|
1. Call
your local building permit office. Ask them what live load you will need
for a patio cover
or carport. Live load is the load your cover will need to carry,
such as snow.
|
| 2nd. Measure
the area to be covered, such as the size of the slab. Add any overhangs
desired. If your patio is 10' x 20' and you want a 1' overhang on
all sides add 10+1 for the projection measurement and 20+2 for the width
measurement. in this example you would need to order a 11' x 22' cover. |
| 3rd. Decide
where on your house the cover will attach. The wall? or the eaves? (roof overhang)? How will
this effect the size you need? See drawings below. |
| 4th. Make
a drawing and put the measurements on it. Now when you go back to
the kit
price charts, you have the information to determine what you need
to order. |
| 5th. Ask
- do you need down spouts (aluminum covers)? post brackets? setback beam? |
|
| The Span distance is from
the point of attachment to the nearest support. |
|
This drawing shows a cover attached on the roof overhang
(eaves). And uses a set back beam above the post, with the post in the
ground.
If you live in a area were the frost depth is more the 18" consider
mounting the post on top of the slab.
The overhang in most cases is the same as the house overhang. So if
the slab is 10' then the cover attached on the overhang can be 10' (projection
out from house)
You will buy locally: cement for the post, flashing to go 3" under
shingles and 12" out (minimum) on top of the cover and lag bolts
to attach the cover to house eaves at 24" on center. |
 |
This drawing shows a cover attached at the wall under the overhang.
The span is from the wall to the post. Post are on the edge of the cover
and on the top of the patio slab.
Flashing 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. You can always ask what to do at the
lumber yard when you buy the flashing.
You would need to purchase the following locally for this cover: flashing,
and concrete anchors for the post brackets, and anchors to attach cover
at the wall |
 |
This drawing shows a cover with
a fire place to go around. For an aluminum cover you would need to order
two extra inside corners and two extra outside corners plus extra gutter.
(for the sides of the fireplace). For a steel cover no corners are needed
as steel covers do not have gutters.
This cover has a set back beam (optional) and three post. |
 |
This drawing shows a cover attached on the roofs eaves with no
patio cover overhang, past the post
This is the simplest installation, the only extras to consider are down
spouts (aluminum covers) post brackets, and side overhangs. |
 |
This drawing shows a cover in a
corner, attached on two sides. Code will require that the cover 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? Not if you plan on getting a permit, or you expect to have no
leaks! The span is from the attachment (projection) to post. Think this
one through, as the cover when sloped downward, will run off the eaves
board on the side. |
