Plan For An Easy 16' x 20' DIY Solid Wood Pergola or Pavilion

Todd Fratzel from Home Construction Improvement on installing a Western Timber Frame™ DIY pavilion plan.

If you are planning on a DIY project for a solid wood pergola or pavilion to entertain on a larger scale, a 16' x 20' plan is a good overall size. For me, that could just mean my family at home, parents and all the many grandkids and of course, a few neighbors.

My sons just put up a solid wood DIY pergola in my yard and WOW, that was so much fun for them. The timbers are incredibly large, 10x10 in fact, and they give the most inviting shade ever!  Wood naturally regulates itself for the most comfortable temperatures to cool you off and yet so warm to the touch.

For a DIY project these kits are the best way to go. Every piece is pre-cut, pre-drilled, pre-stained and pre-tested, put together for an easiest installation ever. The design is amazing, reducing warping and twisting, with a minimum possibility for mistakes. It completely changes a backyard in just a few hours with a solid wood architecture built to withstand strong winds, heavy mountainous snows. They are durable to last just as the centuries old architectural classics without the use of nails or glue. For my boys, installing the pergola was like playing with Lincoln Logs, and went together just that easy.

In most American homes, next to the kitchen, the living room is the place where the family gathers the most often to enjoy time together. The average dimensions for an indoor living room in the US in 2015 ranged from 16' x 16' or 256 square feet in a medium to large-scale home. Smaller homes averaged 12' x 12', 144 square feet. A 16' x 20' indoor living is a very spacious living room, ample room for wide comfortable traffic flow, a seated conversation area and possibly a fireplace or bar if desired. A 16' x 20' is a popular size in pavilions and pergola outdoor kitchens and living rooms for entertaining on a the grander scale. With no walls to close you in, the wide-open feel is much more than an indoor area of the same size.

Check out a few 16' x 20'  pergola and pavilion DIY ShadeScape™ structure kit plans installed to create some wonderful party yards.

A Western Timber Frame™ ShadeScape™ Series 16' x 20' pergola featuring Champion style beam and rafter end profiles, Classic style knee braces and finished in a Rich Cordoba stain.

Solid wood Douglas-fir, timber frame 16' x 20' ShadeScape™ Series DIY pavilion kit featuring a TimberVolt™ Inferno Post, Roosevelt Step beam end profiles, Classic style knee braces and finished in a premium high-grade UV protective Rich Cordoba stain.

Finished in a natural stain, this pool side 16' x 20' timber frame pavilion has a beautiful, straight forward look from a distance. Step beneath it and it gets even better! It is one of my favorite,  with its stunning, knotty solid wood ambience as you look up into the hipped roof. You can see for yourself here:

With a guest house, tennis court and outdoor kitchen, the family desired some shade to enjoy their outdoor recreation area any time of the day and extend the night hours, too. They chose a 16' x 20' DIY pavilion plan from the ShadeScape™ Series with a full arched knee braces and decorative keystones on all sides. The solid wood timbers are finished in a premium, high-grade Rich Cordoba stain. It was pre-drilled for power as well.

Natural finished solid wood 16' x 20' ShadeScape™ Series DIY pergola installed over the backyard permeable pavers. It features Roosevelt Step style beam and rafter end profiles, Classic style knee braces and 6x6 posts and is drilled for power. The chandelier is on the table in the process of getting it hung.

A 16' x 20' ShadeScape™ 10,000 Series DIY pavilion installed with 1x6 tongue and groove roofing, 3x8 Crescent Step style rafters, Crescent Step style beam end profiles, 10x10 posts, 4x14 beams, 8x8 king posts, 4 full arched knee braces with decorative keystones and one TimberVolt™ Phoenix power post.

6000 Series 16' x 20' ShadeScape™ with an automatic white louvered roof that opens wide for more sun or can close for complete shade. The Western Timber Frame™ ShadeScape™ features 6x6 posts, Roosevelt Step style beam end profiles, Classic style knee braces and is finished in a premium Canyon Grey stain.

ShadeScape™ Series 16' x 20' DIY pergola kit featuring Cove style knee braces, Roosevelt Step style beam and rafter end profiles, a radius style cantilever roof and finished in an Early American premium stain. Below is a better view of the cantilever, radius style roof that extends the shaded area.