When building a patio shade structure, you have a few choices and decisions to make during your preliminary planning. Shade structures can be built to utilize natural shade-bearing plants, as well as canvas awnings or wooden ceilings. Deciding how you want to cast shade can help you choose what sort of construction will fit your needs best. Does this Spark an idea?
Natural Shade Bearing
A natural shade-bearing structure is an economical way to shade your patio. Constructing a small pergola, or raised horizontal trellis, provides a base to train a shade-bearing climbing vine such as ivy. If your dominant concern is shading your patio and choosing a vine with minimal upkeep and maintenance, a purely green shade-bearing vine is a better bet than something that produces flowers or fruit.
Natural Fruit Bearing
If you are looking for shade and a sweet treat, and don't mind a few bees and some droppings to clean up, a grapevine trained on a pergola is an option to shade the patio. You will have to construct your pergola somewhat more robustly to support the weight of a mature vine, but your investment will pay dividends late in the season when the grapes begin to ripen and you can enjoy the shade and fruits of your labor.
Awning
A simple awning can also shade your patio, if the patio is adjacent to the house or porch. An awning can be mounted to an outside wall of the home and has the advantage of being able to be opened to allow sunlight through. Awnings are a cost effective way to not only shade the patio but also shade the home, thereby keeping air conditioning costs down through the summer.
Gazebo-Style Roof
A gazebo-style roof can be constructed over the patio with either a wooden roof or a canvas awning-style cover. Wooden gazebo roofing materials range from roofing shingles to cedar shakes. A gazebo-style roof over the patio will give plenty of shade and also carries with it the advantage of being rain-proof.
