Anyone who has spent at least one summer in Calgary knows the dual edge of the season in the city. On the one hand, the seemingly endless summer days make everything seem possible, and your gardens grow like crazy all season long. However, the afternoons get hot enough to warrant a European style siesta and no one wants to have to hide inside because the patio gets too hot. Fortunately, the solution is relatively simple, with a patio cover being the cheapest and easiest way to get some shade for Calgary’s hottest summer afternoons.
What Is A Patio Cover?
A patio cover is exactly what it sounds like: a cover that fits over the top of your patio to provide some much needed shade during the summer months. It’s a permanent structure that attaches to the outside of your home which means you don’t have to worry about moving it around like with a sun umbrella. A patio cover can either be made from fabric, like a porch awning, or from more solid materials like vinyl to give you stronger protection from the sun.
Solid And Lattice Patio Covers
When you start looking at different Calgary patio cover options, you’ll quickly see that they fall into two main categories – lattice covers and solid covers. A lattice cover is a great look when you want a more dappled effect on your patio. They don’t provide as much shade coverage during the hot afternoons, but they do let more air circulate which can help cool things down. A solid patio cover, on the other hand, provides a much higher level of shade as well as protecting your patio during sudden summer storms (and even snow when the summer finally ends!). It’s harder to feel a breeze with a solid patio cover, so if you go this route, you might want to invest in an outdoor ceiling fan to get the air moving.
Why Choose A Hybrid Patio Cover
If you can’t choose between a solid and a lattice patio cover, then a hybrid patio cover might be the right option for you. A hybrid patio cover gives you the best of both worlds, with some of the patio being under a lattice cover, and the rest of it under a solid roof. Some common ways to use a hybrid patio cover include:
- A central lattice – this option is great if you have a firepit out on your patio. The central lattice not only gives you better air circulation, but by putting the firepit underneath it, you create a central focus for your outdoor area.
- Lattice edges – putting the lattice part of your hybrid patio cover at the edge of your design creates a transitional visual effect that blends the indoor and outdoor worlds.
- Alternative patterns – this blend of lattice and solid patio partitions gives you an interesting visual effect while giving you good air circulation and shade coverage as the sun tracks across your patio in the afternoon.
