Patio covers such as pergolas and retractable awnings serve to eliminate the searing heat from the sun and make our outdoor furniture comfortable to sit on. A patio cover can be constructed by hand using plans, or ordered from a manufacturer pre-built. The following are three of the most widely used types of patio covers today.
1) Pergola Patio Covers:
A pergola is a simple wooden structure which has four legs and a wooden lattice cover. The cover is created by overlapping wooden strips over sturdy horizontal beams. Pergolas can be built from scratch using plans and hardware kits. Wood species like cedar and pine are commonly used in pergola construction. Patio owners looking for a sturdy, beautiful cover that lets plenty of light in will thoroughly enjoy their pergola. Minor maintenance like re-application of sealer is usually needed on a yearly basis. The nice part about building a pergola yourself is that you can choose how you want to color it, either with stain or sealer. Many pergola owners allow vines to climb up to the cover to provide shade and decoration. They have a distinct decorative advantage over metal patio covers being that they are made from wood.
2) Awnings:
An awning patio cover is a device of varying size which can provide shade to all or a portion of a patio. They consist of a metal frame which is attached to your patio wall. A weather resistant piece of fabric is attached to the frame. Companies like Sun Setter offer these sturdy awnings in retractable and static models. The static varieties maintain the same position at all times and are not able to retract. Retractable awnings are more versatile in that they can fold down when not needed, letting sunlight onto the patio. Motorized retractable awnings have an electric motor which allows for retraction at the push of a remote. Non-motorized models require the user to turn a handle which takes about 30 seconds. If your home did not come with viable patio shades, awnings such as these can be installed to make the patio a better place at relatively low cost. Aluminum patio covers are recommended due to their ability to resist rusting.
3) Dedicated Patio Cover:
A full sized, dedicated patio cover is perhaps the most costly option but is also the most rewarding. These covers are built permanently onto the side of a home using wood, hardware, asphalt shingles and other materials. They require a firm concrete foundation from which to mount the leg posts (of which there are at least two). The roof of the cover is attached to the wall of the home at an incline so that rain water can run off. One side of the cover is supported with legs, while the other side attaches to the wall using a horizontal wood beam nailed into the wall. Users can select any color wood stain or shingle color they desire. It is usually prudent to select shingles / tiles which reflect the current color of your roof. The specifics of construction can be seen in any patio cover guide obtained at your local home store.
Other patio covers not described here include: roller shades, shade sails and patio umbrellas.
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