Enough to sit under comfortably through the middle of the day, without the space going dark. The roof slats cast bands of shade that move as the sun moves, so a table underneath is out of direct sun for most of the afternoon while the area still reads as open garden. It is shade for comfort rather than a roof for rain, and it will not keep a shower off you.

Fourteen sizes, from 2.4m x 2.4m up to 4.2m x 4.8m, stepping in 600mm on both the width and the length. A 3m x 3.6m covers a six-seat table with chairs pulled out, and the larger sizes take a table plus a seating area alongside. Measure the furniture first, then add walking room at the edges. Bespoke sizes are made to order if nothing on the list fits.

Yes, and the design assumes you will. The horizontal side slats and the roof slats both give a climber something to weave through rather than just wrap around, so growth spreads across the frame instead of bunching at one post. Wisteria, grapevine, jasmine and climbing roses all work well. Tie in the leading shoots for the first season and the plant does the rest.

It will. The pressure treatment inside the wood handles rot and fungal attack, but the stain on the outside is what fades, and timber left alone will silver and grey. Plan on a re-coat every two or three years, sooner on the south-facing side. Beyond that it is a brush down in spring and a check that nothing has worked loose over the winter.

It is freestanding, so it does not need a wall, but it does need fixing down. Bolting the posts to an existing patio or concrete pad is the quickest route and leaves the paving intact. On soil or lawn, set the posts into concrete footings. Either way, get the base level before you start, because a level base is what keeps the roof slats reading straight.