wood patio covers

Mission Viejo Aluminum Patio Cover Project; Before & After 0

Just finished a recent job Aluminum Patio Cover in Mission Viejo project that I thought I would share. As is fairly common with most of our jobs, the old patio was a wooden patio I would estimate to be around 10 years old and also is fairly common with most wood patios was a monstrosity of wood rot, termite damage and what was arguably the worst case of wood fungus we had seen in recent years. I talked a little bit about the downside of wood patio covers in a previous blog that goes into some of the details about the pros and cons of wood versus aluminum and the three items mentioned above all stand as exhibit A as to the downside of a wooden patio cover.

Below you can seem some of the pictures of the old wooden cover. You can see the splitting of the wood and how over time the wood just starts to deteriorate to the point where it can even become a hazard. When wood rot sets in along with termite damage there is simply no way to warrant any type of repair given the costs of repair for wooden patio covers can be comparable to the costs of installing a new aluminum patio cover altogether.

 Danger Lurks with Termites and Wood Rot!

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On this wooden patio cover, the amount of wood rot and structural damage was to the point where the demolition and removal was quite easy. The rafters and lattice had enough wood rot where they could almost be removed by hand simply applying a bit of pressure. It’s great for the crew that tears down and removes the old, beat up wood patio but once again-when the damage gets that pronounced and evidenced it can also be a health hazard and at risk to collapse or fall.

Below you can see the old cover has been taken down and waiting to be removed. Depending on the size of the patio cover, most demo jobs and removal can be completed in a day. Once again it may vary a bit depending on the size but the majority of the time the demolition of an old cover can be accomplished in one day.

Old Cover Removed; New Aluminim Patio Cover Awaits!

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Once the cover has been removed, we deliver all of the material needed to complete the installation of a new Aluminum Patio Cover and much like the demolition, can be installed and constructed in one day! This is also one of the great benefits of Aluminum Patio Covers is that because they are prepainted in the factory(with a lifetime guarantee on the paint no less!), it saves a great deal of time and labor that would normally be spent applying primer and paint.

Below is the completed patio cover that was took only one day to install including the running of wires for additional options like ceiling fans and/or speaker wire. This aluminum patio cover in Mission Viejo was a quick, easy installation and fairly routine. We were able to remove the old, dangerous wood cover and install this new aluminum cover in only 2 days!

If you are looking for a free estimate on an aluminum patio cover in Mission Viejo or any other city in Orange County give us a call! You never know-we may feature your backyard for a future blog post on the Patio Mans Orange County Patio Cover Blog.

Patio Cover Mission Viejo by the Patio Man

Best Wood for Orange County Patio Covers-Wood vs Rough? 0

wood rot on patio cover in orange county

A couple of quick things to talk about for todays Orange County Patio Blog mainly centering on the right choice or wood as well as the rising popularity of aluminum patio covers in Orange County.  Regardless which area is of interest to you I hope you enjoy reading it and find it a valuable source of information.

One of the things I have always found interesting is the different styles of patio covers throughout the United States. While plantation style homes in the south usually lean toward the French Colonial style of patio cover, here in Orange County the more traditional Patio Covers tend to lean toward the southwestern style which of course geographically make a lot of sense.

One of the distinctions, however, are whether or not the wood used for the cover is of the rough textured variety of lumber or the smooth type lumber. I always recommend the rough style of lumber. Not only does the rough style lumber lend itself to the Mission Viejo Ranch style patio cover, but it also serves a very important purpose here where we have the hot California summers.

While it may be debated and everyone has their opinion, solely based on the number of number of smooth wood covers that I have replaced over the years, I am of the opinion that for Orange County patio covers, the smooth wood is simply not a good fit for our climate as I have noticed they tend to have a far shorter lifespan than that of rough wood covers. I admit this is probably something very few people other than those in the patio cover business probably think about.

My theory on the rough vs smooth patio debate comes down to the fact that the paint used on rough lumber tends to absorb at a higher rate and serves to “protect” the wood at a higher rate than the smooth lumber. By creating a more effective seal, you are going to slow down the effects of wood rot, mold, termites, and other factors that may shorten the life of a wood patio cover in Orange County. One other small tidbits, that once again is probably bypassed from your garden variety patio cover installer is to paint the the butt ends of the wood used in the project.

I could see some contractors taking the short cut and not painting the ends simply figuring the home owner will never see it which is true, but the facts are once again painting that butt end means less exposed “raw” surface area where rot or insect damage may set in. The more surface area that is covered with either paint or primer means less surface area that will be exposed to the elements and other natural factors.  

Before I end today’s Blog I should also note the benefits of, and the increasing popularity of Alumawood patio covers. Basically every factor that can shorten and diminish the lifespan of a wood patio cover becomes a moot point when dealing with alumawood patio covers. I installed a pair of alumawood patio covers in Huntington Beach for my parents close to 15 years ago that still look as good today as the day I installed somewhere back in 1999 or thereabouts. With an aluminum patio cover maintenance means occasionally using the hose to spray it off every once in a while and that is that. And with today’s technology, alumawood patio covers can support the weight of hanging a ceiling fan, a flat screen tv, and even recessed lighting are all viable options.

 Regardless if you prefer a wooden patio cover to an alumawood patio cover, the PatioMan has years of experience in the field, and can ensure your next patio cover will not only be the perfect fit for your backyard, but also be installed correctly each and every time. Thats the PatioMan way and has been for over 25 years.

Patio Covers in Fullerton- No Headache for this Guy! 0

In the patio cover business, each job seems to have and present its own unique set of challenges. The most recent was one of the large type wood patio covers in Fullerton that was badly dry rotted and in dire need of replacement. The house, like many in Orange County, had a fairly low roof line. One of perks of being the Patio Man, is the fact that I enjoy offering all of my clients creative solutions on not just replacing, but to improve on what was there.

 

The easiest way to raise a patio cover would have been to use what most patio covers installers would have insisted on and that would have been opting and pressuring the homeowner to go with an Alumawood patio cover. Because Alumawood patio covers are lighter in weight, they offer some additional options and flexibility that simply are not available with wood patio covers. But the homeowner, whom we will refer to as Jim A, and his wife were dead set on a wood patio cover so my work was cut out for me. It didn’t help that the home owner and his wife are 6’6 and 6’8 so this project, while challenging, was one that I took some major initiative on to meet the request and wished of the homeowner to give them the patio cover they wanted from post to pillar.

 

Jim A. contacted me after several weeks and said I was the only Orange County Patio Cover contractor that was actually able to put together a design that could raise the roof a full 14’’ and thus being the result I was able to sign the job, but more importantly-deliver Jim and his wife the patio they had envisioned and always dreamed of.

 

To be honest, when I was new to the patio business, and even though I worked as a carpenter and framer for many years, I likely wouldn’t have known to run the beams front to back due to simple lack of previous similar type homes and the gumption and know how on what it takes to get a project done that not only meets the wishes of the homeowner, but also can carry the structural integrity and aesthetics we provide with all of our work. At the end of the day, sometimes hiring an old construction guy who has seen it all and done it all and built almost every kind of wood patio covers orange county has to offer can pay some major dividends. And at the end of the day, there really is something to be said for experience!

 

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This may have been the patio cover from hell for other OC Patio guys…but for me it was another challenge met and just 1 more satisfied home owner.