Terrace canopies made of wood, aluminium and steel
For many people, their own home is the most important place in the world. With an individually planned patio roof, you gain an additional outdoor space for working, relaxing, reading, inviting friends over, enjoying the sunset and much more. And almost regardless of the weather! However, before the time comes, there are a few points to clarify.
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Well planned is half won
A terrace roof should meet both practical and aesthetic requirements. In addition to the structural conditions on site, the style of the building, the budget and the subsequent maintenance requirements are therefore also included in the considerations. The patio roof can be permanently mounted on the house wall, leaned against it or free-standing. The shape of the frame is also flexible, regardless of whether you want a small roof for a cosy seating area or need a large covered area. In addition to classic versions, customised special designs, special roof shapes or over-corner solutions are also possible. There is also something for every taste in terms of material and colour.
Important: Once you have decided on a patio roof, find out in advance from the responsible building authority whether the project requires a permit. This is because it is a structural change to an existing building. Whether a permit is required depends on the size, height and type of construction. Sometimes a minimum distance from the neighbouring property must also be maintained.
The right material for the support structure
The most common materials for the frame are wood, steel and aluminium. Wood is a renewable raw material, i.e. a sustainable material. With its natural flair, it blends in well with the garden. In addition, wood is easy to work with. Ideal for hobby craftsmen who want to build their patio roof themselves. With prefabricated kits, the statics and load-bearing capacity are already taken into account. One disadvantage of a wooden roof is that it requires regular maintenance. In order for it to withstand the weather, it must be treated with a wood care and wood preservative product before assembly and then about every two years.
A frame made of aluminium is light and yet stable. It is usually finished with a powder coating, which gives it a robust, UV-resistant, scratch-resistant and easy-care surface. In order for the construction to withstand strong winds, sufficient ground anchoring and bolting is necessary. If the construction is planned incorrectly, aluminium can bend under load.
A steel construction is very robust and practically maintenance-free. High snow loads in winter cannot harm it. A protective layer of zinc or an aluminium-zinc coating prevents rust and corrosion. Unfortunately, steel has a high weight, which makes the construction more difficult. To ensure that the overall impression is right, the colour of the steel frame can be matched to the house and garden. For this purpose, the surface is painted with RAL colours.
Which material for the roof covering?
The roof covering can be either translucent or opaque. Translucent patio roofs are made of acrylic, polycarbonate or glass. They let a lot of light onto the terrace and into the adjoining interior rooms. Glass roofs are usually made of laminated safety glass (LSG). This guarantees that the roofing can bear a certain snow load in winter and reduces the risk of breakage in the event of storms, hail or falling branches. A special surface finish makes this material very easy to care for. Dirt sticks less and rainwater simply rolls off.
Acrylic glass (Plexiglas) and polycarbonate multiwall sheets are cheaper and lighter than glass. Polycarbonate has a high impact resistance and is therefore almost hail-proof. In addition, polycarbonate patio roofs can withstand high minus and plus temperatures. Acrylic glass is very UV and weather resistant, but more sensitive to scratches than polycarbonate. Both glass and plastic are available in milky-white (opaque) or crystal-clear (transparent) versions.
Opaque materials for the patio roof include wood, clay tiles, slate, bitumen shingles, aluminium, titanium zinc, copper and concrete tiles. Although these efficiently protect against the sun and hardly heat up the patio, this can be a problem on cooler days. They also block out a lot of daylight from the interior.
Want your own power source? Patio roofs with solar modules generate free and environmentally friendly solar power. This can be fed directly into the house and consumed. The modules are also ideal for providing shade, which makes an additional awning superfluous.
Keep a cool head
For terraces with a south-west orientation, good shading is important due to the high solar radiation. Especially in midsummer, heat can accumulate under a translucent roof. For this reason, you should also plan the appropriate sun protection for a new patio roof, such as a sun sail, rail-guided shading panels or a retractable roof-mounted or under-roof awning. These are also available with automatic control via sensors.
You can supplement the whole thing with vertical awnings. They offer sun protection, privacy and glare protection at the same time. This means that the low sun in the late afternoon is no longer a problem and you can enjoy the warm season without a care in the world!
Another option for regulating solar radiation is the aluminium louvre roof. It consists of individual aluminium elements lying horizontally next to each other. This closed surface protects the occupants of the house from the sun. If more light or air circulation is desired, the slats can be turned (erected) as required. With some systems, it is also possible to additionally move the slats to the side, which again significantly increases the incidence of light on the terrace. This gives you the flexibility to decide whether the sun can shine on your terrace or not. The blinds are controlled either with a radio remote control or via WLAN using a smartphone, tablet or PC. It is even easier with sensors that react to rain or sun and automatically control the slatted roof.
Extend the terrace season
Thanks to the modular construction of many patio roofs, extensive extensions are possible. With lateral panorama or fixed glazing or folding sliding systems, you can stay warm on the terrace longer on summer evenings and extend the outdoor season into autumn. But you can also make intensive use of the first rays of sunshine in the spring months in this way. It is also possible to convert the terrace into a cold conservatory. In contrast to a conservatory, this is not thermally insulated and heated, but provides protection from rain or wind in bad weather. Framed sliding elements ensure that you can still enjoy the sun in good weather and also provide a draught at times.
In cooler evenings, a patio enclosure with integrated heating brings cosy warmth into the garden room. The heating element with short-wave infrared radiation is installed on both sides underneath the roof. If you like to listen to your favourite music while relaxing, you should also consider a built-in sound system with integrated built-in speakers. Many of these music systems are compatible with streaming providers and can be conveniently controlled with your smartphone. Invisible and without annoying wiring, you can experience the highest level of music enjoyment.
And what do you do when it gets dark? Then the optional patio lighting comes into play. You can have roof supports or posts fitted with integrated spotlights or coloured LED strips to bathe your patio in atmospheric light. A colour-changing or dimming function is also possible. Romantically inclined? With LED lighting technology from "powerglass®", you can transform your patio roof into a starry sky. The effect is created by light-emitting diodes incorporated into the laminated glass and can be switched on and off using an app or remote control. The technology has even been awarded the Red Dot Award.
A cosy spot outdoors - even in rainy weather
Dark clouds gathering in the sky? Who cares! A patio cover leaves neither you nor your garden furniture out in the rain. Hurriedly clearing away decorations or dishes and escaping into the house are now a thing of the past. However, when planning the roof, you should make sure that rainwater can run off the patio roof easily and does not accumulate. Moss growth could otherwise be the result. A roof pitch between 5° and 15° degrees or a curved patio roof can prevent this. With modern shed roofs, the slope is already integrated into the frame construction and is therefore not visible from the outside. With concealed roof drainage, there are also no more annoying downpipes.
Laminated safety glass consists of two individual panes of glass that are bonded together with a film. If the terrace roof should break, most of the shards and splinters will stick to the laminated film. This reduces the risk of injury.
We recommend cleaning once in spring and once in autumn to remove leaves, pollen and dirt. Also consider water run-off and rain gutters! If possible, remove spot dirt (e.g. bird droppings) immediately so that it does not burn in during the summer.
The material can be easily cleaned with water and a gentle detergent. Abrasive cleaning agents are not recommended. They could damage the coating or the material.
It is often sufficient to register the roof with the homeowner's or household insurance. Simply ask the insurance company!
These are standardised and globally used colours that are created and managed by RAL gGmbH. Each colour is assigned a number, which makes it possible to clearly identify and communicate paints and varnishes, for example.
Conclusion
A patio roof offers you the opportunity to expand your living space and increase your quality of life a little bit. Unlike an awning, a patio roof can also be used in windy or rainy weather. Before you decide on a variant, you should get good information and advice. Most sellers also have a showroom. Here you can get inspiration and take a closer look at the different patio roofs.
