Visor above the porch: types of canopy above the entrance

The visor above the porch is an indispensable part of the building, made in any of the existing styles. Such a convenient hinge over the porch and doors, protects from rain, snow, and also performs the decorative function of decorating the facade. An additional roof is created over the entrances of apartment buildings of city houses, private suburban mansions, country houses, at the entrances to the garage, outbuildings.

Purpose, main functions

The purpose of the visor is practical, aesthetic, it has several functions:

• decoration of the facade - porch, entrance to the basement, entrance to the garage, gazebos;
• protection from negative weather influences - being under a canopy, you can slowly open the umbrella without getting wet in the rain;
• prevention of direct rain, melt water from the roof to the porch, which increases the service life of the latter, since the steps and the platform are not washed out by water;
• eye protection from direct sunlight when opening the front door;
• the formation of shade in the summer heat;
• reduction in the degree of fading in the sun of the finishing materials of doors, pediment;
• preventing the appearance of large puddles, snowdrifts in front of the entrance;
• protection against icicles falling from the roof during the thaw period.

Among other things, the construction not only supplements the general architecture of the house, but also zones the facade space, participates in the design of the house landscape.

In order for the canopy to fully perform its functions, it is necessary to take care of the roof drainage system - a drain pipe, a barrel.

Technical requirements

A good visor should:

• comply with GOST, SNiP, other specifications, standards;
• be strong, reliable, safe;
• withstand loads in the form of snow, hail, rainwater;
• Do not be too heavy for the load-bearing wall;
• easy and easy to mount above the doors;
• have fastenings of sufficient reliability;
• look beautiful on the facade;
• well perform the functions of adequate protection from the sun, rain.

A correctly executed hinged element is able to perfectly protect a person and his property from the bad weather.

Varieties, shapes of designs

Professional builders classify visors by shape, highlighting the types and varieties:

• arched;
• domed;
• concave;
• type of "marquise";
• flat;
• direct with a view;
• "midnight";
• single-track with or without supervision;
• gable with or without clearance;
• three-slope.

The standard option consists of a frame - a supporting structure on which roofing materials are laid.The angle of inclination, the number of slopes of the canopy depend on the shape of the frame base. The frame itself consists of a rack, support bars, struts, beams, fasteners. It is made of natural wood with metal fasteners or aluminum, profile pipes, iron, steel corners.

Over the entire area it is sheathed with corrugated board, which is completely impervious to water. Usually, specially treated wood, polycarbonate, alucobond, asbestos cement sheets, tempered or triplex glass are used.

If several steps lead to the porch, it is advisable to make a hinged structure above them all.

Mounting Methods

The canopy is attached to the wall in various ways:

Visors are:

In private homes, lightweight suspended structures are usually used, which are easy to repair, completely removed if necessary. Monolithic are created in the process of building a house, literally "for centuries."

Materials of the frame, racks

The visor above the porch, terrace, vestibule, passage from the bay window is made of metal (galvanized, steel, cast iron, various non-ferrous alloys), forged from iron, wooden, concrete (from light compositions), polymer (for light products).

The selection of suitable manufacturing materials depends on the size of the canopy, installation methods, type of roof, its mass, as well as the style of the exterior of the house.

Metal

Metal hinged structures are the most common. They are reliable, very strong, durable, with proper anti-corrosion treatment, fire resistant, but not suitable for spherical products. There are prefabricated frames and mounted by welding. From above they are covered with galvanized iron, a metal profile, metal tiles, etc.

Forging

Forged products are made by hand, therefore they are distinguished by a high price. They are very durable, beautiful, will last a long time. The design consists of bizarre patterns, curls, floral, plot motifs, can make up a single ensemble with wrought-iron gates, lanterns, railings, door fittings and other garden decor. Forged products should also be coated with protective agents to prevent corrosion.

Since the structure is very heavy, in order to avoid collapse, its installation should be done by specialists.

Tree

Wood is light and easy to process, but it can last for a long time only with constant care, impregnation with special means to prevent rotting, mold, fungus damage, fire. This material is suitable for the manufacture of a protective structure over a bay window, wicket, arbor, which also serves as a grape support. The structure is made of timber and boards, decorated with carved details, repairs are relatively simple.

Facing materials

The materials for covering the canopies are metal tiles and polycarbonate, special plastic and especially durable glass, bituminous tiles and ondulin. The latter is rarely used, due to the fact that it is soft, highly combustible, short-lived. Wood is used extremely rarely, since even taking into account the special processing it serves little, poorly coping with the rain protection function.

In order for the house to look harmonious as a whole, it is desirable that the visor cover coincides with the roof manufacturing material.

Polycarbonate

Cellular or monolithic polycarbonate is one of the best materials for a lightweight, transparent canopy. It is relatively lightweight, durable (lasts up to 15-25 years), it allows sunlight to pass through well, but it almost completely delays harmful ultraviolet rays. Cellular, it is also a cellular variety, is flexible, monolithic - with high heat-insulating properties. Polycarbonate does not burn, does not rot, does not spontaneously deform.

Plastic

Polyvinyl chloride is very cheap, lightweight, but not suitable for every style of home and garden decoration. It is mounted on any frame glued with a film. The advantage of plastic is its high light transmission (for transparent options), the widest color palette, high flexibility, the main disadvantage is that it quickly wears out mechanically and collapses due to exposure to ultraviolet rays if it is not glued with sunscreen.

Glass

The glass visor is durable, covered from the inside with a film that protects against shattering of fragments during mechanical damage. It is performed opaque or with one-sided visibility, if its main function is to be sunscreen. Rain protection may well be completely transparent. So that the structure does not get dirty, quickly losing appearance, it is recommended to use it with a dust-repellent, waterproof coating - dirt, dust does not linger on this.

All-glass construction is expensive, because it is not mounted in the backyard, above the basement door.

Metal tile

The material consists of sheets made of galvanized steel, coated on both sides with special polymer protection. On the metal tile there is a drawing that creates the impression of a real tile.The material is durable, lightweight, easy to install, able to withstand significant loads, fits most modern and historical styles, but heats up very much in the heat, and during rain, hail creates a lot of noise.

Shingles

Such a coating not only looks great, but without special care it retains its appearance for many years. Bituminous tiles have a low weight, often used for products where bending is required. Unlike metal tiles, bitumen does not create unnecessary noise during rain, hail, and absorbs sound. Available in a variety of colors that are easy to match with other finishes.

Visor design

The design of the canopy depends on the material of manufacture, stylistic design, design features of the whole house. For the loft style, a coarse gable metal profile is suitable, for minimalism - a strict straight plastic visor. The classic is decorated with metal tiles, richly decorated with wrought-iron curls, Empire style, Baroque - rests on round columns, combined with a stucco molding. The Gothic canopy has a sharp tip, the Chinese style is two-tiered, multi-tiered, where all the details are slightly bent up.

The visor can be combined in style with the railing located under it, forming a kind of partially enclosed arbor. A massive concrete structure supported by poles is attached to a large brick mansion. Small, covered with siding, trim from profiled sheet is suitable. A triangular canopy is done if the porch is located in the inner corner, semicircular - in front of the house. It is also possible to equip an enclosed space used for summer vacations, storage, etc.

If the visor is needed only as a functional - protective element, you should choose the simplest one, without unnecessary "bells and whistles", the main thing is to correctly combine it in color with other design.

How to do it yourself

The main part of the roof is usually assigned to specialist roofers, but the visor’s hand-made device is available to almost any good owner, although some still purchase finished products in construction markets. It is also important to consider the practical and aesthetic part - you just want “so that the rain does not fall on the porch” or the building looks beautiful and the structure is solid. In the latter case, a detailed drawing with dimensions is required.

When designing a house, it is taken into account that a visor of the appropriate form is made above each door, entrances to the garage, bathhouse, barn, etc. If the building has a circular cross section, then the canopy is also made semi-circular. Only fireproof materials are recommended. The standard scheme provides that the design of the visor above the front door, spare or corner will vary greatly.

What else to consider when drawing up a plan:

• visor width is 55-65 centimeters wider than the door;
• minimum angle of inclination - 20-40 degrees;
• the length of the structure is slightly wider than the porch or hides all the steps;
• whether the canopy will relate to the roof is a separate part.

If it is planned to manufacture a suspension structure, the fastenings are located above the visor, which affects its ultimate weight, the appearance of the structure. Mounted mounted on a supporting structure to the wall under it, may be of moderate severity. A cement-sand mortar will be needed if a heavy canopy rests on two, three, four or more racks.

How to make a direct visor:

• a U-shaped base is welded from metal parts, then base parts are mounted on it;
• the frame is assembled on the ground or immediately welded onto a part suspended from the facade;
• the visor is usually fastened at two upper and two lower points - holes are drilled under them, but for large structures the number of fasteners is increased;
• the number of jumpers depends on the materials used - when using corrugated board, a step is taken 25-35 centimeters, for a metal profile - 50 or more cm;
• lastly, a protective film, gutters, pipes for water drainage are attached.

When you want to make a canopy of a wave-like shape, you need to cut pipes with a margin of up to 20-30% of the length, bend them with a pipe bender. If the structure is planned to be covered with heavy materials, additional stops are needed that go to the wall at an angle.

Features of working with a wooden frame:

• the location of the future structure is planned above the entrance, holes are drilled;
• then a block of wood is attached here, then two more, but vertically;
• at a slope to the horizontal part, on the two sides, they attach more bars - a frame on which the roofing material will be laid;
• for large-sized options, a crate is made, and an external coating is applied to it;
• a wooden canopy is usually made straight, two or three-pitched - making round shapes from wood is extremely time-consuming, therefore it is used only as an exception.

With their own hands, they usually make structures from plastic, corrugated board, fasten it with thermowells, self-tapping screws, using a layer of rubber. Small gaps are left between the parts of the sheet material in case of a temperature difference. After laying the material on the crate, at the junction of the canopy and the wall, a sealing strip of metal is nailed, under it is a wall profile, a seal. Below is the profile itself, mounted on a crate with a counter-lattice, a waterproofing layer, rafters.

If the visor is held by the supports, the distance between them is no more than one and a half to two meters. They are made of concrete, brick, metal pipes or profiles, are installed on the foundation. For the strength of the structure, recesses for beams are made in the walls of the house, which will be laid on the supports.Spotlights, LED strip are mounted in the finished canopy, the lights are hung on both sides.

When calculating angles, measuring the length of parts, accuracy must be observed, otherwise skew may occur, which can significantly affect the appearance of the product.

Conclusion

A correctly made canopy above the porch protects those entering the house, leaving it from rain, snow, sun, wind, creating a “highlight” on the facade of even the most boring building. Such a construction decorates the entrance to a brick, wooden cottage, a summer house, a bathhouse, a terrace, an ascent to the second, ground floor, and also a gate. You can design a unique visor yourself or use drawings, sketches from special literature, the Internet. Many construction companies offer the manufacture of original hinged elements for only erected and finished buildings.