Introduction
These are the instructions for building a sukkah that is very stable (wind tolerant) is easy to construct, assemble, disassemble and reassemble.
Once I drag my sukkah from my garage to my back yard, I can assemble it in 30 minutes to an hour.
It stores in 1 1/2' x 3' x 10' (if you include walls you need a place to store 8 4' x 8' foot pieces too).
The plans here are for a 8' x 8' x 8' but it is easy to expand to 12 x 8, 12 x 12, or even 16 x 16.
The sukkahs presented on this page are meant to encourage people to
participate in the mitzvah of Sukkot. As such, they are presented
free of charge. The designs are my property and copyright.
While the designs are free of charge, I ask you small
contribution ($18) to the charity of your choice if you use one.
If you prefer a charity of my choice, please send it to
These funds set up in my daughters memory. Checks should be made out to :
The Shoshana Ruth Weintraub Fund for Jewish Youth Programming
or
The Shoshana Ruth Weintraub Fund for The Science Magnet Middle School Band Youth Programming
c/o The Austin Community Foundation
P.O. Box 5159
Austin, TX 78763
Disclaimer
If this looks hard, it is because I don't know how to write technical instructions.
It will probaly be shorter and easier to assemble the sukkah than to understand the instructions.
Also ascii text is not the most efficient for diagrams - non-ascii diagrams later.
Materials
- 6 5/16" x 8" carriage bolts
- 18 5/16" x 6" carriage bolts
- 7 5/16" x 4" carriage bolts
- 31 5/16" washers
- 31 5/16" nuts
- 4 4" x 4" x 8' pine
- 14 4" x 2" x 8' pine
- 3 4" x 4" x 12' pine
- 5 2" x 2" x 10' cedar
- 8 4" x 8" x 3/8
(NOTE : 5/16" is not required for bolts and nuts, a similar size like 3/8" would be fine, although 1/4" gets a little small.
5/16" is what I use all the time.
I think it gives me the best weight/cost ratio).
Tools
- for construction
- drill and 5/16" bits.
- pencil
- saw
- indelible marker
- for assembly
- hammer
- 1/2" wrench (socket wrench is perferable).
Costs
Depending on materials.
If 2x4's are used for posts about $70, if 4x4's add $15.
Add what is applicable for siding.
About $60 for plywood, $25 for white sheets or tarps, $40 for bamboo screen.
Nomaclature
The following definitions are used.
While they may be obvious it is probably best to make sure.
- left
- The left side of the sukkah as you face the front from outside
- right
- The right side of the sukkah as you face the front from outside
- back
- The back side of the sukkah as you face the front
- front
- The side of the sukkah you enter and leave on
- frame
- A piece of finished work that forms all or an import subpart of the sukkah
- post
- a 4x4 piece of lumber that makes up the corner supports for the sukkah.
- beam
- a cross piece that goes (typically) from post to post
- upper
- a beam that goes from the top of a post to the top of another post
- lower
- a beam that goes from the bottom of a post to the bottom of another post
- diagonal
- a structual piece that goes from the top of one post to the bottom of another. Diagonals are very important for the stability of the structure. Also the direction of the diagonals ar chosen to ease set up.
- fasten
- Push a carriage bolt through the hole. If it sticks give it a light tap of the hammer (this is the only need for the hammer).
- secure
- put a washer and nut on the bolt. DO NOT TIGHTEN until the last piece is on.
- bolt
- a carriage bolt
The following top view diagram is given to try to explain right/left front/back naming.
Frames are left/right/front/back from looking at the front of the sukkah.
Posts are left/right from looking at the side they are on (from the outside).
back frame back frame
right post left post
Left frame +---------------------+ right frame
left post | | right post
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Left frame | door | right frame
right post +--------------+------+ left post
front frame front frame
left post right post
Construction
1) Make a Pattern
A drill pattern is needed to make sure bolt holes do not overlap and collide.
It's nothing more than 4" of a 2x4 with the proper holes cut out.
Cut off one of the end of a 2x4 at 4" (take another 2x4 and overlap the ends for easiest measurment).
Draw diagonals on the square.
About 3/4" above and below the centerpoint drill holes.
The top hole will be for the posts on the left post as you look at a wall, the bottom hole will be for the right post.
In the end the guide should look something like :
_______
/______/|
|\ /||
| \ o/ ||
| \/ ||
| /\ ||
| / o\ ||
|/____\|/
2) Left Frame
Take 2 4x4's and lay then paraelle 8 feet apart.
Lay 3 8' 2x4s across them, one on the top, one in the middle, one on the bottom.
Take one of the 12' 2x4s and lay it diagonally from the left bottom to the right top (direction is important).
It should look something like :
/
----------
| /|
| / |
| / |
|____/___|
| / |
| / |
| / |
|/ |
----------
/
Using the drill guide built in step one, lay it over the intersection of the left post and upper beam.
Using the guide's upper hole drill all the way through the beam and post.
Place a bolt in the hole to hold the lumber in place.
Now do the same with the middle and lower beams and the three beams on the right (making sure you use the lower hole on the guide for the right beams).
Now drill through the intersect of the diagonal and the middle beam.
Saw off the ends of the 12' pieces square with the rest of the frame.
Now carefully remove the lumber, labeling all pieces in indelible marker where they over lap (so when the are fitted together the writing is hidden) with the following notations :
left frame, left post, upper ---------- left frame, right post, upper
| /|
| / |
| / |
left frame, left post, middle |____/___| left frame, right post, middle
| / |
| / |
| / |
|/ |
left frame, left post, lower ---------- left frame, right post, lower
3) Back Frame
Take the left frame left post (this is also the back frame right post, right post because this is the back frame so things are reversed) and roll it right 90 degrees (so that the left frame work would be on the outside once it is connected to the back frame).
Using this post for the right side for this step, repeat step two only this time mark the posts as back frame instead of left frame.
4) Right Frame
Take the back frame left post (this is also the right frame right post) and roll it right 90 degrees (so that the back frame work would be on the outside once it is connected to the right frame).
Using this post for the right side for this step, repeat step two only this time mark the posts as right frame instead of back frame.
5) Front Frame
Lay the left frame right post with its markings facing on the left.
Now lay the right frame right post with its markings facing right eight feet to the right.
Now lay three 2x4's across, on on top, one in the middle and one on the bottom.
Lay another 2x4 about 2 1/2 feet from the right side UNDER the cross piece (use another 2x4 to get it the right height).
It should be in this pattern :
-----------
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
|_____|xxxx
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
-----------
Drill holes through the over laps except the one where the 'x' is (using bolt to prevent lumber from slipping).
Now cut the middle 2x4, removing the piece which is 'xxxx'.
This will be your door.
Now place the other 2x4 accross the top of the door as a lintel.
cut it to length and drill holes on the overlaps.
The front of the sukkah should look like :
-----------
| | |
| |___|
| | |
| | |
|_____| |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
-----------
Good carpenters might choose to do the follow suggestions.
1) If you can drill straight or know how to use a drill guide, you might substitute 2x4s for the 4x4s.
This will make the sukkah lighter and easier to store and save much money with almost no loss in stability.
(of course substitute bolts two inches shorter for the ones which go through the posts the short way (you'll now need 15 4", 14 6" and 2 8").
2) Drill 1/2" on the washer side of each bolt.
This allows the washer and nut to sit below the surface of the wood and not be a danger.
Of course shorten bolts 1" to account for this.
3) Notch the front upper and back beams on top and the cedar pieces to ensure a square fit.
Assembly
1) Left Frame
Decide where the sukkah will be and where it's left wall will be.
You will build the left frame in this area, and then upright it.
Lay the left frame right post across the front of this area, and the left frame right post across the back.
Place the lower left beam across the posts (it should be about where the left side will be).
Place the left frame middle and upper beams and then left frame diagonal.
Fasten and secure the diagonal to the beams and posts with 8" bolts.
Where the beams and posts meet, fasten with 6" bolts and secure.
Where the diagonal meets the middle beam, fasten with a 4" bolt and secure.
2) Raising The Left Frame
This is the hardest task in this process.
Read this step carefully before proceding.
Fasten with a 6" bolt and secure the back lower beam to the bottom of the back right post (also called the left frame left post) so that it rests along the back line of where the sukkah will stand and is paralle to the the left frame.
Raise the left frame slightly and place the back right post so that it's hole meets the proper hole at the end of the back lower beam.
It should look something like :
top ---- is the back lower beam,
left === is the left frame,
right === is the back left post).
-------------------
================== ================
|\ | |
. . . .
Now place the back upper beam onto the upper part of the left frame, and then the back diagonal.
Both pieces should be beside the back right post.
Fasten with a 8" bolt and secure loosely.
To rehash, you should now have connected to the left frame the back lower at the bottom of the back post and the back upper and diagonal with the upper part of the post.
There should be nothing connected with the back right post as of yet.
Now carefully raise the left side.
The back diagonal should freely swing and meet the left side of the back lower beam.
Once the left side is up and the back diagonal, the back lower and the bottom of the back left post line up, fasten with a 8" bolt and secure.
If all is correct, the left wall should now stand on its own and be fairly stable (though it might tip), the back side will consist of a right triangle of the left frame, back bottom beam and the back diagonal.
The back upper beam should hang down from the left frame unattached to anything else.
3) Back Frame
Raise the back frame left post and swing the back upper beam to meet it at the top and fasten with a 6" bolt and secure.
Take the back middle beam and fasten it to the back posts with 6" bolt and secure.
Fasten and secure the back diagonal to the back middle beam with a 4" bolt.
4) Right Side
Take the right upper beam and the right diagonal and fasten them to the top of right frame right post (back side post) with a 8" bolt and secure.
Take the right lower beam and fasten it to the bottom of right frame right post.
Take the right frame left beam (front beam) and fasten the right bottom beam and the right diagonal to it at the bottom with a 8" bolt and secure.
You should have roughly the same triagonal you had at the begining of step 3.
Raise the right frame left post and swing the right upper beam to meet it at the top and fasten with a 6" bolt and secure.
Take the back middle beam and fasten it to the back posts with 6" bolt and secure.
Fasten and secure the back diagonal to the back middle beam with a 4" bolt.
5) Front Side
Place the front lower piece between the two front posts.
Use two 6" bolts to fasten and secure.
Do the same with the top piece.
Fasten the middle vertical front piece to the top and bottom with 4" bolts and secure (the vertical piece should be on the inside of the beams).
Now place the lintel and cross horizontal, fasten with 4" bolts and secure.
6) Tighten Everything.
Now go through all the bolts and tighten every nut.
7) Roof
Place the 10' cedar pieces over the top going from front to back about every foot and a half.
8) Walls and Decoration
This design gives you the frame to build on.
You can buy light plywood for the side, or lattice pieces.
Or you can do sheets.
We use plywood for the bottom half and use sheets for the top half, giving a window effect.
Decoration is up to you too.
Disassembly
Carefully repeat the steps for assembly backwards.
Don't loose anything as it can all be reused next year.
We store all our wood in a neat pile in the garage and use a shoe box to store the bolts.
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