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saljean_gw

An awning OR patio cover-pros? cons?

Saljean
13 years ago

I've got a situation that I could use some input on.

We are removing a very large 30 year old rotten wood lattice patio cover (about 14 or 15' deep and 20' wide). On the one hand, I am happy that we will now have a lot more natural light in the house, since this wall faces north/northwest. Although it gets a lot of sun late in the day from about May through September, the rest of the year the kitchen and dining/family room are really dark because of the patio cover.

However, we do need something to act as an overhang to help protect our 3 year old beautiful Douglas Fir French doors and kitchen window.

I am considering:

1) A fixed or retractable awning. If fixed, I would only want it about 45' deep, but the full width of the doors and window. If we get a retractable one, we will want to leave it extended about 5 or 6' when it's raining, and have it adjusted to a pitch that will allow the rain to run off. This is southern California, and though we DO get rain (largely in the winter) we do not get snow at all. I don't know anyone who's had experience with either type, though I see plenty of them around my area.

2) A much shorter patio cover extending about 5 or 6' from the house and the width of the doors and kitchen window, probably a wood lattice type, but with either some light colored landscape fabric on top OR a layer of rigid plastic such as an acrylic or polycarbonate, and designed to be installed at an angle so as to allow rainwater to run off.

Does anyone have any thoughts or experiences to share? I would really appreciate your insights, ESPECIALLY in regard to awnings.

Thanks

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