How to Build a Patio Cover

You and your family enjoy the outdoors. You have built yourself that perfect outdoor patio or deck and enjoy spending the day outside. In a way, you have managed to extend your living space to the outside and free up some interior room during the summer months. There happens to be a problem though. On occasion, the sun is so fierce that the heat is simply unbearable on your deck or patio. You and the family are forced to go indoors on the hottest days and can no longer enjoy your relaxing patio or deck.

As is often the case, the nicest days of the year are also the hottest days. As the sun beats down on your patio or deck the temperatures can soar over 100 degrees with the heat index included and staying outdoors is no longer enjoyable or safe at this point.

There are ways to solve this problem. You could plant a shade tree, wait 20 years for it to provide shade and then enjoy your patio or deck during the hot days. Or you could build a simple patio cover. A patio cover is either an open top or closed top structure designed to provide you with shade while sitting at your deck or patio. The patio cover can be elaborate and include a fully shingled, waterproof roof, or it can be a lattice type design which allows some light through, but also blocks some unwanted rays.

Construction begins the same way for both types of patio covers. You will begin by digging to a depth of 3 feet and installing two corner posts at the corners furthest from the house. The posts will be 4 by 4 posts. Once the posts are installed, fill the holes with cement and allow several days to dry.

The next part of the process requires attaching a ledger board along your house. This board, usually a 2 by 10 will be secured to the house with lag bolts near the roof of your existing house. Once secured, you will attach a similar board connecting the 4 by 4 posts. Now that the structure is in place, you will need to use 2 by 6 boards as rafters to connect the two ledger boards together. Attach the 2 by 6 boards with joist hangers.

At this point, the basic lattice style patio cover is complete. You just need to trim it out and paint or stain it to your liking. If you decide to waterproof the roof, you will treat it like any other roofing job. Lay down plywood cut to size, apply felt paper, nail shingles down and the job is complete.

A patio cover can turn that outdoor living space into a hot weather retreat by providing much needed shade and a pleasant temperate area to spend your days at. A patio cover is simple and any homeowner, with the help of a few friends, can complete the project in a weekend. So take back those hot summer days by building a patio cover and enjoying the outdoors.