A Winter Under A Patio Cover

The idea behind a Desert Sun Patio cover brings up the idea of shade from the sun, but the same blocking features are going to keep you and your outdoor lifestyle going all winter long. An unprotected patio next to your home becomes effectively unusable when the first big snow storm arrives, with all the furniture covered and the floor becomes a slippery mess of ice and snow. A sturdy patio cover will keep the worst of the winter weather off your patio, allowing you to keep warm and dry all through the season.

Adding Warmth To Winter

With a patio cover over your head, you’ll find yourself wanting to spend more time outside on your deck or patio even as the temperatures start to plummet. This is when you’ll need a little extra warmth for seasonal comfort.

Get Fuzzy

A simple way to keep warm under a high quality patio cover is to stock up on fuzzy blankets and throws. There’s nothing like snuggling up on a comfy outdoor couch under a blanket with a cup of something hot in your hands watching the winter sun slowly set across your backyard. You can keep these extra layers of warmth inside, or invest in an outdoor storage chest for easy reach, making sure of course that it’s waterproof for the inevitable blowing snow.

Just Add Fire

Another easy way to keep warm under your patio cover this winter is to install a fire pit or chimney. If you have ready access to burnable wood, then a wood burning fire pit is probably the way to go as you’ll get the lovely smell of wood smoke, as well as being more environmentally conscious. If you’re looking for ease of use and instant heat, then a propane fire pit is going to be a better bet. In either case, make sure your furniture is moved so the firepit is at the centre of your patio and you have a ready supply of hot drinks to enjoy all evening long.

Electric Heat

A final option for enhancing your backyard patio cover is to install electric heaters. The beauty of this option is that you have a lot of flexibility about where to place the heaters. On the lower end of the budget is a simple stand up heater that will give you heat in a small radius, while a mid range option will be a full stand up heater which will flood your patio with warmth. The high range are heaters that attach to the exterior of your home and will keep you and your family warm all winter long under your patio cover.

What is a Hybrid Patio Cover?

To understand how a hybrid patio cover works, you need to know what a regular patio cover looks like. Fortunately, it’s as easy as it sounds: it’s a permanent roof that sits over the top of your patio while keeping the sides open for fresh air and views out over your garden. They can be attached to your house or free standing depending on how close your patio is to your home. Free standing patio covers require posts at all corners to support them, while attached patio covers can float like a sail or have supporting posts depending on the size and weight of your patio cover.

What Makes It Hybrid?

Patio covers come in two forms; solid and lattice. Solid patio covers provide full protection from the sun, while lattice covers allow some sun in. A hybrid patio cover uses both of these styles to meet the needs of your patio goals.

Innovative Patio Cover Ideas

The hybrid concept for a patio cover gives you plenty of scope to come up with a unique solution for how you want to use your patio. Here are some ideas to get your started:

• Alternating covers – for a visually striking patio cover, consider having alternating sections of solid and lattice designs going lengthwise across your patio. This will give you an interesting mix of sun and shade on your patio as well as giving you a good mix of heat and cool throughout the day as the sun changes positions overhead. 
• Central shade – another way to get a combination of light and dark in a more organized fashion on your patio is to have the central part of your hybrid patio cover be solid, with lattice patterns spreading out like fingers. This will give you a dedication place to sit under during the heat of the day, while giving dappled shade elsewhere. 
• Central lattice – finally, consider a unique design where your whole patio cover is solid exception for a section in the middle which is latticed. This is ideal if you put a firepit or chimney under the central section, or if you have a seating arrangement around another central feature like a coffee table. This will keep your patio cool while allowing for more air circulation throughout the day. 

Patio Covers vs. Patio Umbrellas

To understand why you need to think about a patio cover upgrade, it’s important to know the difference between patio covers and patio umbrellas. Patio umbrellas are exactly what they sound like: a big umbrella that you open up over your patio. They provide a certain amount of shade for part of your patio and they provide some protection from sudden rainstorms (though you’re out of luck if you’re sitting under the edge of the umbrella!). However, they have a couple of big drawbacks. Firstly, if you’re out on your patio for a lengthy period of time, you’ll have to manually rotate the patio umbrella to keep you under the shade, and secondly you have to put them up and down each day so they don’t get blown around or damaged overnight. 

A patio cover upgrade solves both of those problems. A patio cover is a solid cover for your entire patio or deck that attaches to the exterior wall of your home and provides permanent shade all across your deck. They are usually made from a mixture of vinyl and aluminium so you’ll always have full protection from the midday sun, as well as the usual Calgary pop up showers.

Make The Most of Your Patio Cover

When you install your patio cover, you’ll start by simply enjoying the new space for longer periods of time. However, as you get used to having the patio cover, you’ll want to turn it into the central feature of your whole garden. If you have young children around, your patio is a great place to supervise their summer time fun, and the patio cover gives them a cool shaded place to come and relax, all day long. If you like to entertain your friends and family during the summer months, then your patio cover gives you the full protection you need to feel confident about putting a permanent dining table set up out on your patio. The patio cover will keep the direct sun off your food, and will also help to break up the strong Calgary winds, helping you to enjoy al fresco dining all season long. Finally, if you like to use your patio for quiet romantic evenings, the patio cover gives you overhead space to hang string lights and speakers from to make your patio into the ultimate outdoor haven. 

What is a Patio Cover?

Like all the best home improvement projects, a patio cover is exactly what it sounds like – a cover for your patio to keep you and your family protected from the worst that the Calgary weather has to throw at you. Patio covers almost always attach to your home and stretch out over most, if not all, of your deck. The size of the patio cover will be over to you and your budget, but in most cases, you’ll need to have supporting posts at the outer edge of your patio cover to provide strength and support. They are typically made from aluminium, and are sloped downwards away from your home to help rain and debris run off easily. 

Why You Need a Patio Cover

A patio cover is a great investment for any deck owner in Calgary as it helps to give your existing deck a fresh lease of life with the following benefits:

• Summer protection – the most obvious way that a patio cover upgrades your deck is that you get protection from the worst of the Calgary summer. You’ll be able to enjoy your deck without worrying about overheating in the midday sun, and you’ll be surprised at how your new patio cover acts to change the wind patterns on your deck, keeping you cool without being blown away. 
• Extended evenings – it’s tempting to only see your deck as a day time only space to hang out, but a patio cover gives you the opportunity to spend sheltered evenings outside. The solid roof allows you to hang lights and even speakers for music, while also giving you the protection to put cushions and soft furnishings out to help you make use of the longer evenings. 
• Winter-proof your deck – even though you typically wouldn’t get out on to your deck in the long Calgary winter, a patio cover will keep the worst of the snow and ice off your deck while you’re inside waiting for spring. This will speed up your spring deck maintenance, and reduce the wear and tear on your deck from snow and ice removal. 

Benefits Of A Patio Cover

A patio cover is exactly what the name sounds like: a cover that stretches out over your patio, giving you all day shade and season long protection from the typical Calgary summer storms. Patio covers come in a variety of options to match the size of your deck or patio and your budgetary constraints. The most popular option is a solid patio cover, typically made from vinyl or aluminum. This will attach to your home and stretch out over the edge of your deck and gives you great protection from both the sun and the wind. Another choice is a lattice patio cover that is usually made from wood in a post and beam pergola style. This is great for growing things up and over, and works better if you don’t want your patio cover attached to your home. 

Using The Space Under The Patio Cover

Once you’ve decided on what kind of patio cover you want, it’s time to work out how you’ll use your new outdoor space. Some popular ideas include:

• Outdoor dining – the most common way that Calgary homeowners use their patio covers is to create an outdoor dining room. The patio cover means that your table and chairs won’t suffer from sun damage, and you don’t have to rush around putting everything away when the winds start to blow. 
• A chillout zone – next up is an outdoor living room. You can make things cosy with some soft cushiony armchairs, or keep it looking traditional with some classic rattan furniture. The patio cover helps to keep things cool all day long, meaning you can spend all those long summer days relaxing on your deck or patio. 
• A shady green space – if like many Calgary residents you got into keeping houseplants during the pandemic, a patio cover creates the perfect place to put your more sensitive green babies outside to get some wind and dappled sunshine. You can intersperse some seating around that will help your friends and family truly appreciate your green thumb.

It’s easy to see that there are many reasons to make this season you get a patio cover and fall in love with outdoor living. Call in to our showroom or get in touch to start your patio cover journey today. 

What Is A Patio Cover?

If you’ve never seen or heard of a patio cover before, you’re in for a treat. At a very simple level, a patio cover can be a fabric awning that stretches out over your deck like a sun umbrella. However, a high quality patio cover will be made from wood, aluminium or vinyl, making it much more durable and able to stand up to some of the more extreme Calgary weather. Patio covers can be attached to your home, which is a popular option if your deck isn’t too wide, or a free standing post and beam structure which gives you more space and freedom if your deck is an unusual shape.

The Benefits Of A Patio Cover

A patio cover transforms your deck from a summer only hang out space to one that can be used as long as it’s warm enough to be outside. Beyond the obvious benefit of providing shade from the midday Calgary sun, a patio cover also brings these benefits to your deck area:

• Wind control – there’s a big reason why Calgary is known as the Windy City, and it can be a pain when the wind spoils a perfect afternoon out on your deck. While your patio cover won’t protect you against the strongest winds, it does create a different airflow around your home, and you’ll notice the difference a patio cover makes when it turns a fast wind into a soft summer breeze. 
• Protection from the rain – it may sound obvious, but a patio cover allows you to stay outside during a pop shower. The slope of the patio cover roof should be enough to keep the rain off your deck, and it should either come out far enough to drain straight onto your garden, or you’ll need a simple guttering system to help keep the water off your deck. You’ll also find that a solid patio cover roof will help keep snow and ice off your deck meaning there’s less clean up to do in spring. 
• Evening lighting – finally, a patio cover gives you a sturdy place to hang some overhead lighting. Whether this is a big central light or a series of recessed LED lights, you’ll be able to keep the party going as the days get shorter. As you’re installing wiring to the ceiling, you may want to consider running further wires to provide you with a couple of electrical outlets so you can plug in a music system, a coffee machine or even a projector for a night time family movie night!.

Patio Covers – A Quick And Easy Patio Makeover

When it comes to renovating your patio, there are some quick and easy fixes. These include re-grouting the spaces between the flagstones, pressure washing the whole space to get rid of accumulated dirt and debris, and changing up your patio furniture. However, most people don’t know that a patio cover is the quickest and easiest way to give your patio a whole new look. 

A patio cover is exactly what it sounds like – a large cover for your patio. However, there are a lot of different patio designs to choose from. For example, you’ll need to think about whether you want it to be free standing, like a pergola, or attached to your house so it looks like an extension of your home. You’ll also need to choose between a solid cover, a lattice roof or a hybrid combination of the both, as well as the size and shape of your patio cover. 

How Does A Patio Cover Help In Calgary’s Weather?

A patio cover is also the best way to help protect you and your patio from the extremes of Calgary’s weather. Here’s how a high-quality patio cover helps you to deal with Calgary weather:

• Protection from the sun – the obvious way a patio cover helps in the Calgary summer is to provide protection from the midday sun. Even if you choose a lattice patio cover, you’ll still get protection in the shade and you’ll notice a remarkable temperature drop on your patio, making it the perfect hang out space for hottest days. 
• A wind break – when the winds start to pick up, most people feel they can’t enjoy an afternoon outside on the patio. While a patio cover won’t help with the strongest gusts, the shape of it in conjunction with the natural windbreak of your home will actually deflect a lot of wind up and over your patio, leaving you and your guests with a cooling breeze instead of a face full of debris.
• Shelter from the snow – while it’s true that you’ll be unlikely to spend much time on your patio during the winter months, your patio cover will keep the worst of the snow and ice away from your patio. This will stop the ice wedging erosion that happens when water seeps in between your patio stones, freezes and expands, potentially ruining the look and structure of your patio.

The Benefits Of Each Patio Cover Type

It’s clear to see that a patio cover is a must have home improvement project no matter what time of year you start the work. However, as you start working with your sunroom contractor, you’ll find that you need to think carefully about the type of patio cover that you want. As noted above, there are three main categories: solid, lattice and hybrid. Each of them comes with their own benefits that you need to consider before you commit to your design.

Solid Patio Covers

A solid patio cover is typically made from vinyl or aluminium panels, and you’ll get full coverage across your entire patio. These tend to work best when your patio is directly outside your home as you’ll find it easier to connect the solid patio cover to the external wall of your home. A solid patio cover should slope down away from your home to avoid snow, ice and other debris from accumulating on it throughout the winter months. They are a fantastic addition if you’re looking for year round protection from the sun and sudden changes in weather.

Lattice Patio Covers

When you think of lattice patio covers, you’ll do well to have something similar to a pergola style design in your mind. While you can have a lattice patio cover made from vinyl or aluminium, many Calgary homeowners who use high quality lattice patio covers use a wooden post and beam structure to create a more classical look. Lattice patio covers work well if your patio is away from your home, and for places where you want to allow breezes to circulate among the dappled shade.

Hybrid Patio Covers

As the name suggests, a hybrid patio cover gives you the best of both solid and lattice patio covers. A hybrid patio cover means that part of your design will be solid shade coverage and some of it will be latticed. For example, you may want a mostly solid patio cover with a central lattice design. You could then put a fireplace, chimneya or grill under the lattice section which will act as a natural chimney. Alternatively, you could have a solid cover next to your home over your outdoor patio furniture, and slowly transition to a lattice pattern towards the edge of your patio to create a unique aesthetic design.

Talk To The Experts

You may have got to this point with more questions than answers about your upcoming patio makeover. Fortunately, Desert Sun Patios have been building personalized patio covers in the Calgary area for a long time, so we’ve got a lot of experience of how to turn your patio cover dream into reality. All you need to do is give us a call and we’ll walk you through the entire process from planning, measuring and construction so you can make the most of every season under your new patio cover. 

What Is A Patio Cover?

Put simply, a patio cover is exactly what it sounds like – a cover that stretches out to provide some much needed shade and protection over your patio. However, once you start looking into patio cover design ideas, you’ll find that there’s a whole range of patio covers available to you. To start with, you’ll need to decide if you want a free standing patio cover or one that will attach to the outside walls of your home. Then you’ll need to decide if you want one that provides full coverage across your whole patio or just covers up part of it to provide a seamless transition from inside to out. Finally, you’ll then need to think about whether you want a solid patio cover, a lattice design or a hybrid combination of both.

Innovation Patio Cover Designs

The world is your oyster when it comes to patio cover designs, so here are a few to get your creative juices flowing:

• Classic Italian lattice – when people start looking at patio covers, the first thing that comes to mind is a design similar to an Italian pergola. These lattice designs allow for a combination of light and shade on your patio as well as providing space for good air circulation. You’ll want to grow some climbing plants up each of the posts and over the beams to give your new patio cover the classic look. 
• Sleek modern lines – on the other end of the spectrum, you can go for a sleek modern look with a combination of aluminium and vinyl. Modernistic patio cover designs often look best without an supporting beams, so they will attach to your house and stretch out over your patio. Use the solid roof design to create some sleek lines to draw attention to your patio, as well as providing a natural slope for the inevitable debris from the Calgary wind. 
• Solar powered design – finally, you can double up on your patio cover design by constructing a cover that is strong enough to hold some solar panels. Your patio should be in a perfect sun spot on your property, so you can give yourself some protection from the sun as well as the chance to reduce your energy bill. You’ll need to talk with your patio cover contractor about weight loads and building permissions to maximize the number of solar panels you can put on your new patio cover.

However, using your patio in Calgary comes with some problems, especially in the warmer months. The first obvious issue is the eternal wind that seems to blow through the city, which can bring dirt and debris onto your patio. Keeping on top of clearing your patio from this can be a pain, especially when summer feels like it’s over before it begins. The second challenge is the high temperatures in midsummer when you sit out in direct sunlight. Nothing will stop you from using your patio more than overheating, especially when the patio stones store and reflect heat back quicker than grass or a deck. Finally, you have to keep an eye on the weather, as you’ll need to cover up any patio furniture when one of Calgary’s summer storms rolls around.

Enter The Patio Cover

Fortunately, there is a way to protect you and your patio from the worst parts of a Calgary summer: a patio cover. A patio cover is exactly what it sounds like: a permanent structure that provides shade and cover to your patio. It can be a freestanding structure or attached to your home, depending on the size of patio cover that you want/need. It keeps your patio clear from debris and provides protection from the sun and rain, allowing you to use your patio all season long. 

Choose Your Coverage Options

Not all patio covers are created equally, and you’ll want to find the balance between a durable patio cover that does the job well and one that fits with the aesthetic of your backyard. Here are some options to help you choose a patio cover in Calgary:

• Full cover – a full patio cover is one made from vinyl or aluminum, and provides complete protection against all the elements. You can add some design elements with the ends and the material, and you’ll always be sure of a strong, sturdy cover. A full cover patio is usually attached to your home because it’s significantly heavier than the lattice or hybrid options, and you can be limited in the overall size because of the cost of the materials. However, with a full cover patio, you know that you’ll be getting complete protection from the elements, and there are plenty of ways to make the modern design match the overall outdoor aesthetic of your home. 
• Lattice cover – a lattice cover provides less protection against the sun than a full cover. However, it gives more of a dappled shade effect and feels more like a pergola if that’s the style you’re looking for. Typically, a lattice patio cover is made from vinyl as it’s easy to cut the lattice pattern in that fabric. You can build a lattice out of wooden beams which will give you more of a pergola feel to your patio cover, and in this case, you may want to consider a free standing patio cover design. A free standing lattice design gives you much more flexibility with the shape and space of your patio cover, but it will increase the cost and complexity of your project.
• Hybrid – for the perfect combination, talk to your patio cover contractor about a hybrid design, where part of the patio cover is solid and part of it is lattice. This option tends to cost more because you’re often joining together two different patio cover pieces. but is the perfect marriage of durability and design. A hybrid patio cover design is a perfect way to maximize the space on your patio. For example, you could have a solid cover closer to the home to protect your grill and a dining area, and a lattice fringe around the edges to provide a dappled shade for your informal seating and lounging section. 

Durable Patio Cover Options

When it comes to durability, you have a few different options to make your patio cover last for a long time. The most durable patio cover material is vinyl which will withstand the worst of each of Calgary’s seasons and comes with the added benefit that you won’t need to worry about ongoing maintenance or repair. Vinyl patio covers also have the benefit of being able to be painted in just about any colour that you need to be able to match your home, and they can be easily tailored to fit any size of patio cover design. 

Aluminium patio covers are also up there in terms of their durability. As they sit above most people, it is very rare that they get scratched and need very little maintenance. Since our Desert Sun Patio covers come with baked-on paint, adding another layer is not recommended, as chips are more likely to occur.

Finally, if one buys a patio cover made from wood, there is a high likelihood of needing regular maintenance, which is why we at Desert Sun Patios do not sell this type. Even with the right stain, a wood patio cover will need regular maintenance, and you will be limited on your colour choices depending on the type of stain that you need. A wooden patio cover is also more blocky, meaning that you won’t get the same type of flexibility of design as you would with the other patio cover materials.

Looking After Your Patio Cover

It’s clear to see why patio covers made from wood aren’t very common, and why Desert Sun Patios always recommends aluminium patio covers, and only stocks these types. While this patio cover materials are incredibly durable and won’t require touch up maintenance, you’ll still need to look after them given all that each Calgary season puts them through. Here are some simple ways to keep your patio cover look its finest all year long:

• Invest in a snow brush – winter in Calgary seems to be never ending, and there are some years where it feels like your whole house has always been covered in snow and ice. While your patio cover is designed for strength and durability, you also know how quickly snow and ice can become incredibly heavy, so having a long handled snow brush will be an essential purchase. After each snowstorm, you’ll want to pull the worst of the snow and ice from your patio cover, and you’ll probably want to repeat the process if there’s a sudden warm up as the snow from the main roof of your home will come down on your patio cover. You don’t have to worry about getting all of the winter weather off, but make sure you get enough off to take the strain off your patio cover. 
• Clear the debris – When fall is in full swing, you’ll see the effects of Calgary’s eternal wind on the top of your patio cover. Whether it’s small branches from nearby trees, or leaves and pine needles that get blown on top of your patio cover, you’ll want to take care of any debris that starts to build up on top of your new patio cover. Left alone, it can start to block water from draining effectively, and invites mould and moss, both of which are a pain to get rid of once they’ve established themselves. You can use the same long handled brush that you use in winter, or you can make the most of the warmer weather and get up on a ladder so you can see what you’re dealing with. 
• Wash it down – when it comes to looking after your patio cover, the biggest way to keep it looking at its best is to periodically wash it down, making sure to get in all the grooves and dips. Keeping it clear of all the debris will make this job a lot easier, and it will keep any mold and mildew at bay if you keep to a regular schedule. It may be time to invest in a power washer as this will be the easiest and quickest way to keep your patio cover clean, but you can also get reasonable results with the jet setting on a regular garden hose. In either case, choose a warm sunny day so the water either runs off or evaporates quickly, and plan on spending enough time on it so that your patio cover lasts for years to come. 

However, patio owners also know that there are several elements of the Calgary summer that can make it almost impossible to spend time outside. The high winds that the city is famous for brings dust and debris on top of having enough force to blow plates and cups over. Summer is also the high season for mosquitos and other insects, and no amount of citronella or bug spray can give you respite. Finally, on the hottest days, the sun’s heat gets soaked up by the stones, and your patio becomes too warm to enjoy. 

Patio Covers – A Summer Game Changer

With all these struggles, Calgary patio owners know that there is a simple solution: patio covers. Patio covers are the ultimate compromise between suffering through the worst of summer on your patio with no protection and installing a full screen room or sunroom. They are permanent structures that attach to your home, and follow a similar post and beam format that you’ll find in a pergola. They provide excellent shade from the summer sun, and the cover will change the way that air flows around your home, meaning that you’ll get better protection from the wind and the bugs and debris that come with it. 

Patio Cover Options

Patio covers can come in all shapes and sizes, and there will be a combination of options that will suite your aesthetic design as well as the budget you have for the project. Some of the choices you’ll need to make while you’re talking with your patio cover contractor include:

• Roof type – the most important decision to make is the kind of roof you want. A W-pan roof is the most common look, but a V-pan style is our strongest non-insulated cover which can cover a space of up to 18 feet long! To get a bit more light in, you can choose our lexan roof panels. 
• Skylights – if you want more of a mix between light and shade, then you’ll want to think about adding skylights into your patio cover design. Skylights work best in larger patio cover designs as they need a certain roof strength to support. 
• Trim – finally, you’ll need to talk with our patio cover contractors about the trim on the end of your patio cover. A mitered end gives a more abrupt finish but can give a modern look, while a scalloped end makes your patio cover feel more wavy and fits with a more curved design.