For the purposes of this article, we are really more concerned with addressing the benefit of the solar panel patio cover system itself, not so much about the installation.  Let’s talk a bit more about the benefits of using a solar patio roof.  Basically, if you are looking for shade on your patio, you are going to need some type of roof structure, awning or shade to provide that.  Many people opt to build a patio cover themselves, like a classic pergola design.  Then, there are other deck designs that call for a cover feature that extends from the house to the posts of the deck.

Both styles make the installation of solar panels a feasible solution.  The main advantage of using a solar panel array, like photovoltaic (PV) systems is that they are relatively affordable, lightweight, have a low profile and can provide you with energy that can either power the lighting or some other features on your patio or be sent back into the grid.  This allows you to use them to create a covered patio for you, all while saving you money on utility expenses.  True, it will take some time to realize these savings as a PV system will cost several thousand dollars, including installation expenses.

Again, the real benefits have to do with the long-term viability and design of your patio.  With a solar cover roof system like this, you will often find that the manufacturer provides a warranty of up to 20-25 years.  In addition to this, you may be able to get some state or federal monies as tax credits or reimbursement for your purchase.

And, if you are worried about space issues, don’t be.  A system like this can be installed on a patio roof as little as 250-500 square feet.  You may also have concerns about HOAs or other city regulations.  This is a legitimate concern, but one that you should find no problem in avoiding as these systems have been installed in most major metropolitan areas without issues.  You can expect a system of this size to produce anywhere between 250-400 kwh of energy for you as well.  So, while you won’t be powering your neighborhood with it, you can definitely feel good about doing your part to green up a little more than your backyard patio.

Related posts:

1. Solar Fountain
2. Solar Garden Lights and Your Options
3. Solar Garden Lights

This is one example of a design for a covered patio that looks beautiful and provides very usable space.

So, what exactly are your patio cover plans?  What, you don’t know?  Okay, this is definitely the first place you should start if you have any hope of refining your search.  Just browsing around online can certainly give you some great ideas, that’s probably how you landed here after all.  But, browsing can also be a big waste of your time if you don’t know what type of patio you are looking for.   You can find patio covers with several styles roofs and with all sorts of accessories.  You need to know how you plan on using your patio space, then you can set out in searching for styles you like. For some homeowners, they need their patio roof to be something that is more solid, like your home’s roof rather than something that  is partially open like a pergola.  Your particular usage will determine what type will be best for you.

When we are talking about patio usage, we should discuss some of the specific points to help you clarify your needs.  Some patio designs take into account such things as entertaining and layout features that would be ideal for hosting parties and other get-togethers.  Some patios will be more functional for things such as sitting in a spot of shade after jumping out of the pool.  You might find a few chaise lounge chairs or some other patio furniture items that you can enjoy while you dry off.

Not everyone has the same things in mind.  Again, for the patio enthusiast, the lighting will be of great importance.  Many hosts will have an evening meal or entertainment out on their deck or patio.  This type of dining and entertaining requires specific types of lighting for the patio to be both safe and conducive to intimate conversation areas.  In the case of an outdoor kitchen type of set up, you may have some more formal dining furniture in place.  Some outdoor kitchen and room designs incorporate seating at the counter area or may have some cocktail tables nearby for a more lounging environment.  Additionally, if you plan on having evening parties, you may need to consider the temperature.  In the warmer summer months, this is not of much concern.  However, in the spring or fall, when many parts of the country can enjoy their patios in the evening or night, patio heating becomes a need.  Luckily, there are several types of patio heaters to help out.  These can substantially improve the ambient temperature of your patio space.  Keep in mind, depending upon the design of your patio, the roof and other factors may need to be addressed.

In the end, the design of your patio is much easier to address when you are building from the ground up.  If you plan on remodeling your outdoor space or patio area, now is the time to handle these issues.  You certainly don’t want to invest all this time and money into your project only to find that you aren’t able to enjoy the space as you had wished.  So, spend the time now and design your ideal covered patio so that you can enjoy it for years to come.

Photo credit

Related posts:

1. Covered Patio | A New Room
2. Covered Patio Plans
3. Patio Covers And Patio Cover Designs

For some, the patio is a place where they can go to unwind from a long day or relax on the weekends.  It is more like a retreat and a place to kick up your heels.  And yet, to other homeowners, the patio is a place where they can host extravagant or exotic dinners and entertain guests.  These two ideas will likely need different covered patio designs.  It isn’t that a design couldn’t be found that could incorporate the two, it is just that you should consider these points and the way you plan to use your own patio prior to beginning your remodel or new patio construction.

While your covered patio plans may not be as detailed as an architect’s drawings, at least you’ll have some idea in mind as to what your next step will be.  That next step may be to create a material’s list if you plan on building your own patio cover.  If you plan on hiring a professional,  just make sure that your plans are clear.  What is obvious to you may not come across in your sketches or conversation.  Similarly, getting things in writing will always be your best bet if you hire out the work.

Now, what about if you have a more formal patio space in mind?  In this case, you are not alone.  The trend in patio designs is to design and build them to be more like outdoor rooms.  It seems that patio covers are quickly becoming more like the ‘bones’ to create an outdoor space that resembles any space you might find inside your home.  This includes the creature comforts of television, heating, cooling, kitchens, patio furniture, you name it.  If you can find it indoors, then you can likely find its complement for your outdoor room.

You can tell that what was once considered just a simple area has really turned into a whole other animal.  Gone are the days of just using those white plastic lawn chairs for your furniture needs.  Those are fine for larger entertaining groups that will be broken down at the end of the evening.  However, for a more exotic and useful covered patio, keep that patio room concept in mind.

Photo credit

Related posts:

1. Covered Patio Designs
2. Covered Patio Plans
3. A Word About The Perfect Patio Cover

What will make you decide on one type of patio roof over another is mostly related to the style of your home and patio spaces.  If you have something that is more free-standing, like a pergola, then the roof will most likely be nothing but the beams or possibly a lattice-style of roof.  These are often wooden structures, with cedar and redwood being the best choices.  Not only do they have a nice quality to work with, but they weather the elements extremely beautifully.  They do have natural defenses against premature aging, but will do much better with a wood sealer or stain.  If you like the look of the natural wood – and this is something we favor around here at Patio Covers Place – then just go with a clear sealant option.  Thompson’s, Behr and others can be found at your local home improvement warehouses that will do the job quite well.

This patio roof looks like a reinforced lattice style.

Another option for the free-standing patio cover, like the pergola or cabana look, is a patio roof made of tile.  These tiles are reminiscent of a Mediterranean look, but are now usually made of concrete.  The readily available nature of the cement roof tiles makes them easier to work with and more affordable in most cases.  You can still get them in a variety of shades to give the appearance of an old-world style.  This type of patio roof, combined with some stone pillars makes for a great look.

What About Metal Patio Roofing?

Similar to these construction methods, though using different materials, you could opt for a metal roof for your patio cover.  Choices for metals include things like steel, copper, bronze and aluminum.  These not only make for a unique looking roof, but can have as long a durability as any material.  These metal roofing jobs often have life spans of up to 50-60 years.  Try getting that out of a traditional asphalt or wooden shingle.  It simply isn’t going to happen.  In addition to this, these metals develop a wonderful patina that just adds to the distinguished look of your patio over time.

As discussed, there is a distinct advantage of having metal for durability, but sometimes you just need to match an existing roof line and material.  For these traditional asphalt shingle roofs or cedar shingle roofs, they are constructed in the same way as any roof on a home.  First, the joists are placed.  Next, comes the plywood.  For your home to be waterproof, a felt paper and flashing are used.  For your patio, this step may not be employed. Then, the shingles are marked, measured and nailed into place.  You would never know it was done unless you say it first yourself.  These are the basic principles and options regarding your patio roof.

Photo credit

Related posts:

1. Arbors – Elegant Design Elements for a Patio or Garden
2. Patio Cover Ideas
3. Patio Covers And Patio Cover Designs

Even if it is as simple as having an arbor-gate that brings you into your courtyard or patio area, the look and feel is both welcoming and warming.  If you have ever experienced this, then you know the feeling.  There is just something about walking beneath a vine or flower-covered arbor that brings you into the space you are entering.  It makes that space seem like a special place to go.

A great shot of an arbor over a garden bench.

There are different types of arbors, as mentioned.  Some are just simple two post and beam structures that have a few stringer beams up top for the support of your greenery.  Others are more extravagant creations with many more posts and beams to support a much larger array of flowers and vines.  In this respect, an arbor is very similar to a pergola – occasionally the terms are used interchangeably.  A pergola is another type of patio cover.   Pergolas are usually four post and beam structures with a lattice roof.  Often, a pergola is made of wood – though metal and vinyl options are available.

Similar in some respects to the pergola is the gazebo.  While the pergola has a more ‘airy’ openness about it, the gazebo is more closed.  This is because gazebos have a more formal roof-type structure to them.  Like other covers, they can use metal roofing materials or some other traditional type of wooden roof or shingle.

At Patio Covers Place, our preferred choice of wood for outdoor projects is cedar.  It is not only a gorgeous looking wood, but has many additional properties that suit it best for outdoor applications.  Its ability to age gracefully and be sustainably harvested are two features that immediately come to mind.

Now, there is yet another garden and patio element that confuses this issue – the trellis.  A trellis is more of a two dimensional structure, so to speak.  Typically, they are made of smaller lumber pieces with lattice work between the ‘posts’.  Then, they are often used along fences or as small fences, to allow delicate flowers, vines or other garden herbs and plants to grow on.

The most important thing you can do is find the type of patio or garden structure that will work best in your space.  Don’t worry about what it is called.  You’ll probably hear many of these names used as synonyms anyway.  If you don’t already have a good idea of what you are looking for, you can just browse images online, search in fine home magazines or just look over your fence if you like your neighbors’ ideas.  The beauty of this project is that arbors can even be built by hand by the avid DIYer.  If you’ve got one in your home, this is a great project to work on.

Photo credit

Related posts:

1. Patio Arbors
2. Trellises – A Garden Favorite
3. Patio Trellis

How would you know if you had taken all of the factors into account?  This is where a professional designer could help.  Your patio cover designs will take on several different characteristics of both your home and your personal style and preferences.  We’ll get to a few of the options below, rest assured, there are many more than you will see here.  These just reflect a representative sampling of basic designs.  The way that you can improve or enhance these is almost infinite (and budgetless it seems at times).  In other words, imagining what you would like your patio cover to look like and be is up to your imagination and budget, because literally almost anything is possible with the type of building materials and equipment available to today’s builder.

General Covered Patio Plans

Before we go any further, let’s briefly describe the covered patio types you might encounter or want to have designed, they fall into some broad general categories.  First of all, there is the category of open or closed patio roof styles.  This is simply a reference to the fact that some allow you to see the sky and allow rain to get through, others allow partial light and/or rain and others would block all light and water or other elements from Mother Nature.  Then, you need to consider the type of building material:  wood, metal, vinyl, fabric or some combination of all of these.   Another choice concerns free standing versus attached structures.  Finally, you would need to decide if you wanted to have shades or awnings as part of your cover as well.

This is a lot to consider.  So, in order to make the process simpler, you can simply view the pictures below and read the captions.  In most cases, the picture represented is a good reflection of the type of patio cover you can expect to see or have built within that style.  Patio covers are like any type of home remodeling project in this way; what you see for your use and taste can be reflected in your home.

Following Are Some Patio Cover Ideas

Here is an example of an attached – with posts – pergola type patio cover.  That is a mouth-full.  See how the beam on one end is mounted to the house?  This adds strength as well as making it look tied into the home.  This type of cover is also open as you can see.  Wood patio covers like this would also include styles that would have more slats across the top and then even plants and vines growing atop it.  This provides more shade and a softer appearance, all while adding a splash of color or aroma from any flowering plants.  Photo at right

Photo Below

This is an example of an open patio cover - pergola, with vines.

Here is an example of a patio cover kit. It is extremely durable, long-lasting and simpler to install than a traditional wood patio structure. You might find it easier to construct as a DIYer and this is one of its main attractions. Photo courtesy of http://austinpatio.com

Related posts:

1. Patio Cover Ideas
2. Picking From The Various Patio Cover Designs
3. A Patio Covers Purpose

Have you ever browsed through any custom home or architectural magazines and wondered how they got those amazing looking homes?  Well, if you think about it, they are nothing more than the same materials (mostly) that the rest of us have access to.  It’s just in the way that they are put together and made to look exotic.  Take for example the amazing decks and patios that you see in those magazines.  Maybe you’ve even done some online browsing, searching celebrity home sites and the like.  In any case, you’ve probably seen those amazing outdoor covered patios that look like some kind of resort or island get away.  How do they get such amazingly elegant looks to them?  Well, first of all, they have great patio cover plans.  Okay, let’s not fool ourselves, they do cost some money too.  But, it’s mostly because of who builds those patios, not because of the patio itself.  Many times, their patio covers are nothing more than wood or some properly placed metal elements, with great lighting and some fabrics to make them appear like a poolside cabana for royalty.

Patio Cover Designs and Ideas

Often, what gives such an elegant look is what they leave off as much as what they are made of.  For example, the wooden beams that can cover the patio or deck, depending on where it is built, can provide just the right amount of shade, while letting just enough sun in to grow beautiful plants or climbing vines.  When these plants become more mature, they crawl all over these covered patio structures and look like some old-world Mediterranean or Spanish villa.  The posts that support the patio cover may be made of concrete, stone or even more expensive and exotic marble or limestone.  While these may be for the lifestyles of the rich and famous now, it’s really all that was available hundreds of years ago in many cases.  The point is, you can still capture the essence of these more expensive patio cover designs because of the plethora of man made and cultured materials these days.  The popularity of the outside room has made this type of patio easily accessible to all.  With a very modest budget, you can create quite a nice look.

Rustic Patio Covers Can Be Elegant Too

Patio designs range from rustic to refined.  Rustic appearances can be achieved by using newer materials manufactured to look old.  Some patio cover kits are sold this way.  These can also be made of newer cement block post structures that are covered with cultured tumbled stone facing material.  These appear like the posts are made of stacked rocks that support a nice wooden top or even a metal roof.  The pillars can also be finished smooth and have a Venetian plaster look to them creating quite a refined old-world style.  When you add lights, some awnings and canopies you’ve got an area that you and your guest will enjoy to relax and even dine under.

Related posts:

1. A Word About The Perfect Patio Cover
2. Covered Patio Plans
3. Picking From The Various Patio Cover Designs

Great Patio Cover Designs Are More Than Just Expensive Patio Furniture Covers

In other words, hopefully who ever you have build a patio cover (unless you plan on doing it yourself you brave soul) had better have some taste that you trust or has a very good idea of what you want done.  If not, you’re in danger of having a very expensive and probably boring looking cover for your patio furniture.  That’s fine, you need covers for your chairs and benches and all that stuff too.  It’s just that you might not necessarily want it to be just for that purpose.

In most cases, when there is an expensive patio set, the owners will have separate covers for those pieces or simply use them in the outdoor environment when entertaining and then move them back into a more protected area when not in use.  This is a pain, so most people opt for the covers.  So, when you are building this patio and making decisions about how or what you will use for a cover, remember how you will be using your furniture and the type of space you’d like to create.

The Simplest Of Outdoor Patio Covers

Pergolas like this can support growing vines and flowering plants.

Probably, one of the simplest in design and often most elegant in appearance are the pergola type wood patio covers.  Often mistakingly referred to as a gazebo, a pergola has more of an open patio roof structure to them.  Many gazebo covers are more roof-like in appearance.  They may not be a solid, water shedding type structure, but often it lets much less water fall directly beneath it.  In the case of a pergola, the roof or cover has more of a criss-crossed beam structure to it.  It’s not quite like a garden lattice, but it may employ a lattice piece in its design elements.  Overall, the pergola is more versatile as well.  You can plant climbing vines or other greenery that will grow up the posts of your pergola.  A cool, shaded patio cover can be created by using these climbing vines planted in the ground near each post of your pergola.  Or, you can opt to have them in large pots near each post that can also help create that exotic look.   However you choose to cover your patio, make sure you keep these design elements in mind.

Related posts:

1. What Are Your Patio Cover Plans?
2. Picking From The Various Patio Cover Designs
3. Patio Covers And Patio Cover Designs

Shelter from the elements can also be had by having motorized awnings installed.  They can use photo-sensing technology to sense the angle of the sun and automatically roll down or can roll down with the simple press of a button.  For most people, their patio covers only need to be designed as shade structures.  They aren’t looking for some type of room addition that can withstand gail force winds and the like.  No.  Their covered patio is simply a place to sit outside and enjoy their yard and leisure time.  It could be the entertainers paradise in the right conditions.

Custom Patio Cover Kits For Gazebos

You can also find kits that are for gazebos as well.  Not only can you find the posts and side members, but the roof structure as well.  This might seem obvious, but sometimes as a way to make projects more customizable, certain pieces are sold separately.  In the case of the gazebo patio kit, more often than not it is a one shot deal.  You get the ‘whole shibang’ in the package.  Make sure to read the materials list, because you will usually have to supply any hardware, screws, nails, etc.  In the end, both the gazebo and pergola patio kits can save you a lot of time and energy.

Custom Patio Covers

This is where the consummate outdoor entertainer will shine.  Just like any indoor room in your home, the outdoor space can be made to be just as personalized and comfortable to be in.  Draperies, lighting (think chandeliers and candles) and custom wood carving can all add up to be one spectacular outdoor room.

Patio covers not only provide you with shelter from the elements if built to that specification, but also provide for an outdoor seating area that can serve as an extension of your living area.  Imagine sitting outside when it’s in the 70s and slightly breezy, enjoying the smell of fresh air and good living.

Related posts:

1. What Are Your Patio Cover Plans?
2. Patio Covers And Patio Cover Designs
3. A Word About The Perfect Patio Cover