If you adequately arrange the central entrance to the house, it will create an even more favorable impression than the building itself. One of the main roles in the creation of the exterior is played by the visor. But the canopy not only gives an elegant and spectacular look to the house, it also protects the front part of the entrance from external influences.
When choosing a material for this structure, it is necessary to take into account the fact that it must be in harmony with the architecture of the house and guarantee the strength of the structure. The design can be single or double. The canopy should be large enough to cover the veranda.
Which material to choose?
Polycarbonate porch canopies are built quite often for a number of reasons.
- Firstly, this material diffuses the sun's rays well.
- Secondly, the structure does not deform during operation and retains its integrity under strong wind gusts and temperature fluctuations. The material is fire resistant and will not corrode or rot.
- Third, onthe surface does not form fungus and mold.
Polycarbonate is quite flexible, this allows you to make structures of any configuration. The material is offered for sale in a wide range. Sheets can have different thicknesses and shades. Canopies over the porch made of polycarbonate have their drawbacks. One of them is expressed in the fact that over time the material may turn yellow or cloudy, losing its strength characteristics.
You can choose a plastic construction or one made of metal and corrugated board. The latter option will be inexpensive, and to create it you will need some skills in working with a welding machine. Typically, corrugated board is an excellent alternative to metal sheets. This material has a polymeric protective layer and provides resistance to environmental influences. Decking does not let in sunlight, which is not always an advantage. In addition, the blades are not sufficiently impact resistant, so hail dents may appear on the surface.
The canopy over the porch can also be made of wood. Such a design will harmoniously look at a house made of a log house. Fragile canopies made of plastic and polycarbonate on such buildings look alien. The timber frame is treated prior to installation to provide protection from rot, mold and insects.
An alternative solution is a visor made of metal. It has high strength and outstanding decorative qualities. But some designers believe thatsuch designs look "heavy" and are not suitable for all houses. Among the advantages of such products should be highlighted:
- resistance to mechanical stress;
- heat resistance;
- aesthetic appearance;
- low weight;
- long service life.
Production of a visor from polycarbonate
If you want to install a canopy over the porch, you can choose polycarbonate for this. The width should not be less than the width of the front door. It is desirable to add about 50 cm to the last value. As for the length, it is at least 80 cm. It is important to provide a slope angle so that rainwater, snow and debris do not accumulate from above.
For good protection of the porch, it is better to make the visor a little wider and longer. But this can cause an overload of the structure. If you increase the surface area, then more snow will accumulate on top in winter.
Preparation of tools and materials
Before you make a canopy over the porch, you must take care of the availability:
- polycarbonate sheets;
- Bulgarians;
- steel profile pipes;
- self-tapping screws;
- building level.
Polycarbonate must be 1 cm thick or more. In addition to an angle grinder you will need:
- screwdriver;
- welding machine;
- electric drill.
Self-tapping screws must have thermal washers fromplastic for fixing polycarbonate sheets.
Work instructions
If a visor is to be installed above the porch, then the first thing to do on the wall of the house is to mark the installation locations for the supports. They are located above the door. A frame is made from a triangular section pipe, its elements are welded together. You can strengthen the frame with stiffeners, the number of which will depend on the length of the structure.
In the frame you need to make holes through which the canopy will be fixed to the wall. For work, use a drill with a nozzle for metal. There should be at least 4 mounting holes. The frame is attached to the wall at the next stage, and after the pipes are treated with a primer. Once the surface is dry, the frame can be painted over.
Install sheets
Visor - a canopy over the porch, which can be made of different materials. If you decide to use polycarbonate, then it is attached subject to some rules. So, it will be necessary to install a sealing tape on the end sections. Panels should not be installed end to end - leave space between them for thermal expansion.
For assembly, you can use detachable profiles, which will consist of a top cover and a bottom part. The latter will become the base. It is important to seal the junction of the canopy and the wall so that water does not seep onto the porch. Once the sheets are installed, the protective film can be removed from their surface.
Visor on supports
Visors overThe porch of the house is installed using different technologies. One of them is a technique that involves mounting on beams. The first step is to install them. For this, two racks are used, which are removed from the wall of the house by 2 m. The supports are laid out of brick or poured out of concrete. Metal pipes can also be used for this purpose.
When forming the rafter part, recesses for the beams are made in the wall. It is necessary to deepen by 200 mm. One end of the beam is laid on a support, the other is placed in a recess. Fastening is carried out using nuts and studs with washers. Having examined the photo of the canopies above the porches, you can understand what material is suitable for your home. Using the described technology, in the next step you will have to deal with the rafter part. To do this, the roof can be made a house or flat. The latter option is simpler, because the boards in this case are sewn across the beams and covered with roofing material.
If you decide to use the technology with a gable canopy, you will have to install a ridge with a step of 800 mm. The technology will remain the same as when installing the roof. First you need to install the crate. The next layer will be a counter-lattice, followed by a hydro-barrier.
The final step will be covering the surface with roofing material. Now you can do the bottom hemming. For this, plastic PVC panels or siding are usually used. When cladding, it is necessary to provide lighting, for this you can mount spotlights.
Preparation before productionmetal visor
For work you will need a tubular metal profile, the length of which will be in the range from 11 to 12 m. The cross section can reach 25 mm. Prepare 3 mm steel strips with dimensions of 3 x 20 mm. Decking will be needed in an amount of 2 to 3 sheets. You should purchase a metal corner No. 50 and bolts in the form of dowels for attaching metal to a brick or concrete wall.
Take care of the availability of 20 mm boards, as well as self-tapping screws for installing a metal profile. In order to make a metal canopy over the porch, you should prepare:
- angle cutting machine;
- electric welding machine;
- metal strip profiling tool.
It will be possible to weld elements with the help of electrodes on black iron. Their diameter should be 4 mm. All materials listed are available in the store.
Production of construction
The design will be in the shape of the letter "G", it is a frame. The base of the flooring is two (four) longitudinal or transverse welded posts. At right angles to the deck frame, two side welded posts must be welded. This will ensure the strength and rigidity of the frame fastening. It is necessary to cut longitudinal elements from the metal profile blanks. Their length should be 200 cm. The transverse ribs will have a length of 120 cm.
It will also be necessary to cut a couple of metal side racks of 100 cm each. All elements must be placed and cut off with an angle grinder with an allowance. Forassembly on a flat surface, it is necessary to decompose the longitudinal and side elements of the frame. They are divided in pairs. With the help of a clamp and a square, it is necessary to set and fix a right angle between the longitudinal and side planks.
Each set of metal frame elements is welded. Two half-sets must be joined and aligned into one frame. Welds should be checked and cleaned of slag. The difficulty may lie in the location of the parts in the same plane. In this case, right angles should be maintained. Before final assembly, it is sometimes necessary to cut the ends of the racks to fit other elements. After the assembly is completed, the side racks of the visor are welded. The whole structure with the help of them will be fixed above the porch.
Installing side console racks
If the visor is intended for a utility room, then you can stop at the result and proceed to fixing the flexible roof. But for the front porch, it will be necessary to add decorative elements and install side arches. For the side racks, you will need one section of the profile. The blanks are bent by an arc. They are fixed on the frame to enhance the decorative effect.
If you want to make the design more attractive, then you should use intermediate supports from the profile. Their length can be equal to the limit from 8 to 10 cm. Before assembling the arcuate struts, the racks are bent by 15 ° so that the plane is tilted. Curls are inserted into the resulting space between the sides of the frame and the arc from pieces of metal or wire rod.
Roof installation
At the final stage, the plane of the canopy can be sheathed with a board, the size of which is 20 x 150 mm. The elements are arranged in increments of 20 cm. This will be enough for the installation of corrugated board or metal tiles.
If you want to use a soft roof, then the visor is additionally clogged with OSB sheets or clapboard. The lower part can be sheathed with a PVC profile, which is used for wall cladding in the bathroom.
Installing the canopy
The visor will be quite heavy, weighing 12 kg or more, which involves the use of about 8 points of anchor bolt connections. The described variant of the canopy is best fixed on a prepared base of metal strips.
Cost of visors at Leroy Merlin
If you don’t want to make a canopy yourself, you can purchase ready-made canopies over the polycarbonate porch. For example, a model with dimensions of 1200 x 950 mm will cost you 2,250 rubles. This design will perform two functions - decorative and practical.
The canopy over the porch from "Leroy" will protect the stairs from sunlight, dirt and precipitation. The product looks neat and looks simple. It is based on cellular polycarbonate, which is resistant to temperature changes, mechanical damage. The holders are black and made of durable plastic. This design weighs 4.67 kg.
Visors over the porch at Leroy Merlin are offered in a wide range. For example, you can consider products withlarge sizes. The design parameters of the K2 brand are 1500 x 950 mm. The cost is 3,600 rubles. This design weighs 5.36 kg. Removal is 950 mm. This value is the distance at which the extreme point of the structure will move away from the surface.
Features of forged awnings
One of the most elegant ways to protect the porch of the house from external influences is a forged canopy. Without a canopy, you may encounter the fact that after the first or second winter, the stair covering will become unusable. If you are tired of regularly removing snow and risking moving on a slippery floor, you should install a forged canopy over the porch. He has no equal in beauty.
When ordering such a design, one should take into account not only aesthetics, but also functionality, as well as convenience. For example, the slope should not be directed towards the entrance. This will prevent water from getting behind the collar during rain. Dimensions are also important. The porch should remain dry in bad weather. Therefore, it is not worth raising the canopy too high, while the dimensions should be 0.5 m larger than the porch in each of the open sides.
Conclusion
Ready-made canopies over the porch can have different coatings. But the most popular solution is polycarbonate. Its main advantages are low cost and transparency. In this case, we are talking about cellular material, but its monolithic variety is also becoming quite popular. It is more reliable and durable, and also has an attractive appearance. Materials according to the type of profiled sheet,steel sheet, metal tiles are also used, but less often.
