Mounted canopies and stationary canopies have become a familiar and integral part of most buildings and structures. In addition, free-standing structures are widely used in the territories of private and municipal courtyards for the improvement of people's recreation areas. We will tell you what types of canopies are and consider their main characteristics and features.
Design features
To make the study of the material easier and more accessible, you should carefully consider the features of the design solutions used in the construction of canopies.This will highlight the main nodes and features common to all varieties, which will facilitate further classification.
If we analyze the different types of canopies and fixed shelters, we will see that they all consist of three main structural units:
- Support frame or hangers for cantilever models. Depending on the type of product, it can be a dug-in and concreted pole, a frame attached to the facade or a system of fasteners such as a support beam on the wall and eyebolts with steel cables supporting the free edge of the console. Performs the function of a supporting structure, which takes all the loads and transfers them to the wall or foundation of the support;
- truss system. Depending on the shape and type of roof, it can be single-pitched, double-pitched, hipped, domed, arched, wavy, etc. It consists of rafter legs and lathing, as well as mauerlats and additional crossbars, struts and puffs to increase the bearing capacity of the system;
- Roof. Almost any solution is possible here: slate, roofing material, polycarbonate, PVC, metal tile, galvanized steel, profiled sheets, shingles, ondulin, etc. Most often, light types of roofing materials are used to relieve the supporting part, the rafter system and the facade of the house as much as possible.
Important! Using various forms of supports, rafters and roofing, you can create various models of products for various purposes, both practical and decorative.
Main varieties
By type of support system
The most significant differences are the change in the method of fixation and the supporting structure of the visor. There are three main ways of constructing the support system and the product itself:
| Construction type | Description | Application area |
| Freestanding | It is a roof of arbitrary shape, which rests on pillars built into the ground from all sides. It has no other supports. The pillar can be one (canopy-umbrella) or several | They are used for different purposes: it can be a summer shed for a summer residence, a shelter for a car, a storage for firewood or hay, a structure for protecting a well, a stopping pavilion, etc. |
| attached | There are several options for execution: the product can be attached to the wall with one side, two or three sides. Often attached canopies, based on two or more walls, are called built-in. | Used as a cover for terrace, porch, porch, house adjoining area, basement entrance, shop window, car protection, at the entrances of residential high-rise buildings |
| Console | A cantilever canopy is a model that does not have its own supports, which is attached to the wall with one end, and rests on a frame or suspensions with the other, which are also attached to the facade of the house. These can be retractable awnings, canopies over windows, doors and other objects. | It is mainly used to protect people from precipitation and falling objects from high roofs near the entrance to an entrance, shop, other institution, as well as to protect various objects - windows, air conditioners, basement floors, garage doors and other elements of buildings and structures |
Important! As you can see, it is the support structure that has the most significant impact on the product as a whole, so this part should be treated with particular attention.
By type of truss system
The truss system is the supporting structure of any pitched roof, which consists of rafter legs, lathing, as well as vertical supports, horizontal crossbars and inclined struts, which provide the system with the necessary strength and bearing capacity.
Also, rafter systems often include rafter beams or Mauerlats - parts on which rafter legs rest.
Important! By changing the design of the truss system, you can get a wide variety of canopies. Tellingly, the type of rafter device can often vary regardless of the type of supporting structure, but the dependence can still be traced.
There are such types of truss structures:
- Single-sided flat.They are best suited for do-it-yourself installation, as they are a fairly simple design: the rafter legs rest on the support beams on both sides, the crate and roofing material are attached to the rafters;
- Single-sided curvilinear. It can be arched, undulating, concave or semi-cylindrical. Independent production of a large number of equally bent rafters is hampered by the need for a pattern, template or pipe bender, since you cannot do such work with your hands;
- Double awnings. Here, the rafters rest on one side of the ridge run or on each other, and on the opposite side, on the Mauerlat, so the system is complicated by all kinds of additional racks, puffs, crossbars, struts, scarves, etc. The installation of such a design requires a drawing and a competent calculation of the sections and other parameters of the system parts;
- Canopies. In this case, the truss system is even more complicated, in addition, some skill will be required when laying the roofing. Such models are able to decorate the facade of the house, and in some architectural styles they are simply irreplaceable;
- Movable structures. An example of this variety is a retractable canopy or awning, in which the rafters can be folded and unfolded, thereby straightening or hiding the visor.
It should also be said that the design itself can have a monolithic or modular design. In the first case, the product after assembly is almost impossible to disassemble into its component parts, in the second case, it is assembled from modules that are easy to dismantle.
Important! It is easy to guess that monolithic systems are highly reliable and durable, while modular systems are easy to assemble, install and repair/replace parts. The ideal option is a high-quality, durable and reliable modular model.
Modular models are usually produced in factories and sold in hardware stores as a set of modular parts. The kit comes with instructions for assembling and installing the product, following which it is easy to build a canopy yourself.
Important! Roofing material has no significant impact on the type of canopy. We can meet completely different models covered with the same material. Only the appearance, the quality of the roof and the price of the product change.
Conclusion
Despite the diversity, upon closer examination, the main types of canopies can be distinguished. This will help you better understand the topic and choose exactly the design that is more suitable for your purposes. The video in this article demonstrates the different shapes and types of visors.
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