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…


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.