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.

photo credit

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

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 patio canopies you’ve got an area that you and your guest will enjoy to relax and even dine under.

The reason why patio cover plans are important is that to enable a livable, even workable space, consideration needs to be given to what needs to be covered. What is the climate like? Is there likely to be a lot of entertainment and gatherings there? How often is the area going to be used? All of these questions can and will influence the final decision on what the cover will look like when it is finally constructed.

Construction usually takes the form of either an open or enclosed structure, with a roof.   This patio roof, depending upon how it is designed can function as pure shade cover or provide a bit of mixed shade and sun, the perfect combination for plants below.  There are many variations on the theme and there are lots of varieties of hybrid structures that can combine both methods.  An area that is open for when the weather is beautiful and plants are flowering, and an area that is more sheltered so that the patio is still usable – even when conditions could be a little better.

As can be seen, there are so many different and varied patio cover ideas that it becomes vitally important to start the search by coming up with some needs and wants. The first of which should be, what is going to be the primary use of your patio cover. Is a lot of time going to be spent out there? If so, possibly a large cover would be suited. What material is the home made out of? It would look a tad awkward having a beautifully constructed brick design next to a mostly wooden home.  However, it is quite possible that this mix could work, given the proper planning and design.

By asking these sorts of questions, it becomes possible to envisage how the final design will turn out. Warm climate most of the year round? Then perhaps open patio cover designs are what are needed. Are you going to be doing lots of entertaining during the nighttime in a variable climate? An enclosed cover could be called for.  Likewise, if your weather is prone to a lot of rain or other weather, then you might opt for a covered patio that is simply an extension of your home’s roof.

Certainly, covered patio ideas start flowing thick and fast when a little bit of thought is given to what role they will ultimately play in the living area!  The main aim of covered patio designs is to find the best example of what is needed so that more time can be spent outdoors! Just think about all the fun and relaxation that will take place in the future when the cover is up.  Enjoy the design process as it comes to life for your new patio!

Photo credit

Now, what about for that backyard patio party?  What are you doing there to make a bigger impact and remodel to allow for more functional space and a better entertaining area?  The choice many people make first is to get some type of patio cover.  If you don’t have much experience with these, then getting some patio cover ideas will be in order.  These ideas could come from several different sources, online is the first and most simple way to come about doing your search.  In fact, it is likely how you found our site.  There are pictures online to browse, fine home magazines you can look through or you can even have an architect and designer sketch some patio cover plans for you to look at.  You will obviously pay for the professional help, but it will be well worth it in the end, because they will be able to match your landscape features and home design to that of your new patio cover – what ever style that happens to be.

photo credit

As a brief introduction or outline if you aren’t familiar, there are a few patio covers that stand out as the most common and simple to build.  It doesn’t mean that they are not very handsome and elegant features to add to your space, quite the contrary.  Often, the simplest designs allow for the beauty of the landscape and other backyard features to come forth.  The pergola is likely the most common type of free standing patio cover.

There are other styles, including the gazebo and attached pergola.  The attached version simply has a header beam mounted to the wall of your home and may extend out the roof line a bit to ‘form’ a little patio area.

The pergola and gazebo have some similar features in that they are both usually constructed of wood and are meant to provide an intimate area to relax or entertain.  The pergola is a bit more of an open structure, with a ‘ribbed’ roof that can support a variety of roofs or climbing vines and plants.  Patio roofs could include a metal roof like a folded seam steel or even a nice copper.

Additionally, the roof of your covered patio could be made of a stone product like a Mediterranean tile or cement tile.  The gazebo is more of a semi-closed structure with a wooden roof and some railings, often with built-in bench seating.  Gazebos usually have a bit more in the way of detailing where a pergola has more craftsman styling and simple lines.  Your patio cover ideas should include what type of theme you would like your space to have.  This will greatly help determine what materials will be used and what type of structure you will have built.

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.