I just completed building a new patio cover that I am pretty proud of so I thought I'd share. I am most proud that I was able to attach it to the house and walkway without having to add any posts for support. The angles I had to work with made it tricky to do this, but I think it turned out nice. It is made out of cedar and there is no slope to it. The slats are laid at a 30 degree angle and spaced so that some light, rain, and air can pass through them. However, the location of the cover (and direction of the slats) make it so that no direct light ever hits the patio that it covers.

Tripdaddy
Father of Sam, Rob, & Trey

Attachment #1, (jpg file)
Attachment #2, (jpg file)

Steve,

That looks great! You are really handy with the carpentry skills!

Regards,

John

http://webpages.charter.net/jnkspencer/index.htm

pretty slick! Can I ask how long it took?

Also, where's the 'far off' pic, so we can see how it blends in with the deck?

It took a long time. Here is an estimated breakdown:

Planning the structual: 2 or 3 months of headaches and frustration as to how to design it so that it didn't have posts all over the patio.

Attaching Brackets to rafters of the house and building and attaching blocks to the walkway cover (that goes from house to garage): 12 hours

Constructing the rafters of the cover: 5 hours

Putting the slats on top: 12 hours

Taking the slats off and repositioning them b/c I didn't like the sloppiness of the first go round: another 12 hours or so.

All in all about 40 hours or so....and with triplets, you can imagine how long that took.....about a month.

I will try to get a picture of the whole thing....my dad took these and I was not there to direct what I wanted in the shot. The patio is a slab, so it is not too pretty like a wooden deck. I am tempted to put a saltillo tile as a new patio flooring, but am afraid to do so b/c of the shifting of the thin slab that is there.....causing cracks in the tile grout. Blah, blah, blah.....

Tripdaddy
Father of Sam, Rob, & Trey

Ok Tripdaddy, your HIRED! I think you should contract your new home addition yourself. You obviously know what you are doing. Very nice work. Have you ever considered staining the concrete or adding a wood deck right over the concrete. Maybe try a product called Choice Dek Plus it is made by Weyherhauser and is very similar to Trex. The difference is it is made in Comfort, TX which is close to you and is made of local cedar from the hill country. It doesn't rot, mildew or stain.

Keep posting updated pics.

3Horns

Thanks 3Horns.....where've you been!? Here's to another possible National Title hope for the Horns this summer with Baseball!!!

My dad actually put a wooden deck over the concrete and it looks great. However, the problem that I have is that the two back doors have a stepdown that is not very high. I would have to lay the deck boards flat on the concrete for it to work. Plus, this patio flows right into the driveway. There used to be a gate and fence that separated the driveway from the patio, but we removed it to allow more play area. (We put in an iron driveway gate to keep the kids out of the danger zone of the street) Anyway.....if I decked the patio, there would be a step-down to the driveway, which would create a danger for the boys for triping and break that play surface up.

I like the idea of staining it though b/c it wouldn't involve any structural work. Can you give me some details on products that I could do it myself with? I'd hate to pay someone to do it.

BTW Billy, I ordered all my tile for the house (kitchen, dining, baths, utility rooms)....3000 pounds or more....took me a few trips with the little truck I am excited to put it in. It is by Casa Dolce Casa and it looks really neat.

Tripdaddy
Father of Sam, Rob, & Trey

Tripdaddy,

Here are a couple of websites that sells concrete stains. They are both very similar in available colors and application techniques. I personally use the Kemiko brand because I can find it in my area easier than the Scofield. However in Houston it may not be an issue. Also, the concrete must be clean of oils, dirt, etc. I think a lite solution of muriatic acid (1-10) should work fine. Then power wash it all off.

It is very easy to apply, either by mop or by sprayer such as a pump sprayer used to spray for bugs. Either way, make sure you mask off everything that you do NOT want stained because once it gets on there, it stays. Don't panic if you don't see immediate results because it make take as long as overnight (8 hours or so) to actually stain the concrete. A good way to tell is once you have applied the stain, let it sit for a while and then in one area, put some water on it. The water will bring out the color of the stain that you could not see before. You may want to dilute the original stain and apply it in several steps so that you can make sure it doesn't get too dark on the first try. This way if it is too light, apply another coat and so on.

Once it is stained and dry, seal the concrete with an approved concrete sealer recommended by the manufacturer. Again, the sealer is just like the water as it will bring out the color and beauty of the stain. I would stay away from the water based sealers because they don't hold up as well outside. If it were inside the water based sealers are better.

Let me know if you need anything else.

I hope this helps.

3Horns

www.kemiko.com
www.lmscofield.com

I like the saltillo idea. We have had them in our house for 10 years and still enjoy the appearance.

How about busting out the thin slab and re-pouring one a little lower than the drive, to accommodate the height of the saltillos?

Nice patio cover btw.

Chuck
gbg 1997
b 2008

That thin slab is around 300 square feet. I have neither the time, the funds, or the energy to bust it out and re-pour. I am really looking at staining it. Good idea though.

Tripdaddy
Father of Sam, Rob, & Trey

That is great. This is my first post/reply. I've read some listings in the past. Aren't you from Houston? My wife and I live on the West side around I-10 and Dairy Asford.

I don't have that much time to get on and play. I'd love to visit with you via phone. How do we set that up?

You can help me with some backyard planning. My three have their 1st birthday 6/20/03.

Regards,

Craig
Father to: Kyle, Janet, Jenny

Yes I am from the Houston area. Have we met yet? My wife and I are pretty active with Space City Triplets. If you are not involed yet, you should be. It is a great support group and we have made many friends in the group.

Feel free to email me at tripdaddy@earthlink.net and I'll give you phone number.....don't want some of the other guys here to have it....they might pull some crank yankers on me.

Tripdaddy
Father of Sam, Rob, & Trey

very cool.

Mike.

GBG born 6/12/01