2 Kinds Of Patio Covers
When the weather is nice, you want to be able to spend time outside, whether all you are doing is sitting in a lounge chair and enjoying the sunshine or you are doing something more active, like gardening or grilling. You may have installed a patio so that you can sit outside and enjoy the great outdoors when the weather is nice. The problem is that your patio may get more sun than you would like, which can make it too hot or too uncomfortable to enjoy. One way that you can get around that is to get a patio cover. When it comes to covering your patio, you have several choices.
Awnings
This option is usually made out of cloth, vinyl, or something similar. Awnings can be permanently open, or they can be retractable so that you can roll them up if you want the sun to reach the patio. Awnings are generally installed at an angle so that water and debris can just slide off the awnings. While most people think that awnings have to be attached to a building, like your house, there are also freestanding awnings. These awnings will work the same way as any attached awning, except that it's not anchored to a wall. If your patio isn't near your house, then this can be a good way to get a cover on your patio.
Pergola
A pergola is usually a freestanding structure that is held up with posts or pillars at each corner, but it can be attached to the house as well. The roof of the pergola is traditionally not solid. For example, it can be beams that have space in between them, or it can be some kind of screening, or a combination thereof. Often, the roof is used to grow vining plants on. The vines then become part of the pergola and help to provide shade. You could also arrange to have something added in between the beams so that you end up with a more solid roof. You combine the pergola with things like screens that you can install like blinds. That way you can pull the screen down if you want to get shade from the sun when it isn't coming from directly above you.
Your patio is going to make it possible for you to sit outside and enjoy the weather. Having a patio cover will make it easier for you to be able to enjoy your patio.
For more information, contact a patio cover service, such as The Patio Cover Guy.
