Shade, Views, & Development
Shade, Views, & Development
Shade, Views, and Development
A patio cover can help you obtain a great amount of shade during sunny days. Since shade changes throughout the day depending on how the sun moves across the sky, and as the course of the year goes by it’s a good idea to install patio covers in a place where you can obtain your desired afternoon shade during the hot summer months. If you have a large backyard or a large patio area its good to have a patio cover big enough that will cover your whole porch so you can get as much shade as you wish, and keep in mind that you can adjust the patio cover to open and close to give you as much shade or sunlight as you want.
Keep in mind that many shade structures do not necessarily provide shade directly underneath, however the Solara Adjustable patio cover can be adjusted so that it will provide shade no matter which direction the sun is facing. Later in the day, when the sun begins to set but still provides heat, a shade screen attached to your patio cover will help block the summer sunlight from a low angle where the patio cover itself can not cover; this is especially if you’re planning to use your outdoor patio primarily in the evening.
Patio Cover Views
If you have great views looking outward from your home, you should orient your patio cover project to take advantage of them, this means that sometimes you might have to risk certain designs or building plans for your patio cover project. For instance, you might be willing to install your patio cover on a side of your backyard that wasn’t your initial choice because the place where you originally wanted it doesn’t receive much sunlight and you want sunlight to go through your patio cover to heat up your porch in the winter.
Negative views also are important to take into consideration. Having the view of your neighbor’s garage is not the view you would want. For cases like these you should try to build or install your patio cover where you can relax and enjoy the view you have. If your home’s surroundings are not that pleasant you could consider screening it to obstruct these sights.
To get a good idea of your patio cover’s dimensions and how your patio cover will look you can make planning sketches, and as you do this you can show the direction of the views from your backyard or patio although in some cases, trees may conceal the best enjoyable views from your patio. If scenery is important you can consider maybe cutting some trees blocking what could be a great view and you can create an interesting sight. If you are unsure about cutting down trees in your backyard, you should consult a landscape architect or designer that will help guide you maintain important members of your landscape.
You should also keep in mind other views like what the neighbors will see. If you have a nice view from the inside of your home, be sure that your patio cover doesn’t obstruct the views from your windows. This could particularly happen if you were to place perhaps a patio cover post in front of one of the windows or in front of the window that gives you great view, so you should try to avoid placing the patio cover posts blocking a window.
Developing
Building the patio cover of your dreams requires careful planning, however this planning will ensure that your patio cover will be installed and built the way you want it, even if it seems tedious at times. A site map is a scaled drawing of your property and having a site map will give your patio cover plans a perfect beginning and you’ll be ready to do a site analysis.
You can measure your yard so that you can fit your patio cover comfortably by using a 100-foot steel tape measure. Mark the dimensions and measurements of the following on a sketch pad as you go along:
• Your backyard patio space
• All doors and windows that could potentially be blocked by the patio cover’s posts
You will need to analyze the condition of your yard for a more complete analysis of your patio cover project. It will be of great help to take note which direction is north, where the sun is strongest during the time of the day you plan on using your patio, and the wind and snow load ratings in your area.
