HOW TO BUILD A PATIO COVER STEP BY STEP

HOW TO BUILD A PATIO COVER: FROM A TO Z

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Staying inside the house for all day could be suffocating. For some houses, it is the only options they have; there is no patio to enjoy outdoor scenery. Then, they should build one, preferably during summer or spring to avoid snow. To start the project, don’t forget to make plans and review the steps. Here the steps how to build a patio cover from A to Z. Check it out.

Read also: 15 FUN IDEAS OF SUN SHADE FOR PATIO

1. SELECTING MATERIALS

It is important to choose best material for the patio cover. The house owner should consider the model, the local weather and the installation process. For the roof, there are three common options: regular shingles, tar and corrugated metal. Shingles fits well for the tilted roof while tar and corrugated metal are mostly used for flat or slightly sloped roof.

Note that tar roof might leave unpleasant smell. If the local weather is windy, then it is not a good pick. The air will be filled with oil odor. The house owner should also consider the roof pitch (the connecting point of the house and patio roof). Shingles puts the highest pitch and corrugated metal stays on the lowest point.

2. GETTING BUILDING PERMIT

While selecting the materials, the house owner should have some draft or rough sketches on the final patio. Tidy up the drawing; it would be better if the model is drawn digitally. This document will be beneficial for applying for building permit. Bringing the patio building plan, the house owner should go to the permit and licensing office.




Many people skip this step because they are afraid of paying higher tax or are not the licensed workers. Both points are not the main concern. The tax won’t be raised after you get the building permit. Also, the workers are not fixated on licensed ones only.

STANDARD PATIO PLAN BEFORE BUILD PATIO COVER

3. SETTING THE BOARD

First step in patio project is ledger board setting. Take the ledger board that will make the frame for the post. The house owners should do the measuring and cut the materials as many as needed. Don’t forget to check whether the house roof frame should be cut to fit into the design.

Next, it is time to drill some screw holes. Make sure to bring measuring instrument; this is the crucial steps to prepare the board. A little tip: the board should have enough space to attach the internet and electricity cables. Make sure this part is not heavily affected by the weather.

BUILD A PATIO COVER SETTING THE BOARD

4. PREPARING HOLES FOR POSTS

A sturdy patio requires a sturdy support. To have the sturdy base, there should be a hole for the patio’s posts. Just like the board, the house owner should not mess with the measurement. There are plenty of tools and tutorial videos available to aid perfect measuring process. Depending on the roof drip edge and the house foundation, the house owner might need to mix and match the steps.




If mathematic calculation is too hard, then take the board to the roof edge. Make sure the board stands properly. On the board, draw the line for the desired length from the house. Lay the board down and mark the land. Repeat the process to the other end and the supporting posts.

PREPARING HOLES FOR POSTS PATIO COVER BUILDING

5. LEVELING THE POSTS

Later when the posts have been installed, the house owners surely want to see level patio. It would be weird to have tilted post. To make sure that the posts are level, the house owner could add more lengths to sink in the holes.

Remember the previous trick to mark the holes? The posts should be longer than the finished model. If you accidentally cut the posts just as long as the length from the ground to roof, then install additional lengths to each post. Take bubble level to help you in the process.

STEP 5 BUILD A PATIO COVER LEVELING THE POSTS

6. BUILDING THE FRAME

The next step to do is assembling the frame. The house owner has prepared the board: cutting them to pieces and drilling holes. Now it is time to assemble them together. The house owners have two options: assembling them on the ground or installing them while building the deck.

For those who are sort of hands, the first option is more preferable. The must-have tools for this step are triangle ruler, pencil to mark the lines and braces to hold the board in place. Should there be any additional holes, make sure to do pre-drill to prevent crack.  

BUILDING THE FRAME PATIO COVER

7. SETTLING THE FRAME

The patio has been assembled and should be installed to its place. If the house owners choose to assemble the patio parts during the deck building process, then they could skip this step. Settling the frame applies for those who need to raise the assembled frame from the ground. One thing for sure: they need several prop sticks.




Set the sticks on the outer side and the middle posts. Use joists to hold the frames to their places, especially the sides. When the frame has been secured, the prop sticks could be pulled out. Then, the house owners could proceed to tidy up the trusses. Bring over the circular saw and sharp blade to help the process.

SETTING THE FRAME PATIO COVER BUILDING

8. STRENGTHENING THE BASE

Congratulations on settling the frame properly. Remember that the posts will still be wobbly without the support of concrete base. Now that you have set the frame, see again if you need to make the hole deeper or not to get the level patio roof. Check the bubble to ensure your measurement.

For quick project, the ready-to-use dry mix is the best to use. The perfect mixture resembles mud. If the house owner applies extension, make sure that the space between these boards is filled properly. This is the first part of concrete pouring process. For the second batch, mix less water to get sturdy base.

BUILD PATIO COVER - STRENGTHENING THE BASE

9. FINISHING THE JOB

The project is almost done! It is time to attach the chosen roof. Be careful on the connected part of the house roof and patio roof. During the process, never skips the bead sealers; this material might be too much yet extremely helpful in the future. Secure the roof with rubber screw to prevent rusting nails.




HOW TO BUILD A PATIO COVER - FINISHING THE JOB

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