved corner brackets (U1, U2) as shown in Fig. H. Notice that the top of the bracket support is notched to fit over the header trim.
• Screw the bracket supports (predrill all these holes) to the corner trim with 3-1/2 in. galvanized screws (use three screws for each bracket).
• Next, screw the curved corner bracket to each bracket support (two screws on each side) and to the upper jack rafter (four 3-in. screws here).

Now you’re ready to clean up the work site and enjoy the rest of the summer in your beautiful outdoor space.

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Figure H: Corner Details

Lay out the corner brackets using the grid diagram, then cut and attach them according to the screen house plan shown here.

Project PDF Files

Click the links below to download the materials and cutting lists as well as the drawings for this project.

Project Drawings and Materials and Cutting Lists

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Additional Information

• • Figure A: Overall Details
  • Figure B: Completed View
  • Figure C: Foundation Plan
  • Figure D: Roof Framing
  • Figure E: Rafter Details
  • Figure F: Eave Details
  • Figure G: Door Assembly
  • Figure H: Corner Details
  • Cutting List
  • Hardware & Miscellaneous