Staying in the outdoors is great and you can do it in style, while also getting some shade in the warm season. Enjoying a casual moment, barefoot on your patio or deck, under the shade will surely be relaxing. Wondering how to get some shade in your sunny yard? Here are some types of covers that will protect you from the sun and will add style to your house as well. We’ll focus on different options, while also looking for budget solutions such as aluminum patio covers do it yourself.
1. Shade tree
The best and also the cheapest solution is to not chop off the trees in your yard. Keep some and let them grow to provide enough shade in the summer. Deciduous trees are the best at keeping your yard shaded from the sun. If you don’t have any tree, then you’ll have to plant a few and while waiting for them to grow, use umbrellas or a pergola. Yes, it will take a lot of time, but it will be worth it.
2. Umbrella
It’s not an expensive cover and it’s great to use it on your patio or on the deck. Add a table and some chairs and you will enjoy your lunch or coffee in the shade. Choose an umbrella that is freestanding, not the one you put inside the whole of the table, so you can easily move it in different directions. Please visit homeusetool.com to choose the best umbrella stands that fit for your patio.
You can also add some LED lights under the umbrella to use it in the evening.
There are a lot of umbrella types on the market. Some come with aluminum or wood poles. They use different fabrics, and it’s better to use one that is easy to clean, durable, won’t fade in time and will have UV protection. Remember to check if they are also resistant to water, mold, and mildew.
3. Lattice
Having a lattice added to your home will be a great improvement and will add a nice touch to your garden. Check out these amazing designed from Royal Covers. The structure is made of durable wood: either cedar or a more expensive one, redwood or teak. You will enjoy summer in the shade for a very long time if you choose this type of cover.
You can also choose to add some fabric to the lattice to add more beauty and to have a better control of shading.
4. Pergola
You might not be able to move it like an umbrella, and it definitely doesn’t scream casual, but a pergola is one of the best shading covers that can be easily customizable in terms of style, size, and costs.
You can choose a traditional style, with columns, purlins, and rafters and make it all look like it’s part of the house. Usually, a pergola is quite expensive – starting with a five-figure sum at least. Then you must also consider getting a permit for building it. And after you’ve finished having it up, remember to also save some time for maintaining it. That, or you can opt for low-maintenance materials that are a lot easier to clean or paint. Go for trim boards made from acrylic, columns made from fiberglass and woods like redwood.
5. Cloth
Get some shade with an easily created structure that doesn’t require a fancy system to cost you thousands of dollars. Check for the best material in terms of shading, use some wires and then make sure that you place the cloth at an angle, to let the rainwater fall off. If you forget to pitch the material, the rainwater might gather in the middle and stretch or rip the fabric, or it might also ruin the whole shading structure because of the weight.
Remember to take down the fabric and store it away while it’s winter if you’re in a region that usually has snow and ice in the cold season.
6. Integrated Shading
If the architecture of the house allows it and the budget is not an impediment for this shading option, then you should definitely get an integrated cover! It’s quite a costly structure, but it will do its job and it will make the covered space usable when it rains, snows, or when it’s sunny. Look at it as a room that has the same roof as the house, but with no walls.
