Barnhart – Patio
| Room | Back Patio |
|---|---|
| Project scope | Transform a hot patio into a cool backyard spot |
Another South Texas home suffering under the blazing sun’s rays beating down unabated onto the back porch area. The heat made the area unusable for most of the year. Our mission was to bring in some shade while making the backyard more interesting to spend time in. We did a lot of work in a small area…
The new patio slab provides ample room for patio furniture and easy travel behind the house to the back bedroom, back door, and garage door without having to go through the grass. And of course there’s the pergola to deliver the desired shade.
In two-story houses such as this, you’re typically limited as to the height of a new pergola by the windows on the second floor. But by using the concave design of a gable roof, we were able to maximize the vertical space underneath the pergola without cutting off the view from the room on the second story inside the house.
A ceiling fan helps keep the area comfortable, while skylights prevent it from being too dark. Wrapped skylight wells with the same wood as the rest of the ceiling make for a nice visual detail.
Another view of the new pond and babbling brook. Note how the pergola columns sport the same flagstone as the patio, a striking and unusual feature.
Project Highlights
- Because brick wall veneers, as on this house, are not load-bearing, we took the siding off to identify the placement of the framing and studs and nail a ledger board to them. After also removing the soffit, we attached the frame of the pergola to the ledger board so that the new structure sits right on top of the brick wall.
- The skylights are made by Velux and feature Low E (low emissivity) coating that substantially limits the amount of heat gain. Unlike cheap bubble plastic skylights, these are double-paned and super strong (strong enough to stand on!) and don’t leak.
- We ensured good drainage in the area by sloping the new foundation, incorporating existing gutters, and tying new gutters into the existing French drain that empties into the street.
