To protect the porch of the building from various weather conditions, it is necessary to make a canopy over the entrance. Its absence is most clearly felt in autumn, spring and winter.
At least one entrance in the house should be equipped with a small canopy. It is worth noting that it performs not only a protective function, but also an aesthetic one.
What is it for and what does it consist of
It may seem that the visors have few functions. In fact, they cope with several tasks at once:
- Protect from precipitation. If it is raining outside, it is more convenient to open an umbrella under the visor.
- Prevent the flow of melt water from the facade of the building to the steps and porch (so they will last much longer).
- Protect the facade finish from sunlight.
- Complement the architectural form of the building.
- Help visually divide the facade.
The canopy over the entrance to the house is being built in several stages. First, the type of base is selected, after which the supports are installed. The next stage is the construction of a frame made of wood or metal. After that, sheathing with metal tiles is performed,corrugated board, glass, polycarbonate or other material.
Methods of support
The most important part of any building are the supports. Depending on the fastening system, buildings are divided into support-beam, support, cantilever and suspended.
Support-and-beam structures are considered the strongest and most durable. One of their ends is located on the facade, and the other - on vertical pillars.
Support structures have nothing to do with the main building. Bearing elements are pillars or flat supports.
Cantilever canopies are attached at one end to beams or embedded parts built into the facade. The other end hangs freely.
Suspended structures consist of light and simple elements attached with cables.
The canopy above the entrance should have not only high-quality supports, but also a solid frame. Most often it is made of wood or metal. The metal frame may consist of pipes welded to each other or of forged elements. Unusual forged curls amaze with their beauty and durability.
Canopies of various shapes and sizes can be made from wooden structures. The main disadvantage of the material is poor flexibility. Wooden racks with elements of artistic carving look very nice.
Possibly frameless device. In this case, the visor is in the form of a flat sheet held by braces and brackets.
Polycarbonate visor
Very often visors and canopies over the entrance are made of polycarbonate. The material is lightweightstrength, speed of installation and attractive appearance. It can be attached to wood and metal frame. Standard sheet sizes are 2.1x6m and 2.1x12m. If you need a smaller size, the material can be cut.
To work you will need: a drill, a welding machine, a grinder and a screwdriver. During the installation of polycarbonate, it is taken into account that at low temperatures it contracts, and at high temperatures it expands. For fastening, self-tapping screws are used, going in increments of 300-500 mm. Do not tighten them too much, otherwise the service life of the coating will decrease. All ends and cuts of sheets are covered with special overlays or treated with paint.
Corrugated board and metal tile visor
The metal visor above the entrance will protect the porch from aggressive environments for a long time. It is quite heavy, so it is important to correctly calculate, mount and secure the structure. To cover the visor, corrugated board and metal tiles are most often used.
Profiled sheet - a metal profiled sheet protected by a polymer coating. It is inexpensive, easy to install, but prone to mechanical damage.
Metal tile - sheet material with a wavy profile. It is also covered with a protective layer, thanks to which it can withstand any bad weather. The material is resistant to stress, temperature fluctuations, and also serves for a long time. The visor made from it is easy to install and does not require maintenance.
Before laying the metal tile,you need to install the rafters and nail the crate to them. Rafter legs are usually boards with a section of 50x100 mm and 50x150 mm. The crate has a cross section of at least 50x50 mm (depending on the pitch of the supporting structures). Bars are located every 350 mm. Fasteners must hit the base of each wave of covering material.
Under the metal tile necessarily lay a layer of waterproofing. If necessary, the visor is insulated. For its installation, you will need an internal crate, as well as vapor barrier and windproof films. Sheds from corrugated board are arranged in the same way as from metal tiles.
Glass visor
Glass canopy over the entrance can be an excellent decoration of any facade. It is necessary to protect against precipitation, so it must be strong, reliable and durable. Laminated glass (triplex) has such properties. It consists of glasses that are glued together. In the design, they can be anything: transparent, matte, tinted, mirror and others.
Glass canopies can be mounted on any wall (even on ventilated facades). Fastening is carried out in two ways:
- With the help of hangers. In this case, a frameless glass sheet hangs over the porch. On the one hand, it is held on the support by hinged fasteners, and on the other hand, by special rods. The number of fasteners depends on the size of the glass.
- With the help of load-bearing supports. This option is used when the visor is large or complex in shape. supports usuallymade of metal or wood and attached to the facade.
Single visor
Such structures have a simple shape and light weight. They can be located on supporting pillars or hang down with a console. Before installation, calculations are carried out:
- measure the width of the porch and add 300 mm on both sides;
- calculate the distance from the door to the edge of the lower step (or to the desired location);
- draw reference lines on the facade (we will use them to build a visor over the entrance).
After marking, supports, rafters, wall beam and spacers are installed. We fix the rafters, and on top of them we place the crate, the step of which depends on the type of roofing material. Usually it is 300-400 mm. If a soft roof is to be laid, then solid flooring is used instead of the crate. The joints at the wall and the cornice are covered with special planks.
Double visor
More attractive is the gable canopy over the entrance, the photo of which can be seen below. For its construction, it will be necessary to perform calculations of load-bearing structures. Thanks to the shape of the roof, rainwater and snow will easily flow off the structure.
The development of the project begins with measurements of the porch, its sketches and the choice of materials. In cross section, the roof of the structure has the form of a triangle. It is obtained by connecting rafters with ties and spacers. Brackets and self-tapping screws are used to fasten the elements. After the installation of the rafters, a ridge is installedbeam.
After that, a crate is nailed, the step of which depends on the selected coating. The next step is laying the roofing material. For a gable roof, a metal tile or corrugated board is perfect. Joints and cornices should be protected with protective films and strips.
Arched visor
The arched visor looks very unusual and nice. Of course, you cannot place them above the entrance to the entrance, but they will go well with the porch of a private house.
To determine the size and type of supporting structures, we measure the porch and draw a sketch. After that, let's get to work:
- choose aluminum or steel pipes with a square section for the frame (size - 12-16 mm);
- bend them to the required radius (this is how we make 2 arcs);
- connect both ends of the arcs with straight elements;
- we weld a connecting beam and embedded parts to the structure, with which they will be attached to the wall;
- we cover structures with protective agents (primer, paint, etc.);
- install the canopy over the porch and attach it to the wall;
- we install roofing (for example, polycarbonate);
- use decorative elements if desired.
The canopy over the entrance is an important element of the facade of the building. It not only complements its appearance, but also protects from precipitation. For the construction of the visor, you can use different materials, which will fit it into the style of any building.
