Hello everyone,
This year we want to progress further with our garden planning, and the topic of shading has come up.
Since we also have a small child, shading has become important to us.
We have a newly built house and are now entering our third summer – we’re getting tired of using two €50 (about $55) umbrellas as our only shading solution.
We have a terrace that is 4 meters (13 feet) deep and 8 meters (26 feet) wide, facing south. The sun shines directly on the terrace all day long.
So far, we haven’t looked much into the pros and cons of different shading options, but we definitely want to tackle this “project” this summer.
--> We don’t need to sit outside in the rain, so a fixed, permanent roof is NOT necessary.
--> We have/want weatherproof furniture that can stay outside uncovered even in light rain, so again, a permanent roof isn’t required here.
--> It’s quite windy where we live, so some kind of side protection would be nice, but that might be too expensive for us right now.
--> We want a future-proof, long-term solution, but ideally also a cost-effective option.
At the hardware store, you often see “cheap” patio roofs – so the question is: are these any good?
What do you think about an awning? We’re not opposed to that, as our main focus is on shading.
Regarding sun sails: we haven’t looked into these yet, but we increasingly see them in our new housing area. Are they weatherproof? Can you leave them up all year? The disadvantage seems to be that they’re permanently stretched, so you can’t let the sun in sometimes, right?
In the end, I’d just appreciate some input and maybe some of your personal experiences. Surely some of you have already tackled this project and can share your thoughts.
Thanks!
This year we want to progress further with our garden planning, and the topic of shading has come up.
Since we also have a small child, shading has become important to us.
We have a newly built house and are now entering our third summer – we’re getting tired of using two €50 (about $55) umbrellas as our only shading solution.
We have a terrace that is 4 meters (13 feet) deep and 8 meters (26 feet) wide, facing south. The sun shines directly on the terrace all day long.
So far, we haven’t looked much into the pros and cons of different shading options, but we definitely want to tackle this “project” this summer.
--> We don’t need to sit outside in the rain, so a fixed, permanent roof is NOT necessary.
--> We have/want weatherproof furniture that can stay outside uncovered even in light rain, so again, a permanent roof isn’t required here.
--> It’s quite windy where we live, so some kind of side protection would be nice, but that might be too expensive for us right now.
--> We want a future-proof, long-term solution, but ideally also a cost-effective option.
At the hardware store, you often see “cheap” patio roofs – so the question is: are these any good?
What do you think about an awning? We’re not opposed to that, as our main focus is on shading.
Regarding sun sails: we haven’t looked into these yet, but we increasingly see them in our new housing area. Are they weatherproof? Can you leave them up all year? The disadvantage seems to be that they’re permanently stretched, so you can’t let the sun in sometimes, right?
In the end, I’d just appreciate some input and maybe some of your personal experiences. Surely some of you have already tackled this project and can share your thoughts.
Thanks!
lastdrop schrieb:
There are so-called pergola awnings that are guided along side rails and have posts at the front. This might be an alternative.I’ve seen those as well – they should be quite similar to the sun sail from @Nida35a.
I’m not familiar with the pricing for these – we’ll see if the supplier carries something like this. It would, of course, solve the wind issue.
W
WilderSueden6 Feb 2024 12:38Prager91 schrieb:
I also have some concerns about the wind, especially with the sizes of the awnings. If something like that is sold, it should hold up, right? Take a look at the specifications. Most awnings are only rated for wind speeds up to level 3, which isn’t very strong. Especially with a depth of 4m (13 feet), I would definitely recommend something with side guides, whether that’s a pergola awning or part of a patio roof—you’ll have to decide.
There are huge price differences between both options.
N
Nice-Nofret7 Feb 2024 08:45We have had a 5x5m (16x16 ft) pergola awning from Markilux for 13 years. It is wonderful and also stands up well to rain. In strong wind, it retracts automatically. A sail of this size generates enormous forces in corresponding wind conditions.
And no, this is not a cheap option – but it withstands wind significantly better than a purely cantilevered awning; 4m (13 ft) is a very large span, and it only takes one gust of storm wind for the awning to bend.
And no, this is not a cheap option – but it withstands wind significantly better than a purely cantilevered awning; 4m (13 ft) is a very large span, and it only takes one gust of storm wind for the awning to bend.
Yes, we are currently considering embedding two cantilever umbrellas at the end of the terrace in concrete and then possibly investing in a pergola awning in a few years. At the moment, I am unsure about the cantilever umbrellas regarding wind resistance.
What do you think? Would I face similar issues as with an awning?
What do you think? Would I face similar issues as with an awning?
Since last year, we have also been using an offset umbrella. I followed Rick’s recommendation and chose this manufacturer (Glatz).
We are very satisfied with this umbrella. We can easily roll it anywhere, and it provides shade exactly where it’s needed.
We faced the same decision as you. However, because of the size and appearance of our patio roof, we decided on an offset umbrella. Since I wanted to be able to move it, we chose not to have the base concreted in. However, a concreted base is more wind-resistant.
We are very satisfied with this umbrella. We can easily roll it anywhere, and it provides shade exactly where it’s needed.
We faced the same decision as you. However, because of the size and appearance of our patio roof, we decided on an offset umbrella. Since I wanted to be able to move it, we chose not to have the base concreted in. However, a concreted base is more wind-resistant.
Mahri23 schrieb:
Since last year, we have also been using a cantilever umbrella. I followed Rick’s recommendation and chose this manufacturer (Glatz).
We are very satisfied with this umbrella. We can easily roll it anywhere, and it provides shade exactly where it’s needed.
We faced the same decision as you. However, because of the size and appearance of our patio roof, we decided on a cantilever umbrella. Since I wanted to be able to move it, we chose not to have the base concreted in. Concreting the base is more wind-resistant, though. If it’s not concreted in, we would probably have to go with a reliable manufacturer. Since we plan to fix the parts permanently in concrete, it certainly doesn’t have to be the most expensive model.
Having an umbrella on our patio that can be rolled or isn’t securely concreted in... I’m not sure—I wouldn’t feel comfortable with that. It’s very windy here, especially since the surrounding area is still undeveloped in places.
May I ask which model you have and how much it cost?
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