Archive for the ‘F.A.Q.s’ Category

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.

Paint codes

Here is a copy of the paint codes,  it may help those trying to match our colors.

Cleaning Alumawood

Amerimax aluminum products are easy to maintain. Generally, normal rainfall is sufficient to keep its appearance clean. If cleaning is required, we recommend the following steps. Particular attention should be given to areas under eaves, porches, awnings, and other overhangs that have limited exposure to the natural cleansing effect of rainfall.1) For moderate dirt – An occasional washing with clear water using a garden hose and soft-bristled brush is recommended (a long-handled, car-washing brush is ideal for this purpose).2) For a heavier dirt accumulation – Wash in the manner indicated above, but use the following solution:1/3 cup detergent (e.g. Tide®)2/3 cup trisodium phosphate (e.g. Soilax®)1 gallon water3) Mildew accumulation – Mildew can collect on surfaces of all types of building products and is often evident on surfaces that have not been properly maintained. Normally, mildew will appear as black spots. Mildew is easy to remove by using the following cleaning solution:1/3 cup detergent (e.g. Tide®)2/3 cup trisodium phosphate (e.g. Soilax®)1 quart sodium hypochloride 5% solution (e.g. Clorox®)3 quarts water4) Environmental black streaking – Black streaking can also collect on the surface of a structure. Black streaking can be removed by using Gutter Zap 4, which can be purchased from Alumawood.com5) Caulking compounds, tar, etc. – Use mineral spirits in reasonable amounts, apply directly to foreign substance. Rinse the area thoroughly with water immediately after cleaning.

Who’s product is better?

 

This is a recent email we received at alumawood.com

Dear Alumawood.com,

We recently were given a salespitch by your competition – the U— guys.
Some of the main points they made were:

Kynar vs. Polyester – they said their Kynar was superior in fade resistance,
cleanability and that your polyester will chalk.

  Amerimax (the manufacturer of Alumawood) has done some tests with The U—-L—— product and found it was coated with polyester, not Kynar!! 

Kynar is a good product, but is more expensive.  We use a silicone-polyester paint that is a great product. You may notice a bit of fading with the Adobe color after 5-10 years, all the other, lighter colors are fine.

C-channel wall hanger vs. the hinged type – they said their hinged type was
superior in that it allowed movement in the structure, that the foam in the
hinged type made the structure quieter, and that you use the C-channel which
is more likely to pull away from the wall and create problems.

We also have a “hinged” type hanger, we use this for eave mounts that are at a steeper pitch.  You can use this (if you like)  but we have never had problems with the c-channel pulling away from the wall

Thickness of the aluminum – they said they used a heavier gauge than you.

Their lattice is a .024 vs ours at .018 (lighter), this is a non-structural part of the cover.  We use the same gauge roof pans or rafters.  Their header is a .040 gauge while ours is a .042 gauge (heavier)  this is a structural part of the cover.

The Ultra Lattice also uses a much heavier look of wood grain, similar to the old mobile home siding pattern, our wood grain is similar to that found on metal garage doors that come on many of the new houses.

It seemed that the sales guy was a bit too glib, I’m guessing that perhaps he
was a little loose with the facts.  Please give me your side of their
claims.

Thanks for the opportunity to respond.
 

Regards,

B. H.

–
Regards, Lori
lori@alumawood.com
1-888-alumawood
www.alumawood.com

Radiant Heat, insulated vs. standard

Question:
Quick question though, are the panels insulated at all or is that an option? It gets really hot in Henderson Nevada and I am concerned with radiant heat

Thank you

Answer:
The insulated panels were developed for patio room enclosures that would be conditioned with heat or A/C. This works well when walls are built and insulated also.

As for radient heat, the bottom of the standard Alumawood roof (ceiling) stays cool to the touch even in 110 degree heat, adding a insulated roof would not help in that case. The additional cost of the insulated roof panels (almost 1.5x’s) would not give you the desired results.

Many customers will add a ceiling fan to their solid covers, this helps circulate the air. When installing a ceiling fan be sure to order the optional fan beam, this supports the additional weight of the fan.

Another popular option to add to your Alumawood cover is cooling misters. These can be purchased at any hardware store.

I hope this helps answer your question and try to stay cool this summer!!

Regards, Bob

Newport header and hanger size

   

Here is a great question and a brief answer

Alumawood.com, Good afternoon,
We received our patio cover (newport), and the roll formed hanger is 181.25 in, but the header measurement (between the decorative end caps) is 164.5 in. Do we need to cut the hanger to length, and if so, what length? If we cut it, can the roof panels extend past the header?
Jeff

Jeff,

That is a very good question. Please be sure to watch our video clips and read the instructions at Alumawood.com. Here is a bit of an explanation…………

The header is 6″ less than the width of the cover, it sits in 3″ on each side, so the roof pans hang out 3″ past the header on each side. This is to accommodate the side gutter. A 20′ wide cover will have a 19′-6″ header. When installing the first pan and having it “hang out” 3 inches past the header it will seem real flimsy, actually you can barely attach it if you have beveled end caps………..don’t worry once all is installed and connected it will be very strong!

The hanger comes a bit long because the cover may “grow” a bit if you do not get the pans tight to each other. On a 20′ wide cover the 40 – 6″ pans may “grow” to 20′-2″. I usually start at the end that is most critical as far as where the patio cover is attached, like the edge of the house, etc. Start the hanger in 3″ from the corner of the house (because after the side gutter and side wrap are added to the outside, it will be aprox. 3″ wider that the hanger) So the final, overall size of a 20′ cover may be around 20′-6″ to 20′-9″ from the farthest outside dimensions.

Once you are ready to install the last 2 roof pans you will need 12″ of hanger to complete it. Measure 12″, mark and cut the hanger while it is against the house. If you cut the top and bottom you should be able to bend it back and forth a few times and break it off. This way you can finish installing your roof pans and come out to the exact length with the roll formed hanger.

I hope this helps, please don’t hesitate to email or call if you have any other questions while installing your Alumawood patio cover.

Enjoy !! Bob