Once you’ve got your plans in hand, you can set out to create a materials list.  Obviously, this article is for those who are a bit handy.  If you don’t know how to swing a hammer (or use a nail gun) you should hire a professional contractor or someone who can do this type of work.  Your local handyman can probably tackle this type of project with little difficulty.  Much of the hard work is in the plumbing and squaring of your posts.  Oh, and the lifting of beams and such.

Building A Pergola

The pergola is one of the most common types of patio covers and you will find it much simpler to build than any other style.  They can be built free standing or attached to beams along your home’s outer wall.  In the southwest, you or your contractor will likely have to take down some stucco and wire to get access to the beams.  For this reason alone, building free standing patio covers will be your best bet.

Step one is really to find the position of where to put the posts.  Depending on your climate zone, the footings may need to be deeper for your frost lines.  Some climates, you can get away with a 12 – 18 ” depth.  Your posts can either be set into your concrete or be mounted on top after curing.  This style is easier to do and more forgiving.  Once your posts are placed in the concrete, moving them is impossible without digging up.  Mounting them on top will allow you to modify the ends to get a true plumb and square frame upon which your beams and top members can rest.

Once your posts are set and plumb, you can begin to hang your beams or girders.  Sometimes, two are used and other times four.  This can be a personal taste issue as well.  The beams will support the cross members or rafters, which are usually lighter (width and weight) in stock.  Pergolas that use four girder beam are typically more substantial and hold more rafters.  Two girders work just fine for most applications.

Finally, putting your top rafters is really just a matter of placement.  Closer spacing will provide more shade and better structure for your greenery to grow on.  Some pergola plans call for spacing of your rafters to be at 24″ and then using a lattice roof to provide even more shade and substance to your roof.

You don’t need brackets for each rafter.  The preferred method is to toe nail each one to the girders.  A bracket for each rafter not only gets expensive, but also takes away from the look.  Besides this, it isn’t necessary from a structural standpoint.  You will likely only need brackets for attaching your posts to the beams.  Your project should take about 2 -3 weekends worth of work.  One will be due to curing of your concrete, but you can stain and treat your wood that weekend so you don’t lose time.  The typical pergola patio cover built this way, by the owner, can provide not only years of enjoyment but years of bragging rights as well.

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.

Patio covering materials can include fabrics, metal and wood to awnings and canopies.  Before you get to that point, figure out how your structure is going to look and where it will be in relation to your home.  Taking another step back – if you are going to be building this patio, you’ll need to check not only with your home owners association (if you have one) but, quite possibly, your city for proper codes and permits to pull.  If it’s a simple patio structure that you are after, it will likely need no permits, just HOA approval in most cases.

Types of Metal Patio Covers

Corrugated metal roofs can create great patio covers.

Aluminum patio covers are probably the most common type of metal cover.  This is because of their light weight and ease of assembly.  All they would require to install are simple tools that most do-it-your-selfers have at home – a drill, hammer,  jig saw, caulking gun, metal snips (possibly) and some standard tools that would be required like a ladder, tape measure, etc.  Sometimes, in areas where a more rustic feel is desired, steel sheeting can be used.  This ages to have a nice rusty patina to it.  Like an old barn or some similar look.  These roofs can still be seen on structures many decades old, so you know they hold up.

Other Patio Cover Ideas

Wooden patio covers can take many different styles.  Sometimes, the patio is simply covered like one would with an extension on a home being used as a sunroom.  The walls are either open between the posts, mesh netting could be framed between the posts to allow air to flow but bugs out or even retractable awnings could be used to provide shade.  Patios are versatile structures.  It could be covered with a post and beam type layout and be called a pergola or even a gazebo with enough attention to the roof detail in the structure.  Typically, pergolas have flatter patio roofs, whereas a gazebo has a more angled appearance and can even have an actual wooden roof.    Again, pergola and gazebo covers could have patio awnings that serve to provide more shade when necessary. Finally, we realize that some people feel that they lack the skill to design and install an aluminum or canvas patio cover that is custom made to the patio space that needs to be covered. For those who are not inclined to install a fixed patio covering, there is always the option of buying one of the many retractable motorized awnings that are available on the market. However, even retractable awnings that can be opened and rolled up either with an awning motor or with a hand crank will require installation. If you are not handy enough to make your own canvas or aluminum patio cover, then you would probably be better off, if you paid someone to install your retractable motorized awning for you, as well.