Top 7 Expert Tips for Adding a Roof to Your Outdoor Space
If you are thinking about adding a roof to your outdoor space and creating a canopy or pergola, you should consider these 7 expert tips: the contractor’s experience and warranty policy, the roofing material’s durability, appearance, and cost, and the outdoor space’s usability and the value it adds to the property.
With these 7 things in mind, you will be able to add a roof to your outdoor space and create a great, practical, and beautiful roofed outdoor space. Let’s get started on our 7 top tips.
Choosing The Right Contractor
When you are planning to construct an outdoor roofed space in your garden, you will need to ensure you use the services of an experienced, licensed contractor with credentials and a good warranty policy. This is the best way to avoid disappointment or poor work.
1. Experience
Tip Number One: find an experienced contractor with evidence on their website that they are experts in the field and have many satisfied customers. Look for credentials on their site and confirmation that they are fully licensed. Moreover, try to find testimonials from happy customers and any mention of businesses who trust them and use their services repeatedly.
2. Warranty
Top Tip Number Two: look out for contractors with great warranty guarantees. Especially if you live in an area with extreme weather or your roofed outdoor space is very exposed, this is a must.
You will see that some roofing companies promise a decades-long warranty. This is something you will definitely want to check before committing to a contractor. For instance, at Lenox Roofing Solutions information, you can see their 50-year warranty guarantee stated on the website. This is a big consideration to make in South Carolina, where tropical storms are not uncommon.
Think About The Material
There are several ways you can go with roofing, such as corrugated metal, slate or tile, wood, vinyl-based materials, aluminum, and more. The roofing material you choose will affect the durability of the roof, as well as its appearance.
3. Durability
Tip number three: pick a durable material. If your outdoor space experiences a lot of wind, rain, snow, ice, or other extreme weather conditions, it is very important that your roofing can hold up. The last thing you want is to be faced with annual replacement or repair costs because your roof is made out of the wrong sort of material to survive the seasons.
Depending on whether you think your roof will have to withstand more wind, rainfall, or heavy snowfall, for instance, you will be more inclined to certain roof types, such as wood, slate, corrugated metal, tiles, and copper or rubber-based roof materials.
4. Appearance
Roofing Tip Number Four: as well as being practical, it also has to look good! When thinking about the appearance of your outdoor roofing, consider the aesthetic, the color, the shape and design of the structure, and of course, the material.
While metal is often more durable than wood, for instance, you should also consider the beauty of the pergola or canopy in your garden. Each roofing material has its own color and connotations, so pick the one you love to look at.
You will hopefully spend a lot of time in this new space you are creating for yourself, and you want it to be a place that you can enjoy for its practicality but also its look and vibe in the garden. Is it rustic and relaxing? Modern and fun? Whatever overall feel you are going for, find a material to match.
5. Cost
Obviously, each roofing material comes with its own price and maintenance costs. For instance, wooden shingles will cost less than slate roofing, but on the flip side, you will find that slate is generally more durable.
This means you will need to factor the cost into your considerations, but it cannot be the only factor, as you will also need to weigh up the likelihood of repairs and whether the material you choose is right for the appearance and purpose of your roofing.
The Outdoor Space
Now you can think about what you will use the space for and whether or not it will be practical for your lifestyle and for your home. As well as being used by you now, remember that this outdoor space will be used by the next occupants of the home as well.
6. Usability
Think about what you ideally want to use the space for. Is it going to function as an outdoor gym, a reading space, a yoga studio, or a garden party spot? Whatever its intended function, ensure when you are designing the space that it will be useful and practical.
Are you going to build a yoga space when realistically you only practice this hobby once or twice a month? Would it be better used as a barbecue area? Think about your lifestyle and hobbies and be honest with yourself about whether or not the space is likely to be used and loved.
7. House Value
There are several ways you can add value to a home. One obvious one is adding usable space to the property. An outdoor cooking space or relaxation area, for instance, is a great selling point for any property.
Which idea do you have that you love and that also adds value to your home? Research what is popular now. Also, think about how the space compliments the home. Does it add something that the main structure lacks? Does it match the aesthetic of the house? Will a couple or family looking to buy find it appealing?
Spending the money now can be a great financial decision if it significantly improves the value of your home come selling time.
Conclusion
This has been a list of 7 expert tips for adding a roof to your outdoor space. Starting from choosing the right contractor, who can offer a professional service and a great warranty, to picking a durable and cost-effective material that looks good, and finally ensuring that the space is usable and adds value to your home.
If you consider these 7 expert tips, you will create a great space for the family and your friends to enjoy, whether its main purpose is relaxing, partying, exercising, or whatever else you love to do. Have fun!
Read More: Understanding the Importance of Roof Maintenance: A Comprehensive Guide