DESIGNING PATIO COVERS – LOAD PATHS
Zion Builders, Inc. doesn’t just build patio covers; we are integral to the design process to ensure a durable and safe product. Additionally, we apply all the manufacturer's engineering specs to comply with all applicable building codes. Designing patio covers is like designing decks. The main difference between the two is the consideration of wind speeds. An aluminum cover is much lighter than a deck, plus it’s eight feet or more above the ground where the wind can lift it up.
Designs and engineering are based on current code requirements – the 2024 International Residential Code and International Building Code – and how the weight (or loads) on top of the covers, such as snow, makes it way to the footings in the ground. This is also called “load paths.” All the parts and pieces (or members) that make up the structure are based on many things, but basically they must be large enough and strong enough to support the weight as it travels along the load paths. Below is an illustration of load paths.
This graphic shows a part of a house, but the design concept is the same, just different names for the pieces. I explain the “links” in the next section, but this illustration also mentions wind loads. Wind loads are a much bigger concern on a cover than a deck. We don’t want a cover we built to end up in your neighbor’s yard! So, when I design a patio cover, I make sure all the connections, parts, and pieces can withstand wind as well as snow. Remember, we get near hurricane-force winds in northern Nevada.
LINK 1: The illustration talks about roof sheathing. On an aluminum cover, the roof sheathing is the lattice tubes for a lattice cover or the aluminum pans that make up a solid cover. And yes, even though lattice tubes are small and spaced apart from one another, they still have wind resistance and uplift that must be designed for.
LINK 2: The accumulated roof load is routed through the roof-to-wall connection, and special roof ties connect the roof to the bearing walls. On a cover, those connections are on the beam, sometimes called a header.
LINK 3: Roof load transfer. On a patio cover, the roof load is transferred to the beam or beams (depending on the calculations for your particular cover) down through the posts and into the footings.
LNK 4: Uplift force transferred to the foundation. On a cover, it is transferred to the footings. For this example, think of the footings as a counterweight that is holding the cover down, so the wind doesn’t take it away. Footings for patio covers are as much as three times larger than for a deck, sometimes even larger!
All of this is why you should hire Zion Builders, Inc. to build your patio cover. Our more than 40 years of experience in construction and building hundreds of covers, being familiar with codes, engineering, and designing patio covers, make us the most logical choice. Combine that with the fact that Zion Builders, Inc. has multiple suppliers for aluminum patio covers for multiple designs and types of covers, you can’t go wrong. Did you know we can build louvered covers that you can remotely change to allow more or less sunlight through? We can also build a cover with translucent panels that allow the sunshine through but still protect you from wind, rain, and snow.
Call Zion Builders today to see how we can build your outdoor living space!
Robert Smith is the Construction Design Manager at Zion Builders, Inc. His decades of building experience makes him especially valuable in drawing plans and submitting permits.
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