Most Calgary residents agree that summer is the best season in the city. There are the weeks of back to back warm sunshine days, everything in your yard goes into overdrive after the long winter months, and it seems like there’s a holiday or celebration every weekend to gather together with your friends and family. Hanging out on your patio seems like the dream spot for these parties, but Calgary residents also know that the midday heat and winds can make it hard to stay outside for long. This is when you need to think about installing a hybrid patio cover to keep your summer get-togethers going all season long.
Blending Spaces With A Patio Cover
A patio cover, as the name suggests, is a cover that extends out over your patio to keep the sun and wind away during the hottest parts of the day. They also provide protection against those pesky summer storms, leaving you and your patio furniture clean and dry, ready for the next party. A hidden benefit of any kind of patio cover is that they provide a unique transition, both visually and emotionally, from your house to your garden. Stepping out from your dark cool house to the bright sunshine of summer can be jarring at times. A patio cover offers shade and protection like a roof while allowing the breeze and warmth of the season to help you move from one space to the other. It also gives you more options for how to use your patio, from an outside living room to a unique grilling area for your summer parties.
Different Types Of Patio Cover
As with all good home improvement projects, there are several different design options when it comes to patio covers. Of course, you’ll need to factor in pieces like your overall budget for the project, the size and and area of the patio that you’re trying to cover, and the overall aesthetic that you’re looking to achieve. When it comes to patio covers, there are three main types of patio cover to choose from:
- Full coverage: The first is a full coverage option. This will feel like a solid roof over your head, and you’ll often find they’re made from durable materials like vinyl or aluminium to provide year round protection. These typically attach to your home and create a blend between your home and your garden. Full coverage patio covers are the best option if your patio gets lots of direct sunlight during the summer month, or if you find yourself constantly sweeping off dirt and debris from the infamous Calgary winds. A full coverage patio cover is also a great option if you’re planning on installing an overhead light fixture or ceiling fan as they have a greater overall strength.
- Lattice: The second type is a lattice, which will feel like a pergola overhead. This option provides less shade, but provides the opportunity for growing climbing plants like roses or jasmine to add a more natural feel to your patio. These have the option to be free standing in that the actual lattice roof won’t need to be attached to your home. You also get a wider variety of materials compared to a full coverage patio cover, including solid lumber which you can paint or stain in whatever colour you want to match your outdoor design palette. You can also install lights on the posts of a lattice pergola, but you’ll find it harder to hang a ceiling fan as the roof is weaker than a full coverage.
- Hybrid: The final option is a hybrid patio cover, where you combine elements of the solid and lattice roof to create different spaces on your patio. These patio covers offer you the perfect opportunity to get the best of both worlds. You can completely customize the areas of your patio that are fully covered, and there are many ways that you can match a hybrid patio cover to how you want to use your patio during the summer.
Customize With A Hybrid Patio Cover
A hybrid patio gives you so many more options as you can completely customize the design to fit your patio dreams. For example, if your Calgary summer revolves around being the host with the most when it comes to parties and grilling, you can create a hybrid patio cover design to shelter your grill while providing a cool seating area for your guests under the lattice. In this case, you’ll want to plan a solid roof over your cooking and grilling area to protect you from the direct sunlight as you’ll be hot enough already, while putting a lattice cover over the eating area so that your guests get a soothing and dappled outdoor eating experience.
A hybrid patio cover can also help you create that blended visual transition from your inside space to your outdoor areas. Start with a solid cover attached to your home to provide shade and cover where you’re likely to put your furniture, and then move to a lattice finish overhanging the edge of your patio. Not only will this draw your visitors’ eyes towards the garden, but the graded shade across your patio will give a beautiful visual transition.
One final design choice that you’ll need to make is about how the roof of your hybrid patio cover will be supported. If your patio cover is going to be short, you can attach it to your home and let the roof float over your patio like a sail. If it’s going to be longer, then you’ll want to think about supporting posts at the edge of your patio. You’ll want to make sure that you have enough posts to support the weight of your roof without obstructing your view out over your garden or getting in the way of people moving around your patio.
Our team of hybrid patio cover experts are ready to talk with you about your project. Installation times can measured in days and weeks, so call us today to get your summer started.
