Introduction
Imagine yourself submerged in a tropical vacation year round without ever having to leave your backyard. Well, no Pacific Island theme party is complete without a tiki hut. And building your own tiki hut is a lot easier than you think.
Choosting a Location
If you are looking for something permanent (a little taste of the beach in your backyard), there are tiki
hut plans that are not only reasonable, price wise, but are easy to create. But if you are looking for some-
thing temporary, all you really need is a table or bar, materials to make a tiki hut roof and some beach
bum decorations. Ready to get started?
Decide on the shape
The shape and design of a roof is built according to certain requirements and functionality. The gable shaped roof is arguably the most commonly used roof style, as its triangular shaped slope allows for rain, snow, leaves and any other kind of debris or weather damage, to simply fall off the roof and away from the building. Although gabled roofs can differ in their pitch and steep grades, they all serve the same purpose of efficient run-off of water, and therefore also protection against its damaging effects. Hipped roofs, on the other hand, are highly suitable for extreme weather conditions.
Beginning with the Base
Most tiki huts are built with bamboo to add to the tropical feel of the structure. You can use bamboo poles for the entire structure, including the roof. Since the roof will be covered with thatching, the size of the bamboo will not make a dramatic difference. You can also use wrap the bottom legs with rope for a tropical feel. Once the legs are cut and attached to a roof structure, you will want to stabilize your bamboo poles by placing them in pots or buckets filled with sand
Covering the Roof
Most tiki huts are topped with our Original Palm Island Thatch, Tahitian thatch or African thatch. To determine how much thatch is needed, simply apply this formula. Although not exact, take the total square footage to be covered and double it (for a double layer of thatch). Each panel 3’ x 4‘measures about 12 square feet and a 30” x 57’ roll is about 114 square feet, and then add 10 or 15% for overlapping and overhang. This formula will serve as a guide for ordering thatch products. Attaching the thatch is fairly simple. The preferred method, using a staple gun with galvanized staples makes the application quick and easy. Another alternative to securing the thatch, by using zip lock ties.
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