NW Austin Homeowners Love their Delightful Patio and Covered Pergola
When you have a covered outdoor space suitable for entertaining, you’re ready for anything! These NW Austin homeowners originally had a tiny covered area at their back door, with room for three or four chairs and a tiny table. It wasn’t enough! They seriously needed space to move around in—and space for actual tables where they could sit outdoors and enjoy a meal. Space where they could celebrate every occasion, large or small. That’s why they called Archadeck of Austin, the Austin patio builder, to design and build a patio and covered pergola combination.
NW Austin Patio Delights the Senses
When we design your outdoor living project, we collaborate with you to design a functional space that meets your needs and suits your tastes. Here you can see this NW Austin patio addition is a pleasing combination of colors and textures. Our clients chose this side-by-side combination of the lighter stonework for their seating wall and the darker flagstone pattern overlay for the patio. Not only do our eyes see the contrasting color patterns, we “see” the contrasting textures as well.
As you pull back from the scene, you’ll notice the additional contrast of the pergola’s dark cedar beams and posts. And that’s not all! The homeowners were in the process of adding festive string lighting for nighttime ambiance. As darkness falls, the playful illumination of this covered patio will sweetly beckon the homeowners and their guests outdoors. Two ceiling fans will wrap them in a gentle breeze. This outdoor living space offers plenty of versatility, day or night. From intimate family dinners to an all-out party on the patio, our clients now have the perfect outdoor setting for whatever they can dream up.
Details of this Patio and Pergola Combination
The patio’s size, extending a spacious 20′ out from the house, meets the clients’ first priority for a larger outdoor living space. The covered pergola fills their priority for a covered space they can use rain or shine. Speaking of sunshine, bring it on! Our clients chose to add a TopGal polycarbonate cover atop the pergola that will protect them from the sun’s heat and damaging UV rays. This is not just any ordinary sheet of plastic. TopGal is multiwall polycarbonate system that provides thermal insulation for the area by reducing solar heat gain.
The patio itself is concrete with the addition of a flagstone overlay, rich in texture and color variations. We constructed the seating wall with white limestone, and the smooth bench surface is made of Lueders limestone. We built the large custom pergola with cedar. Creature comforts for this covered patio include two ceiling fans and plenty of lighting with electrical outlets for additional creature comforts as needed.
Plenty of lighting? Our clients can adjust the outdoor lighting levels according to their needs and the mood they want to set. For ambiance, we installed subtle LED lighting all along the seating wall, just under the bench surface. The effect of this lighting at night is stunning. Then, the clients have the festive string lighting they added themselves. In addition, two of the pergola’s posts feature lanterns that illuminate the covered patio for dining. The two outermost posts have spotlights that illuminate the yard. And if they want more light, the ceiling fans include light fixtures as well. The only way the homeowners will be in the dark is if they choose to be!
Perfectly Versatile Covered Patio Design in NW Austin
The versatility in this patio comes from its size, its protective cover and the low seating wall that surrounds it on three sides. The seating wall adds coziness and a hint of privacy for relaxation and intimate gatherings. It also provides additional seating for larger get-togethers. On nights when they choose to stay indoors, the family can enjoy the ambiance of their patio’s illumination as they look outside from within the home. Call Archadeck of Austin today at 512-259-8282 or email us to schedule your free design consultation.
Dog approves of NW Austin total patio makeover by Archadeck of Austin
When we took on this project in the NW Austin area off of 620 and Boulder Ave., we didn’t quite understand that all work had to be dog-approved. Luckily we got along well with the family pet, which loves the new bigger-and-better patio and pergola combination we designed and installed. On sunnier days, this pampered pooch probably make its way over to the side of the patio that’s covered by the pergola. We’re betting on that.
These NW Austin homeowners called patio builder Archadeck of Austin because they wanted to overhaul their patio and deck combination. The low-to-grade wood deck was not aging well and needed to be replaced. The covered patio wasn’t functioning as a patio at all, but more as a place to walk through on your way from the yard or deck to get into the house.
Before Archadeck of Austin began the project:
The new outdoor living space we designed for the family called for removing the low deck and extending the patio in its place. We also added a stone retaining wall that can be used for additional seating, and we built a big, beefy pergola to replace the smaller one they had on the deck.
As sometimes happens, when we demo’d the deck we came across hidden conditions the homeowners had not been aware of. The deck had included one wooden step up from the patio to the deck surface, and that step had rotted. The step had been built closely around the original posts holding up the roof over the patio, so the posts had been compromised. They were no longer sound enough to continue supporting the patio cover.
To remedy this problem, Archadeck of Austin replaced the four original posts with what are called star posts, technically load-bearing posts that are hollow on the inside. These new posts are specifically designed to carry loads. In this case, the load is the roof over the original portion of the patio. We put a new base around each star post and painted them to match the original color.
And … there was more. When we removed the deck we found that water had seeped into a gap where the deck met the house, and the house siding had rotted at that connecting point. Fortunately the homeowner had an extra piece of siding tucked away in the garage. We were able to remove the damaged portion of the siding and replace it with the extra piece. With the siding repaired, we painted the replacement piece of siding to match the house color.
So, back to the patio! We extended the patio across the area previously covered by the deck. The homeowners now have a large and truly functional patio. The patio surface is a resilient stained concrete, and we stained the original section of the patio, too, so it would all match. We built a stone retaining wall enclosing three sides of the patio, and that wall has a smooth stone top that also makes it the perfect seating wall if additional seating is needed outdoors.
The homeowners wanted a bigger pergola for more shade, and we accomplished that. The new cedar pergola looks extra beefy because we used 2x10s for the rafter system instead of the traditional 2×8″ boards we usually use for that purpose.
Finally, we installed a ceiling fan under the pergola and placed sconce lights on the pergola posts for safety and ambiance on the patio after dark.
The family dog is truly content with the wonderful new patio, and we believe is fully appreciative of the shade the large pergola will provide once warmer weather sets in.
If you would like to talk with us about enlarging your patio or building a combination outdoor living space, contact Archadeck of Austin today at (512) 259-8282 or via email at jim.odom@archadeck.net to schedule a free design consultation.
Jim Schallon, senior designer Archadeck of Austin.
Austin Decks, Pergolas, Covered Patios, Porches, more 