If you want to expand the living space of your home to the outdoors, consider adding a deck awning or canopy. A retractable awning attached to your home will extend the space and provide protection from the sun; a free-standing canopy creates an outdoor room set anywhere in a garden that is sure to add to the landscape. Both of these enhancements let you choose full sun, partial shade or total protection with colorful fabrics made of mesh and acrylic. For a look at the various configurations, go to, www.shadetreecanopies.com where you'll find a range of attached or free-standing structures designed in wood, aluminum and vinyl supports. There's also help with planning the project.

A landscape carpenter will charge $3,450 to install a 12-by-16-foot deck canopy attached to a house. You can buy the components for $3,000 and assemble it yourself assuming you have carpentry tools and skills. The components that make up the canopy include panels, beams, hardware, vinyl bracket, support posts and end caps. To build it, you attach the framework of beams and corner posts to the house with brackets. The fabric panels are supported by rollers that slide into the supporting framework. The rollers can be pulled up and down the framework to adjust the canopy.