Patio cover project: what you need to know (Houston: new house, contractors)

[behtypa]

Little by little I am posting my design conclusions, based on my research and negotiations with patio cover contractors.

In short, many Houston contractors are cutting corners and making patio cover to withstand one-two hurricanes after which the patio will start to get loose at joints and maybe sag a little. The patio cover quality is measured in how many hurricanes it will withstand and how many years it will stand with no significant structural problems.

I can add more details later. Do you guys need all that?

(c) "Knowledge is power!"

[kreeyax]

Motorized sun screens, look at you.

So will you have the cover built before the slab is poured? What kind of wood beams? In my last house I had a patio built and they used fir, they said it's stronger and can span longer lengths than other wood. Are you going to do stamped and stained concrete?

[behtypa]

Originally Posted by kreeyax

Motorized sun screens, look at you.

So will you have the cover built before the slab is poured? What kind of wood beams? In my last house I had a patio built and they used fir, they said it's stronger and can span longer lengths than other wood. Are you going to do stamped and stained concrete?

Yes on motorized, if I will be able to afford it. :-) Not sure yet. I am quoted in an excess of 10K, which is waaaay to much. But there are other options.

Good idea on fir. I guess I am quoted a regular (pine?) treated 6x6 wood.

Yes on stamped and stained concrete. So far I don't see any other cost effective alternative, as outdoor tiles would be more expensive. And of course it would be cheaper to install a wood decking, but it is not an option for me.

[kreeyax]

Could be pine or cedar, I guess. The company who did mine said the span was pretty long (18') so by using fir I only needed two support posts. They used 6X8 western Douglas fir from Oregon. They claimed fir can actually span twice the length of cedar due to its strength, not sure how true that is. $10K doesn't sound bad at all if that's for everything, I think mine was around $14K.

I did the stamped and stained concrete too, loved it but after about 3 years it starts to fade and you'll need to have it re-stained. I won't do it again because of that, I'm looking for something that will be maintenance free for our patio at the new house. Looking at porcelain tile, travertine, or possibly flagstone right now.

[behtypa]

Originally Posted by kreeyax

$10K doesn't sound bad at all if that's for everything, I think mine was around $14K.

$10K is just for the motorized bug screens/solar screens (!), with installation.
$12-15K is for the patio cover.
ouch...

[kreeyax]

Originally Posted by behtypa

$10K is just for the motorized bug screens/solar screens (!), with installation.
$12-15K is for the patio cover.
ouch...

Oh wow, yeah I'd probably find some other solution then. Maybe some kind of pull-down shades you can install yourself.

[Poltracker]

Yikes!!! Have you thought about bug screen curtains? The bug screen fabric is about $15/yd, get some nice copper pipe ( or steel and paint it any color) and run it just under the perimeter of the porch, Have the sceen fabric sewn with a nice outdoor fabric at the top and bottom, put weights in the bottom and grommets in the top, line up the grommets on the pipe and you have some nice curtains you can open and shut (or remove at any time). Probably cost under 1K.

[behtypa]

Originally Posted by Poltracker

Yikes!!! Have you thought about bug screen curtains? The bug screen fabric is about $15/yd, get some nice copper pipe ( or steel and paint it any color) and run it just under the perimeter of the porch, Have the sceen fabric sewn with a nice outdoor fabric at the top and bottom, put weights in the bottom and grommets in the top, line up the grommets on the pipe and you have some nice curtains you can open and shut (or remove at any time). Probably cost under 1K.

1. Correct. I am thinking about using curtains, as long as they do not let bugs inside. This would have to be some railing on top and covers on the sides to prevent the bugs from entering through the crevices.



2. The retractable screen I have referred to is something like this (below). it is an ideal solution (easy down/easy up, on rails, bugs cant get inside), but it is so expensive.




3. One more option is a retractable screen on horizontal rails. But I cannot find any for 18 feet span, 9 feet tops.



4. And the last, most conventional option is regular screens. But it's gonna have to stay all the time. And I don't want that.

[behtypa]

Originally Posted by kreeyax

Oh wow, yeah I'd probably find some other solution then. Maybe some kind of pull-down shades you can install yourself.

Pull-downs would be ideal if they came with rails, to keep bugs out. Otherwise they can only act as solar screens, because insects can still go through the crevices between the screen and column.

[behtypa]