>>31320 Here's what I did: Wide cedar shakes over aluminum, nailed and glued at corners. Cut more shakes into small pieces and glued them on at random (Cape Cod look). Coated the shakes with a UV Tripolymer and sealed the bottom edge with gutter sealant. Obviously, I'm not a cedar shake installer but it's a damn site better than metal.

Perhaps a textured paint coating for the aluminium? Looks like it should last well this time anyway.

>>31307 I'll consider your suggestion but is seems a little 'ruff'.

found bark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT4-UcTkc-A

>>31301 Maybe I can find some bark. If so I might have to coat it with something so it won't rot.

I also have some roll-roofing. It's a shingle material and will give a roof look.

The aluminum looks crappy. Maybe I can dress it up a bit.
The roof is in two parts; lower half is installed after reaching inside and bolting it down to the roof.
The vinyl joint is UV protected and seals fairly water tight.
The sides are caulked to the flashing with butyl rubber caulk (used in guttering)

Luckily, I used a Hardi-siding on the sides. It lasts a very long time.
I'm going back with it on the roof (looks good enough.
Installed is the flashing.

Here's the larger one stripped of the same junk that's on the birdhouse.

I'm digging the weathered look of the plywood, but man that broke down fast. I recall a truck that my father bought from a rancher outside of Waco. There were melted pieces inside the truck from the intense heat.
I friend of mine has an answer that he uses whenever asked about what is best to put on wood to to withstand the elements....bark!
Sorry to see the decay creep up and challenge your craftsmanship so quickly GG.

I had salvaged this tongue & groove cedar closet liner from a job I did not realizing it was a plywood/type material. The machining was so good the human eye couldn't see the plywood separations. The sun provided the proof. You're very correct about yearly maintenance concerning varnishes and the hassle with ladders and weight are troubling the older I get.
Oak is a good choice for Texas sun. Cedar isn't a terrible choice (because of air flow) however, the yearly maintenance with ladders and roof climbing are starting to matter with me.
I've made a few decisions for the remodeling of two cupolas I've yanked off the roof (because of this faulty crap). I didn't take a picture of the larger one. It weighs about 75 pounds. This birdhouse weighs about 20 pounds.
I'll get some more pictures to keep the discussion alive.

Not looking too bad considering but as you suggest wood choice is critical for outdoor items.
I've never been a fan of varnish, once it cracks things get damaged quickly. Nut oils are great to use as they feed the wood and protect it well, but they do need to be re-applied fairly often so it can be a hassle.
What woods are good for hot climates? In the UK with our mild and often wet weather Oak is often the favourite choice for anything you want to last, but western red cedar heart wood works well too.

Hope your house & carport looks better..

I'm going to try and rebuild some of the damage using different material for the porch. I'm not going to re-do the house structure but will put a heavy coat of paint on it and hope it holds up. The basic choice of wood was a poor choice but I thought the spar varnish would do better to protect it. Wrong!

The Texas sun can destroy just about anything.