Covered patio with two story windows - will it look okay?
Britt D.
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
We are starting to think about what type of patio we'd like to install - either covered or uncovered with a pergola/umbrellas for shade. We have always like covered patios as they feel like an outdoor living room and a natural extension of the house. Our living room has a wall of two-story windows facing west. We get plenty of natural light even on a cloudy day - in fact, on sunny afternoons it is almost too much! I am concerned about installing a patio roof though because I'm wondering 1) will it make the living room feel darker and less open and 2) will it ruin the aesthetics of our window wall by visually cutting it in half with a roof between the windows?
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torreykm
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoRelated Discussions
Window Covering for Patio Doors
Comments (15)Stay away from Smith and Noble. Stay far, far away. I ordered 6 shades. I paid Smith and Noble to come measure. When the shades arrived, 5 of the 6 were about 1/4 to 1/2 inch too wide for the windows. I asked to return the shades to get my money back. Turns out their "satisfaction guarantee pledge" means that they won't give you your money back, no matter what. They insist on coming back to re-measure, but a) I can't take time off from work again for this, and b) why would I want to run the risk of further screw ups and hassle? Their customer service staff come across as Soviet-style bureaucrats. Evidently, Smith and Noble could care less about disappointing their customers and engendering ill will. I guess my next steps are to file complaints with the BBB and my state's attorney general, as well as dispute the original charge with my credit card company. I'll probably send the shades back to the company's president for good measure. Keep in mind that Smith and Noble's "partner sites" (i.e. sister companies) include Ballard Designs, Grandin Road, Garnet Hill, TravelSmith, Frontgate, and others. You can rest assured that I won't be giving any of them my business in the future either....See Moretwo storey vs one storey costs
Comments (60)D E, you are really close, but from your example I am not certain you are totally there as cost is part of the consideration. cost effective would be getting the r60 roof. I can save money by going down to r38 but that was not effective because I didn't achieve my stated goal. That depends on the marginal utility of the r60 roof over an r38 roof, which is something that I can't answer for you. It is less about stated goals than maximizing utility, and utility is a bit individualistic. So for example, if you would prefer an r60 roof, but find that it will only add about 20% more utility to your life than an r38 roof at a cost of 80% more money then it is not cost effective (utility being some combination of comfort and discounted cooling costs). Thinking about this example in reverse is better. If you only want and need an r38 roof, any marginal cost to get you to an r60 roof is wasted regardless of how great a deal it is. ----- Looking at what I do from a resale perspective. Let me clarify my meaning of going through the design a few square feet at a time and asking is there any way to increase profit out of that square footage. What I really do is set a target price point, and ask is that square footage (or design element) helping me get to that price point? If the answer is no, then I ask if it can be eliminated? I don't care whether it cost me $20 or $500, if it isn't helping me get to my price point, it is wasted regardless of how much it costs. Obviously, you start at the most expensive stuff, and that is where the efficiency really comes in. Converting this from resale to living, I ask how will I use that square footage? If the answer is anything similar to I wouldn't, then I see if it can be eliminated. This can be used for square footage, rooms, r value, HVAC, etc....See MoreTwo story drape question
Comments (1)You can have drapery any length you want. Why are you constrained to either 96" or 108"?...See MoreWindow Flower Boxes on two story home - need advice!
Comments (24)Continue reading on the web about the timing and you will find that asbestos never went away, recommendations being made to sample and test regardless of how recently a product that might possibly contain it was made or installed. The seller's disclosure on the owner built house I assumed in December said they "had no knowledge" of asbestos being present. The house was inspected and approved in 1979, the party I bought from were the second owners and lived here 37 years. Apparently without ever noticing the majority of the floor space was covered with asbestos floor covering having a whopping 20% asbestos content. I found this out after a heating systems estimator asked me how old the popcorn ceiling was. Which prompted me to have the house sampled and tested. The asbestos service told me to just leave it in place. However the skin over the top of the stuff is tissue thin - where there is no concealing carpeting on top there are already visible tears and holes that were present when I moved in. Which the service told me I could seal with the thickest available latex paint if I "was concerned about it". Apart from the future problem of trying to sell a house with 20% asbestos floor covering all through it - when the time comes I'll probably move out and then pay to have it all removed as part of preparing to sell - meanwhile I am waiting to hear what an installation crew leader thinks about coming to replace all my windows (and a sliding door) in a work setting with this aspect present. In particular the possibility that the floor covering comes right to the base of the slider. And has an exposed edge, as has been the case in other locations within the house where the covering encounters an exterior door....See More
PROCarrell Design And Staging
5 years ago
suezbell
5 years agosuezbell
5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
PRO
Bev
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoellejulia
5 years ago
Judy Mishkin
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agothe truth about a west facing patio.... the sun follows you as it sets. you can put on a roof but the light will still be in the patio, just as you have a roof on your living room but the sun still comes into the windows. build on a different side of the house is sometimes an option, we went south for our deck and screen porch.. but looks like you have tight lot lines.
i'd go with building a freestanding pavilion in your large enough back yard. lemme look for photos.
something like this with its back to the west, facing your house. pretty patio separating them. far enough away so you don't lose the light in your living room.
Backyard Retreat · More Info
Glass House in the Garden · More Info
Outdoor Living - Symmes · More Infothis one does a roller shade on the back... an option for you... it would be open the rest of the time.
Pavilions · More Infosuezbell
2 years ago
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