How to decide size, type, span, load etc. for your screen porch if you do not have an existing roof over the area you are screening.

1. Call your local building permit office. Ask them what live load you will need for a patio cover roof. Live load is the load your cover will need to carry, such as snow. We use that number to check that the cover is correct for your weather conditions.
   
   
2. Decide where on your house the patio cover (roof) will attach. On the wall under the eave? or on the roof's eaves? How will this effect the size you need? See drawings and mesurement examples below.
   
   
3. Measure the area:
   
   Example: (attaching to the house wall): you have a 10' x 20' (10' from house wall x 20' wide) patio slab where you want to put the screen room. You will need a 10' x 20' screen room (30' total of screen wall – 10' side + 20' wide + 10' side). Your roof will be 11' x 22' allowing for a 1' overhang of the screen walls on each side.
   
   Example: (attaching roof to a 16” roof eave): You have a 10' x 20' (10' from house wall x 20' wide) patio slab where you want to put the screen room. You will need a 10' x 20' screen room (30' total of screen wall – 10' side + 20' wide + 10' side). The roof will be 10' x 22'. This will give you a 11'6” overhang over the front screen wall and a 1' overhang on each side (you will gain the extra length from the house eave).
   
   Good idea! The roof can be larger then the room if desired. For example: you could have a 10' x 12' screen room under a 11' x 24' roof giving you a 11' non-screened covered area to one side of your screen room.
   
   
4. Make a birds eye view drawing and put the measurements on it. Mark where you want the door(s) and indicate the screen wall heights. Now when you go back to the kit price charts, you have the information to determine what you need to order.
   If you don't see the size you need, have questions or want to customize your screen room then either Call us (888 814-7531) – or you can fax or email us your drawing and we will price it for you. Fax: (210 829-1482) - email patioanswers@patiostore.com
   
   
5. Screen room extras
   Size of roof overhang past the screen walls (12” min.)?
   Do you have a fireplace to work-around?
   How many screen doors will you need (1 included in kit price)?
   Do you want a kick panel or have the screen go all the way to the floor?
   Consider if you need down spouts (aluminum covers)?
   Choose a color for your screen extrusions, kick panel and roof to compliment your home.

Attached to House Wall:
This drawing shows a screen room cover attached at the wall under the house overhang. The span is from the roofs attaching point out to the screen wall. The walls will support the roof loads.

Flashing (purchased locally) needs to be considered carefully, where will it start? for wood lap siding the flashing is bent like the letter L and would go just under the siding and out on to the cover at least 12". plan your flashing out before you install the cover.

Corner Installation:
This drawing shows a screen room and patio cover in a corner, attached on two sides. Code will require that the screen room's cover roof be mounted at the wall with gutters on the house eaves, so all the water that comes off the house roof does not end up on the new cover.

Can you attach on the eaves? No, not if you plan on getting a permit, or you expect to have no leaks! The span is from the attachment (projection) to the screen rooms front wall. Think this one through, as the patio cover when sloped downward, will run off the eaves board on the side.