Visor over the porch: the main varieties and design tips (75 photo ideas)

Any private house starts with a porch and a door. The beautiful design of the entrance area is a sign of good taste. An important role here is played by the installation of a visor corresponding to the exterior of the building. In addition, such a cantilever canopy should be useful and functional. Read also: terrace to the house.

Summary of the article:

Visors eliminate many problems of homeowners:

protect the front part of the house, doors, steps from precipitation (rain, snow);
complement and decorate the appearance of the structure;
provide a comfortable entrance to the room;
they shelter from the scorching sun or wind.

Photos of original and practical canopies over the porch are shown in the selection.

Requirements for visors

In order for the canopy to serve for a long time and fully perform its functions, it must meet a number of requirements:

Have a solid structure that can withstand its own weight and snow load. If it is planned to design the canopy with plantings, then it is necessary to take into account their weight.
Be multifunctional, protect not only the front door, but also the entire space of the porch.
Contain a drain system that provides an effective outflow of water through drainpipes into a storage tank or storm sewer.
Harmoniously combined with the facade or roof of the building. This does not mean at all that the visor should repeat the material of the roof or match the coloring of the wall cladding. Sometimes a successful contrasting solution enlivens the appearance of the building, brings a certain charm to it.

The shape of the visors

Today, many companies offer to purchase a ready-made porch canopy. The huge assortment includes products of various shapes, material execution and design. For those who want to save a budget or become the owner of a unique hand-made element, there is an option to make a porch fence yourself.

According to the form , the following types are distinguished:

Spherical structures. Due to the streamlining of the dome, they are not deformed by strong wind. Recommended for regions with appropriate weather conditions. They occupy a small area in comparison with other species.

Pitched varieties. Single-pitched versions are easy to make on their own. For trouble-free drainage of water and snowfall, you should correctly calculate the angle of the slope. If increased strength is required, it is better to mount a double-pitched visor.

Arched structures. They drain rainwater well, do not accumulate snow layers on their roof.
Flat straight visors. This is an ideal platform for placing flowers on them. The negative side is that precipitation is difficult.

Visor material

The service life of the product depends on the rational choice of material. All canopies consist of roofing cladding and a supporting frame.

Metal, glass, polymers (polycarbonate, PVC plastic), metal tiles or corrugated board are used for the roof. The frame is made of metal (forged supports, steel pipes and profiles) or wood.

Polycarbonate and plastic

One of the most affordable materials on the construction market is polycarbonate. It is produced by melting transparent or colored granules and then forming sheets. The thickness varies from 3 to 32 mm. There are monolithic, cellular (cellular) and profiled types.

The widespread use of polycarbonate visors indicates the valuable characteristics of this material. It is worth noting the following of them:

High light transmittance, high level of natural light.
The material is not subject to rotting, insects and corrosion. Mold does not form on the surface.
Light weight, which facilitates installation.
Wide color palette.
High flexibility, characteristic of all types (honeycombs are allowed to deform only along the stiffeners).
Reasonable price.

Among the disadvantages is the possibility of abrasive wear and destruction under the influence of ultraviolet light. To avoid these phenomena, buy a material with a special film against UV radiation.

A good solution is a visor made of PVC plastic plates. Just like polycarbonate, they are presented in a colorless and colorless design, transparent and matte.

Glass

The glass visors look weightless and elegant. Of course, we are not talking about an ordinary stele, which, due to its fragility and low degree of deformation, is of little use for canopies. These disadvantages are deprived of special types of glasses — tempered or triplex.

A triplex is a pair of ordinary glasses connected by a film. This design provides durability, long service life.

In addition to excellent mechanical performance, triplex glass is completely safe. If it is broken, then many fragments are retained on the surface of the film and do not pose a threat to people.

The negative aspect of the glass visor is the complexity of maintenance and the high cost of high—quality glasses.

Metal visor

The canopy with metal parts is simple and reliable. A metal visor can be created in 2 ways: by connecting the parts for welding or assembling them into threaded elements (bolts, nuts). In both cases, the fastening of the parts must guarantee the strength of the product.

An important advantage of such a visor is durability. But the metal is subject to corrosion, so its surface must be treated with special compositions and coatings. In addition, such a visor weighs more than similar polycarbonate ones.

As an alternative to a visor made entirely of metal, you can consider a combination of metal and corrugated board. The sides of the latter are protected from atmospheric influences by a polymer layer.

In hardware stores there are sheets of profiled flooring of various colors and sizes. You can find coatings that imitate brickwork, an array of wood. The roof of profiled flooring is not inferior in popularity to polycarbonate canvases.

The corrugated texture provides high rigidity and less flexibility. It is extremely difficult to use the material to create a spherical or arched visor shape. The best option is to cover a flat or pitched roof.

Another disadvantage is that there are dents from hail and traces of blows on the surface. It is recommended to purchase thick-sheet profiled flooring.

The forged visor looks original and presentable. But forging is an expensive pleasure. You can save money if you use individual forged fragments in combination with polycarbonate, plastic, tiles and metal in the design of the visor.

Metal

The color and texture of the metal tile must match the roofing material of the roof. Even a slight discrepancy will affect the architectural ensemble.

It is better to design a metal-tile visor in conjunction with the roofing work of the building itself. Under such a canopy, the sound of rain is clearly audible.

Tree

Many craftsmen, when installing a visor, prefer wood. A wooden canopy is a good option for log–based buildings. Before putting it into operation, all surfaces must be treated with compounds from rotting and insect pests. Additionally, it is worth considering the waterproofing of the canopy (roofing material or plastic).

The advantages of wooden hinged structures include: environmental friendliness, ease of installation, aesthetic appearance.

The material provides unlimited scope for creativity: you can use wood carving, tinting blanks in various colors.

If the wood is chosen for the construction of the canopy, then you should stop at simpler forms of the canopy – a one- or two-pitched version. Read also about the roof of the gazebo.