Post #303610 by Bincho on Wed, May 2, 2007 2:10 PM

Hi all- I am a professional construction manager and can lend some good advice on construction tips if you need them- I have had good success incorporating corrugated metal into the design of my Tiki bar-

You can always "distress" the wood that you used with a small grinder, and you can get a good hardwood look out of your timber using some color/dark stain and then varnishing the wood with MArine Varnish-- this stuff is made to keep out UV and water- Its probaly $40 a gallon.
I also see you used regular pine 2x4 which is probably a bit overkill, but I always like to overbuild anyway. If you are on the East Coast you might as well make it 4 season strong.
You can make a nice detail adding some 1 x 2 ribs and then some small bamboo furring/ or some reed fencing etc to the underside of the roof----
If you are going to add a Mahoghany deck to the bar it may be pricy- but there are other renewable tropical hardwoods that will get you the same look/feel for a lot cheaper and more environmentally friendly as well--ask a local lumber yard for decking options.

I suggest you use stainless steel screws for fastening- stronger than nails and no rusting over time...