How to add a shade cover between garage and alfresco?

[kitty613]

 

 

I have a rear entry free standing garage. I really want to add some kind of shade or covering between the garage door and alfresco, since it's going to be my main/most used entry into the house. The pathway is about 2.5m long. I mainly want some sort of protection from rain. 

I'd really appreciate any advice or ideas about what I could use. Please help, thank you!

[JacobZ]

Hi @kitty613,

Thank you for your question about adding some rain protection to the path between your garage and alfresco area.

Would it be possible to add some photos of the path? This will help our members offer more specific advice tailored to your requirements. Let me know if you need assistance uploading images, I'm more than happy to help.

Without seeing the area, it's hard to know what's possible, but some options I can think of are:
 

1. A covered walkway using H4 Posts, H3 Pine and polycarbonate roofing sheets to create a simple roof structure. You would need to confirm requirements with your local council as this may be considered a detached structure requiring building approval if you went with this option.
    
2. A Polytuf 2.4 x 3.0m Heavy Duty Tarpaulin strung up like a shade sail using turnbuckles and mounting points. This would likely require some mounting points being attached to the surrounding structures, or additional posts being added for mounting.

These are just some ideas that you may like to consider. If you upload some photos, I am happy to offer more specific advice.

Jacob

[kitty613]

Thank you! I’ll check out your suggestions. 

I’ve also added some photos ☺️

[EricL]

Hello @kitty613 

Thanks for sharing those photos of the gap between your garage and alfresco roofing. I'm in agreement with Jacob in regards to using polycarbonate roofing sheets as this would be a long-term solution. 

I also suggest engaging the services of a registered builder in regards to the type of timber frame you'll be using. It would also be prudent to check the rules and regulations of your local council in regards to the type of structure you're about to build. It is technically a covered walkway and is more than 2 meters in length.

It's possible that your builder might suggest building a timber awning that is attached to your garage wall. But you also have the choice of having an independent covered walkway with posts as suggested by Jacob. This means that it is not connected to either side of the structures present.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric