Post #67501 by Swanky on Sat, Jan 3, 2004 10:48 AM

On a similar note...

I am wanting to do a "drop ceiling" in my lounge. I want to have the thatch roof overhead. The room is about 12 feet square. My current idea is to have 4 supports in the corners, and run a frame around the top and then build a low brow truss of 4 "beams" going to the center and 4 beams going from the center to the edge in between just as area to support the thatch and add a few other cross beams here and there. I thought I'd go to the woods and cut a bunch of saplings this spring and skin them and let them dry and use that for all the project. Should be able to find them straight and long enough.

I think I can build it okay. I am just wondering if I should maybe assemble it in the back yard first, before I try it in the room. I am also very worried about how strong the structure will be. I plan to hang some floats in there and other stuff.

Is this just crazy thinkin', or can I build this and make it strong enough? I think I know my physics well enough that it will work okay if I get the corners secured together well enough.

I figure I'll buy one of those round umbrella, palapa, covers for the top and finish it out to the edges with regular thatch sheets.