Bob's Blog

Slab Attachment or Footings?

You may do a slab attachment with any of our covers except the freestanding style.

The further you go out from the house (projection) the closer the posts get to each other (post span). If you do use footings under the post we can increase the post span. Post span is an important factor in designing your cover.

If your cover is 10′x40′ your maximum post span on a slab would be 9′-1″. Your kit will come with 5 posts. With footings you can achieve a 12′-4″ post span (4 posts) add a double header and you can get a 15′-2″ post span (4 posts) and if you add steel post and header inserts you can get a 19′ post span (3 posts)

Our Alumawood shade structures run approximately 2lbs per sq. ft. total weight. A 10′x40′ would weigh approximately 800 lbs.

Give us a call and we can go through the engineering with you. You will need to highlight the sections that apply to your cover for pulling permits with your city building department.

Electrical for a Fan

QUESTION:
I see the wire can run within the beam for the fan. But I do not see any space between the panel and the attachment to the wall … or the front fascia for wire to run. I have not seen a picture or a description as to how the wire gets to the point where the fan is placed.

Also, can wire be ran within the posts to attached lights to the posts?

ANSWER:

The wire can be run in or next to the fan beam. I don’t like to run it in the fan beam because the wire can be damaged where in goes into and out of the fan beam if it rubs against sharp metal where you have made a hole to run the wire.

I like to run the wire next to the fan beam in conduit and take that right into the electrical box for the fan. I offset the box so the knockout for the electrical is exposed or on the side of the fan beam when connected. You don’t have to worry about sealing any connections because we have a “fan beam cap” that covers the entire 6″ Newport roof pan that the fan beam is in. This allows the rain to run off into the adjoining roof pans and the roof pan with the fan beam to stay dry. Using conduit also allows for standard connections to your electrical source and the fan beam box.

You can run wire in the posts. If you run it without conduit I suggest using exterior rolmex or direct burial rolmex, it has a stronger casing. Be careful when going through metal holes, some guys will use the rubber grommets made for this, pictured below, I think that’s a good idea.

We don’t have “drawings” or “instructions” for wiring for liability reasons. We should tell you to have a “licensed   electrician” install your lighting. As you know electrical can be dangerous and it’s best to let guys that know how to do it, do it. If they don’t know how then they shouldn’t attempt it.

Ledger boards

Here are some more options on ledger boards:

Ledger board wraps are figured at 2×6x0.024 pricing (per lineal foot), We can make it fit a wood 2×6 (5-1/2″ tall) or 2×8 (7-1/2″ tall) or make it match the Alumawood rafter (6-1/2″ tall). Both returns are usually 1-1/2″ to fit the width of the wood ledger board. The 6-1/2″ tall wraps are nice because you can customize (rip) an end cap and fit it to the ledger board. Otherwise you bend the end of the Alumawood wrap over to cover the ends of the ledger board.

Some guys will add a 1/2″ piece of plywood to the ledger board and order the wrap 2″x6.5″x2″ so they don’t have to rip the cap. You can also just use a 2×6.5 Alumawood rafter and fill it with wood, but then the lag bolts or 5/8″ plugs will show. You counter sink the bolts by using a 5/8″ spade bit drill, drill about 1/2″ to 3/4″ deep, set the lag bolt, use a 5/8″ plug to cover the hole.

One of the disadvantages to the ledger wrap break work is the 13′ maximum length. Another option is to order an Alumawood 2×6.5 rafter and use that. Your able to get up to 28′ or so in length. You can wood fill it, as mentioned above or rip the Alumawood rafter so it’s 1-1/2″ deep and use that as a wrap, so you can countersink the lag bolts into the wood ledger board and cover them.

There is one more option of ordering the 2×6.5 Alumawood with wood fill. We can do this in 20′ and 12′ lengths only. You would be paying for the Alumawood rafter, the caps and the wood fill (2×6 doug fir and 1/2″ plywood piece) The charge for the wood fill is $40 for the 12′ and $70 for the 20′. You would still add the cost of the Alumawood rafter and caps (and 5/8 plugs if you want to use them)

As you can see there are lots of options. You also may run across the need to use a 3×8 ledger wrap. You would use the lineal foot pricing for a 3×8 in that case.

Fan Beam install on existing solid patio

Finally, I read somewhere that if you want to install celling fans that a special bracket is required. Can this bracket be installed after the cover is installed?

No, we do not recommend this.
You want the L-bracket installed at the house as you build it, the fan beam is bolted to the L-bracket and into the header out at the posts. You will want to do this as you are building the cover and run the wiring. It can be done afterwards but is a hassle, you will need to put 4×8 sheets of plywood on top of the cover to distribute your weight. And be careful!! The covers are not designed to be walked on and we imply no guaranty here that it wouldn’t bend or collapse. We have been installing Alumawood for over 20 years and have never seen one collapse but I’m sure it would be possible.

Leveling the Header

Question:

• My patio concrete is not very level (long story).  Given that I have 3 header posts, they will have to be cut fairly exactly in order for all 3 posts to be flush against the bottom of the header and level.  Would you recommend putting up the posts first (without attaching at the base yet), then placing the header on top to see if they are level?  It seems difficult given that I can’t secure the posts until I’m sure they are the right size.  I don’t know how to tackle this.

lay out and install your post brackets.

Lay your header, (seam side down) next to it.

Use a speed square to transfer the post locations from the post brackets to the top (smooth or bottom side) of your header.

As you are doing this you can place a level on your header, have someone hold it level or shim it up.  Measure the difference at each post location and add this measurement to each post, respectively.  This will give you a straight and level post height.

Wind Loads

What can I do to “beef up” the design of an Alumawood Shade Structure to strengthen it against higher winds? 

Do you already have a cover you are wanting to improve or is this a new project?

A new project can simply be ordered for a 90 mph to a 110 mph wind load and will come with all necessary components.  The upgrade from  90 mph to 110 mph or higher includes some or all of the following, usually in this order:

1. decreased post spacing

2. increased roof pan gauge (thicker roof pans)

3. Doubling the header

4. concrete footings

5. steel or aluminum cloverleaf post inserts

6. steel C-beam header inserts

Along with these steps additional screws are also used and that’s about it!

Trying to “retro-fit” an existing cover would be difficult but not impossible.  Additional posts and screws is the first step.  Any further steps would involve disassembling the cover and replacing or adding parts.

Our engineering, available to download on our “Resources” page , has all the information for these spans, gauges and connections.  Anything out of the scope of our engineering will require “Site Specific” engineering, a free service for customers buying new Alumawood shade structures from us.

I trust this answers your question, please feel free to email or call us anytime.Regards, Bob

Eave Attachments

Here is a chart with engineering for eave attachments (bottom) and roof attachments (top).  Notice that the rafter size and rafter overhang of the house may limit your patio cover projection, this applies to both roof and eave attachments.

Fan Beams

We are often asked if a ceiling fan can be mounted to the Alumawood cover. We do have a “fan Beam” that can be ordered separately as an option.  We also have  engineering for this.  Be sure to check your projection and weight of the fan to determine if it will work for your particular cover.

Low height at house attachment

PROBLEM:
The roof eaves are very low on my house.  With a 12ft projection and  ½” drop per foot I will need 6″ of fall. This will make the header at the edge of the concrete slab  too low.
what other options are there?
SOLUTION:

There are a few options available and a few things to consider when you are faced with a low attachment height at the house.
You will need a minimum of 6′-8″ clearance under the header, 6′-6″ is allowed with some building authorities, usually you just have to ask.

Laguna Lattice covers are easiest to work with when you have a low mounting height at the house for two reasons:
1. You do not need 1/2″ per foot of fall for rain runoff
2. You may “reverse mount” the header, putting it on top of the rafters and “hanging” them from the header.

The Newport Solid covers must have fall for the rain to run off and the header must be placed under the roof pans.

When calculating the fall for the solid roof at 1/2″ per foot you need to take into account the fall of the concrete, usually 1/4″ per foot, but this slope may vary greatly from job to job.  This can be added into the equation to gain your minimum slope of 1/2″ per foot.

You can simply use one of the side rafters, place it perpendicular to the house with one end touching the house (for an eave attachment place the rafter at the appropriate distance from the wall).  Place a level on top of the rafter and lift the rafter until it is level.  Measure your slabs “fall” at the post location.  Subtract this number from the total fall needed.

ex. If you have an 7′-6′ high wall attachment (bottom of Alumawood roof) and a cover with a 15′ projection then your posts will be somewhere between 14′-6″ and 13′.  For this example we will mount the posts at 14′. We will need 7″ of fall from the attachment at the house to the posts and header.  If we have 1/4″ of fall on our concrete slab then we have 3-1/2″ of fall in the slab and we will only need an additional 3-1/2″ of fall for the cover itself.  We also need to deduct 8″ for the header.  8″ + 3-1/2″ = 11-1/2″.
Our height at the wall of 7′-6″ – 11-1/2″ = 6′-6-1/2″ which is a bit low.
We can substitute a double 2×6 header for the 3×8 header which will give us more headroom under the header.  6-1/2″ + 3-1/2″ = 10″.  7′-6″ – 10″ = 6′-8″ and this will work for our headroom.

The final option available its to roof mount the patio cover.

This is much easier on a composition shingle roof as opposed to a concrete or clay tile roof.  On a comp roof you simply mount 8″ L-brackets with lag bolts through the roofing into the house rafters.  The bolts will need to be sealed with roof mastic or similar. You then need to bend the leg of the L-bracket that is sticking up to a vertical position.  Your ledger board can then be mounted to these L-brackets and your patio cover attached to this.
On a tile roof we recommend have a roofing contractor install the L-brackets.
As always check the engineering, available at www.alumawood.com on the resources page.  There are limitations to all applications as specified in the engineering.
You may always email questions to info@alumawood.com

or call us at 1-888-alumawood (258-6296)

Damaged Shipping

In the unlikely case your Alumawood arrives damaged you will need to follow FedEx’s damage claim policies. These cam be viewed at:
fedexfreight.fedex.com/lossdamage_guide.pdf

One important thing to remember is promptness of any claim. We ask that you notify us ASAP but within 24 hours of delivery. When you sign the bill of lading you are acknowledging you have received the product in good condition. If there is damage then please have the driver note it on the bill of lading, all copies, and take receipt of the product. DO NOT return the entire shipment, we will replace any parts damaged as long as you follow FedEx’s instructions and policies.

Sometimes the damage may not be visible at the time of delivery. FedEx states:

Concealed Loss or Damage
These claims are considered and investigated as concealed loss or damage claims and will be handled based on their individual merits.
Concealed loss or damage is that which was not apparent at the time of delivery. The National Motor Freight Classification, ITEM 300135 (see
specific section below) states: “When damage to contents of a shipping container is discovered by the recipient which could not have been
determined at time of delivery, it must be reported by the recipient to the delivering carrier upon discovery and a request for inspection by the
carrier’s representative made. Notice of loss or damage and a request for inspection may be given by telephone or in person, but in either event must
be confirmed in writing by mail.”
Concealed damage should be reported to the carrier within 15 days of delivery. Inspection or waiver of inspection will be provided by FedEx Freight or
FedEx National LTL as promptly as possible and practicable after receipt of request by the recipient. However, should we waive inspection, the recipient
must make the inspection and record all information to the best of his or her ability pertinent to the cause.