Good morning,
The Jewish holiday of Sukkot is coming up in a few weeks and I need to build a sukkah. The history and details are available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkah. I will spare you the long story...
The sukkah needs to be a temporary structure with 8" walls and an open ceiling. Think of it as a booth. The walls need to be solid enough that a candle in the middle of the sukkah cannot be blown out by the wind.
I plan on building an 8'x12' sukkah out of 4'x8' panels that can be bolted together. Here is the basic blueprints
The panels will be made of 2"x2"x8' or 2"x3"x8' dimensional lumber. The frame will have the lower cross brace 4" from the ground to compensate for uneven terrain. a middle cross brace will be at 4'4" to box in the inside panneling. The outside will be covered with a 4'x8' sheet of lattice. The inside has a 4'x4' piece of beaded plywood on the lower half of the wall. The upper half of the inner wall will be covered with canvas that can be tied up to allow for a breeze or sunlight.
Here are the areas that I can use some help with...
1. There will be 3 panels on the long walls and 2 on the short wall. What is the best way to bolt them together? I was thinking of another 2x2 or 2x3 carriage bolted to the top and bottom of the panels to keep them in-line.
2. I need a way to brace them on the bottom so they do not tip over. Any thoughts?
3. Is there any thoughts on how to build this thing cheaper, lighter, and simpler??
Thanks!!!
Dan