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Covered patio ideas? (1 Viewer)

Otis

Otis

Footballguy
Finally pulled the trigger on hiring an architect to put together a design for a covered patio off our house in the yard.  I don't have much vision for this sort of thing, but we are thinking something generally in the ballpark of this: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ef/5c/ba/ef5cba849928e08b9b48a9eb5bbb299b--small-covered-patio-covered-patio-design.jpg

Any ideas for features or things you would add for such a project? Either things you have in your covered patio, or wish you had in it?  Just looking for thoughts from folks who've been down this road, want to get it right.  The size will probably be something like 15x15, I don't know that we could go much bigger, much as I'd like to (maybe up to 20x20).  I guess we'll see what the architect says.

Some general thoughts on where we are, I think (Mrs. O is really ceding this entire plan to me, mostly my baby, so I can pretty much do whatever I want):

  • Electrical -- has to have lighting on dimmers, and plenty of outlets
  • Sound -- no interest really -- portable speakers like our Echo Tap sound great, or would put a full time Echo out there; don't have a need for higher fidelity than that.
  • Television -- if we can find the space somewhere, I wouldn't mind a TV.  Seems like a no-brainer for watching sports on the weekend
  • Ceiling fan -- thinking this is a must for the summer months
  • Built in Bar/serving counter? -- seems like some kind of bar/serving would be a good idea, just don't know how it would integrate.  Hell maybe we do a counter top of granite or something with stools?
  • Built in fridge?  This I could see using.  Would be nice to always keep some cold beer stocked up out there.  Then again, it's really not that hard to go inside and grab a beer, or to bring out a tub with ice during parties.
  • Built in grill?  -- I'm thinking no on this.  Don't like the idea of all that smoke underneath the area, and don't want to take up space with a grill.  Don't mind a standalone grill outside -- although I could see doing a built in grill maybe at the outside portion/into the walls/masonry around the sides maybe.
  • Built in fireplace -- I've seen this in a lot of them in pics online, but again, we don't have a ton of space and I worry about it taking up too much space; I also don't know that we'd use it all that much, it will be a pretty significant additional cost, and I bet it raises all kinds of zoning/insurance issues.  So probably will pass on this.  I like the idea of a heat source to potentially even make this thing usable in the NY winter months, but we could also just do what a neighbor of ours did, which is have 1-2 of those propane fuel heat lamps like they have outside at restaurants.
  • Walls on the sides -- suggested to the architect it would be a good idea for us to have short walls along the two sides, with the side facing the rest of the yard being a step down to the rest of the yard.  The walls could double as seating/benches or a place to put your drink.
  • Patio at the bottom?  I'm thinking we still want some outside patio area, for getting some sun in a couple of lounge chairs.  Also would put the grill out on that maybe
The current wall out to the current patio (the back wall of my office/den) has just a single door with windows on either side.  I'm going to have him knock that wall out and replace with something that is as much glass/light as possible.  Thinking double doors, with side lights along side the double doors, and the "top lights" or glass windows above all of that, like shown here: https://imgur.com/a/yi2vp   I like the idea of it being as open as possible from my office, keeping as much light as possible in my office, and being able to open the doors on a nice day or evening as I work from my office and get the outdoor air.

Any other thoughts?

Thanks in advance, won't answer yours

 
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Snickers said:
What is your budget?
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Nothing set, but I'm in Long Island NY and everything here is a fortune.  I'm guessing this will be minimum $25k for what we want to do, and probably $40-50k or more if we do all the bells and whistles.  Just blending it into the roofline of our house, and extending the existing slate roof into it; and then including all the masonry for the new patio and the extended (uncovered) portion of the patio, that'll eat up that $25k easily.  

So, I'm prepared to spend whatever in order to do it right.  We're hoping to stay in this house forever, and this has always been something at the top of my wish list.  Just love settin' outside and relaxing with a drink and/or a cigar.  One of my favorite pastimes.  My only regret/drawback is there's really no view other than of the hedges to our various neighbors' yards, but at least it's privacy and peace.

 
Both that connecticut house and the porch oats linked are really nice.   People have nice things.   Good for them.

 
screened porch will possibility of removable windows.  ceiling fan.  tv jack.  skylights, at least 2.  the door should be a garage door if possible.  if you have a dog, add a doggy door. 2 sided fire place. 

 
Probably at least 50k.  We built one in FL last year about that size and wound up around 60 by the time we added the door and tied to roof into the house.  Ours is wood frame, synthetic floor, metal roof, and beadboard ceiling.  Put plenty of water, electrical outlets (high and low), and a couple natural gas connections for future flexibility of gas grills, heaters, speakers, tv's, etc. is my recommendation. And be prepared to paint the house to get it all matching once any new wood cures and can take paint.

 
Chemical X said:
screened porch will possibility of removable windows.  ceiling fan.  tv jack.  skylights, at least 2.  the door should be a garage door if possible.  if you have a dog, add a doggy door. 2 sided fire place. 
Click to expand...
This house has a walkout basement with a half garage door connected to the bar, and a screened in porch connected to the half garage door. The pics don't do it justice. It's pretty awesome.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/18508-Idlewind-Ct_Westfield_IN_46074_M48593-70722

 
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This is on my short list as soon as the kids outgrow their play structure. Then the kids play area turns into dads play area. :)  

 
I'm finishing mine up over the next two weeks. 

20x25', hip roof, wood fireplace, mounted TV above mantle on fireplace, seating wall around fireplace, recessed lighting, outdoor fan, etc. 

I'm in the subs of Baltimore and I'm about $40k in, with a lot of friends/connections. My main contractor did the design. 

Ask me any questions or PM if you want. 

 
Otis said:
Damn, that's pretty sweet.  Maybe the TV over a gas fireplace isn't such a bad idea...

(That whole house is awesome and makes me want to move...)
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Our TV in our living room is over a gas fire place, like it a lot.

But for our porch we like it simple. Comfortable furniture, screened in (bugs can get bad here) and ceiling fans/lights. That's it. I don't want the TV on out there. But I can see the benefit of watching football outside...

 
avoiding injuries said:
I'm finishing mine up over the next two weeks. 

20x25', hip roof, wood fireplace, mounted TV above mantle on fireplace, seating wall around fireplace, recessed lighting, outdoor fan, etc. 

I'm in the subs of Baltimore and I'm about $40k in, with a lot of friends/connections. My main contractor did the design. 

Ask me any questions or PM if you want. 
Click to expand...
This project from Houzz is what I based my design on. 

https://www.houzz.com/photo/6526726-inside-out-traditional-landscape-columbus

 
avoiding injuries said:
I'm finishing mine up over the next two weeks. 

20x25', hip roof, wood fireplace, mounted TV above mantle on fireplace, seating wall around fireplace, recessed lighting, outdoor fan, etc. 

I'm in the subs of Baltimore and I'm about $40k in, with a lot of friends/connections. My main contractor did the design. 

Ask me any questions or PM if you want. 
Click to expand...
I’d kill to see some pics of this. Sounds awesome. 

 
15x15 is pretty small to fit all that stuff.  My covered patio is 20x28 and we have some furniture and mostly kids stuff that eats up the space.

You're dead nuts on with the speakers outside, they're useless, I put them in and never use them.

Ceiling fan is a must.

I skipped the tv for now because when I'm outside I want to enjoy it and not watch TV.  If I lived in a warmer climate I'd have a tv but in upstate NY summers are quick, I'll watch TV in the winter.

 
Oats- how are the skeeters by you in the summer? When we made over our yard 4 years ago, the one thing that we didn't do that I really wish we had was screen in the covered patio. It gets mosquito nasty in the summer and we don't hang out there as much as we could because they really love Mrs glock...

 
glock said:
Oats- how are the skeeters by you in the summer? When we made over our yard 4 years ago, the one thing that we didn't do that I really wish we had was screen in the covered patio. It gets mosquito nasty in the summer and we don't hang out there as much as we could because they really love Mrs glock...
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was going to post the same thing. Oats and I are both on Long Island and the skeeters suck and they are huge. 

I would suggest installing a rail around the interior that you can hang some netting on and then have it slide off to the side when you don't need it. 

we have a tented screen house we are in all summer and its fantastic. We are looking at doing one of these in the future and the netting is feature #1.

 
-OZ- said:
Our TV in our living room is over a gas fire place, like it a lot.

But for our porch we like it simple. Comfortable furniture, screened in (bugs can get bad here) and ceiling fans/lights. That's it. I don't want the TV on out there. But I can see the benefit of watching football outside...
Click to expand...
Then do what I did - projector.  Screen can roll up and be totally hidden, and projector can be in a "box" or similar as well.  You won't know it's there unless it's on.  If you are thinking at all about resale value - then at least run some wiring for a future one (Cat6 and HDMI and power).  Speakers also, don't skimp on decent outdoor grade speaker wiring. 

 
Being on L.I. you will no doubt need to account for the skeeters - have a friend that uses a big ### fan to keep them away. If you don't want to do the screened in porch thing.

I would run a natural gas line out there for a BBQ - so you will not have to deal with refilling propane tanks.

Would also do a natural gas fireplace - turn off/on with a remote control - no cleanup or wood deliveries.

 
glvsav37 said:
was going to post the same thing. Oats and I are both on Long Island and the skeeters suck and they are huge. 

I would suggest installing a rail around the interior that you can hang some netting on and then have it slide off to the side when you don't need it. 

we have a tented screen house we are in all summer and its fantastic. We are looking at doing one of these in the future and the netting is feature #1.
Click to expand...
Islander as well. :yes:

 
NutterButter said:
I know a great bat guy.   500/bat is the going rate.   20 bats should cover it.   
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Bats are the best. Our property backs up to wetlands but thanks to the bats, we almost never get bitten in our backyard. 

 
Frank Drebin said:
Bats are the best. Our property backs up to wetlands but thanks to the bats, we almost never get bitten in our backyard. 
Click to expand...
Been contemplating putting up a bat house to get them to take up residence in my yard.

 
Frank Drebin said:
Bats are the best. Our property backs up to wetlands but thanks to the bats, we almost never get bitten in our backyard. 
Click to expand...
We have bats on the greenway behind my house but the house is far enough, probably 200 yards or so, from the creek that we get some by us. It's more spiders and other bugs than skeeters.

 
Don’t skimp on the lighting, you will use this area a lot at night. If you can add lighting to your nearby landscaping (up lighting) it adds a lot to the ambiance in the evenings.

 
I’m pretty much a dope in this area but I think what you posted in that pic will be on the north end of what you were wanting to spend.

We had a deck and a patio with some lighting put in and it gets up there in price quick. 

It should add significant value to the home though and will be used a lot so if you are going to do it go big and get it how you want it.

Portable speakers are so easy now so why mess with that IMO.

We use our patio area much more than the deck because it feels more private. I’m retrospect we would do a much bigger patio and smaller deck. Bringing that up because we should have put a bit more thought into that type of thing before we had ours built. 

 
I'm actually just working on accepting a contract to do a patio today.  I'm extending a patio 14" off the back of my house with a bench along the edge and pergola covering it.  I didn't want to mess with expense/hassle of expanding off my roof, and I already have 4 feet or so of roof covered patio for a small fully covered seating area.  My biggest decision was the covering, I'd always wanted to do flagstone, but that came to a $30,000 project, where stained and scored concrete saved me almost $8,000.  So for my level of house around $250,000, I think the stained scored is a better option for return with looks almost as good as the full flagstone.

I'm going to have them add in a fan, we are in Texas, so it's needed, and I'll probably do speakers myself, and maybe TV.  Not sure about lighting, as I already have a light on my covered part of the patio, but I could probably do something nicer.

I'm pretty excited to have this ready for spring.

 
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