Canopies over the porch - types, materials and manufacture

The central entrance to the house is the face of its owner, so everyone strives to make it beautiful, but do not forget about practicality. Canopies over the porch will help protect the front door from snow, rain and strong winds. About what this design is also intended for, what types of it exist, as well as how and from what to make visors on our own, we will tell in this article.

Material and shape

The existing canopy porch design is limited only by the owner's imagination.At the same time, if you need not only an aesthetic, but also a practical element, we recommend that you think through all the details before manufacturing.

Visors can differ from each other by:

• frame material;
• the shape and material of the canopy itself.

Since the frame is a very important functional element, let's take a closer look at the material for its manufacture:

Metal	There are two options for its manufacture: welded metal structure consisting of pipes. It is not difficult to make it with your own hands, you just need to correctly calculate the wind and snow load; forging, which gives the visor reliability and aesthetically beautiful appearance. But, the price of such a project is always quite high.
Wood	It is made in various shapes and designs, while it should not be forgotten that wood does not have the same flexibility as metal. The frame is usually made from bars of various sections, which must be pre-treated with special compounds to protect the material from rain, snow, sun and temperature extremes.

Tip: you can also make a flat frameless canopy, consisting of a single sheet, for fixing which special brackets and extensions are used.

Consider also the main forms of such canopies:

1. Flat - the simplest option, but also the most open. It can only protect against vertically falling rain. Install on any frame and use any materials for this.

2. Gable - a fairly simple design that will help you hide from oblique rain and wind. It is made from any materials.
3. Tri-slope is usually performed on a metal frame. The design is quite reliable and can protect against any weather troubles.
4. The semicircular one looks the most impressive, besides it is more functional. A cover for such a canopy is made from any flexible material.

The visor can be made from:

• polycarbonate;
• metal sheet;
• corrugated board;
• plastic;
• metal tiles;
• tree.

Interesting, but very expensive will be a wrought-iron canopy for the front porch.

Design requirements

If you do not want to redo the canopy after a while, consider when organizing it the minimum requirements that the structure must meet:

1. The design should be calculated in such a way that it holds not only its own weight, but also the mass of possible precipitation, in particular snow, as well as the weight of green spaces that can wrap around it in the future.
2. Please note that you need to collect water in a container or drain it into a sewer.
3. It is very good when not only the front door is protected, but also the porch.
4. The style of the building should match the style of the house.

Tip: you do not have to have a complete match of materials with the design of the house, it is enough to choose the shape, dimensions, color, you can even contrast.

Material selection

Below we will analyze in more detail the material for the canopy, so that you can understand which one is best for you.

1. Polycarbonate is ahead of all competitors today. In addition to durability, reliability and practicality, it also has visual appeal. The material helps designers to realize many decisions, and working with it is a pleasure.

Tip: do not rush to immediately take up the installation of polycarbonate, it is better to study the rules for working with it, which must be taken into account.

2. The metal structure is easy to manufacture, but it requires special equipment and certain skills. Although you can replace welding with riveting or bolting. The lack of material - it rusts, therefore, it needs anti-corrosion treatment.
3. Decking can be compared in popularity with polycarbonate. The polymer coating makes it possible for the material to compete with any "rivals". The disadvantage is that after mechanical damage, it will not be possible to straighten its surface. To prevent this from happening, you should choose a thicker corrugated board, but it costs more.
4. Lightweight plastic also resembles polycarbonate, although these are special PVC boards. In our case, we need material for outdoor work, which should not be confused with interior decoration.

Its main feature is its unique lightness. But, it is durable in operation and quite reliable. It is offered in retail chains in various colors, and it is also possible to give the desired shade using a film.

5. Metal tile and flexible tile - despite the common name, are completely different materials. It is recommended to make canopies simultaneously with the construction of the building itself, which will reduce the cost of it.

Tip: remember, these materials will be appropriate when the roof and visor are completely identical.
Otherwise, the difference will be too striking.

6. Artistic forging is an expensive and original home decoration. If there is not enough money for a fully forged product, make it combined. It goes very well with polycarbonate, plastic and tiles. The disadvantage is a lot of weight. Therefore, when calculating, take this parameter into account so that the canopy does not collapse under the weight of snow.
7. Wooden classics are great for log cabins. Do not forget to treat the material with anti-rot preparations, and also protect it from insects and other troubles. Be sure to take care of waterproofing, for example, use ruberoid, slate, plastic, polycarbonate, sheet metal or corrugated board.

We make a shed canopy from metal

You just need to be patient, as the work itself is not difficult.

Before you make a canopy over the porch, prepare the following materials:

• metal corners;
• eaves plank;
• junction bar;
• gutter;
• bars;
• pipe;
• flexible tiles or corrugated board;
• screws, screws, anchors.

Of the tools you will need:

• roulette;
• welding machine;
• hacksaw for metal.

Below you will learn how to make a porch with a canopy with your own hands:

1. Prepare a sketch of the future design. To do this, measure the width of the porch with a tape measure and add 600 mm to the resulting figure, which will be the width of the canopy.
2. Measure the distance between the front door and the place you want the structure to be protected.. Determine its height based on the architecture of the house. Please note that the slope should be about 20˚.
3. Cut the corners to size, keeping in mind that the length of the rafters will be equal to the height of the slope. Also make struts and a wall beam. Assemble all frame parts by welding and fix over the porch.Fasten the wall beam with stainless screws in front of the entrance, fix the struts with anchors.

4. Make a crate on beam rafters. For corrugated board, leave a distance of 300 mm, for flexible tiles, it should be solid. Lay out the prepared material and fix it.
   
5. Install a metal bar adjoining the top of the slope. Attach a cornice strip to the bottom, mount the gutter and pipe.

Conclusion

A simple but reliable structure - a canopy over the porch, will help get rid of many problems, in particular, it will increase the life of the porch itself and the front door. It can be made from different materials, given their weight and ability to withstand additional loads. The video in this article will help you find more information on this topic.

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