My patio needs shade
Looking for some creative brainstorming help in finding shade solutions for our back patio. Except for mornings and evenings this space is completely unusable in the summer as is. We have considered just getting an umbrella but would rather save up for a more permanent solution. I'm usually pretty good at envisioning what I want but my brain skews to the symmetrical and there just isn't that much symmetry to work with here.
- the back of the house faces SSW. most of the day the sun comes straight on, but late afternoon it peaks over the sunroom roof
- the exposed rock has an asymmetrical line and in makes it difficult to place evenly spaced supports
- while the sun is an issue in the summer, I LOVE the sun through the patio doors in the winter, so something retractable or seasonally removable would be nice.
- bonus points if the sunroom roof can also be shaded.
- fir scale, the patio doors are 14ft.
I initially wanted a retractable box awning over the doors but that wouldn't address the late afternoon sun. My husband wants to build a permanent structure with a roof but I absolutely HATE that idea. I need the winter sun and I dont want the house to feel like a cave.
HELP?
Comments (17)
PROPatricia Colwell Consulting
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoTo me the retractable awning is what you need but of course will not stop that late afternoon sun . Maybe the best would be a wall mounted rectangular tiltable umbrella I can’t really see how a roof structure will have any effect on the late afternoon sun I do agree I love the sun heating my house in the winter
Terra S.
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Need a plan for my south facing patio
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Comments (3)Do you like roses? Some tolerate partial shade such as Lady of Shalot. Roses flower from June to the first frosts so great for summer colour. They have long tap roots so will need a deep pot. You can see the full list of shade tolerant roses on www.gardenersworld.com, as well as other shade tolerant shrubs....See More
decoenthusiaste
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoThose boulders heat up and throw a lot of it against the house too! You might explore planting rock garden plants that fill crevices and cover some of its surface. Do you have High tech UV film on the windows/slider? My triple bedroom window faces west and in summer a black sunscreen is hung over them. My neighbor followed suit and hung them all along their front porch. Not pretty but they do the job. Both our houses face the street, but we're out in the country so who cares! Maybe just film on the door so you can enter/exit and a hanging sunscreen over the windows. I winter you store away the hanging sunscreen.
Rock Garden · More InfoTerra S.
3 years agodecoenthusiaste
3 years agoteresa_or
3 years agoSounds like a pergola with a sliding/remove-able sunshade might fit your needs by providing shade in the hot months but still allowing sun in the winter. There are lots of options from DIY outdoor fabric to fancy pivoting/sliding/motorized options. I was looking at the following option for my own house, but I'm guessing it is not cheap.
https://struxure.com/products/pergola-x/
Lots of other ideas if you search for retractable pergola canopy on Houzz or the web.
Terra S.
3 years ago
PROBeth H. :
3 years agowe've done a few of these covered patios on our home and our rental. (and we built one for the neighbors!) you can use slat wood (we did 1x1's) but you can choose a wider size and place them as close as you like. it really help avert the sun. on ours at home we covered it w/a landscaping sun shade material. really works well.
here's the one at that rental. you can see the posts aren't a big deal with foot traffic.
the main header beam gets attached to the side of the house, and you build out from that.
cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
3 years ago
nhbaskets
3 years agoWe had a pergola installed over our deck which also faces south. The pergola alone does not shield you from the blazing sun. As a resul, we have ordered a retractable shade for the roof and a pull down solar shade for the west facing side. They can’t come soon enough!
Terra S.
3 years agonhbaskets
3 years ago
L.D. Johnson
3 years agoTerra S.
3 years ago
PRORetractableAwnings.com Inc.
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoOther options depending on the type of weather coverage needed include retractable pergolas for:
Sun protection only OR
Both sun/rain protection OR
Sun/rain/hail and snow protection
For sun protection only the Perugia model slide on wire canopy here is perfect. For both sun/rain protection consider one of the many retractable pergola options here and for snow protection, the bioclimatic Bioclimatique rotating louver roof model here or bioclimatic Bioclimatique model retractable louver roof model here is best. The best option since this model can be both tilted and retracted may be the Torino model here.
To cover the sunroom you can use the Verona retractable pergola model here. It is designed specifically to be used to cover sunrooms, winter gardens, pergolas, and greenhouses. Two Verona model pics are below
Hutchae84 Zone 8b/PNW
3 years ago
Fori