Bob's Blog

Crown Molding

One very nice and custom option for the solid Newport cover is to delete the Alumawood “rafter tails” and install a PVC or other exterior grade crown molding. Crown molding is available from local hardware or lumber supply stores.

This crown molding was attached through the back side of the Alumawood 2×6 fascias with long screws, an exterior grade construction adhesive was also used.  Paint codes are available from alumawood.com  to match all existing Alumawood covers.

Another option not used in this picture is to delete the down spouts and use Alumawood scuppers.  With the scupper option you don’t have the down spout conflicting with the elegant round columns.

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

Sanchez Pergola

This is a new design we are working on. We hope to offer it soon as a DIY Kit at Alumawood.com.

This particular cover was developed as a joint effort between Alumawood.com and our customer Jerry Sanchez. This pergola was his concept and we helped him through the design process.

This cover is unique in that it has a peaked hip roof with lattice slats running parallel with each of the hip sides. It sits on four round, tapered, fiberglass columns and covers his jacuzzi.

All of the Alumawood.com DIY Kits currently offered have only flat roofs so this style pergola will be a great option to offer. We have had requests for this type of style in the past but Jerry was the first one to take on the challenge of designing and constructing it. We will be updating you on when it is available. Good job Jerry!

Ceiling Fan Questions

 How do you install ceiling fans in lattice and what height does the lattice need to be for a standard ceiling fan?

Thank you for your question.

We do have a ceiling fan beam that is used for solid covers that costs about $75.00. It is a very heavy gauge 2″x2-1/2″ unpainted, aluminum box beam. This may be Incorporated into the lattice style covers but we do not have engineering for it. The fan beam may be put in the rafters or along the lattice. Some customers have put wood 2×6’s inside the rafters spanning the length from the house to the header while others have used 2×2 metal tubing between the lattice tubes.

The challenge is to find a flat, secure location to mount the fan to, this is not a problem with the solid cover but is a challenge with a lattice cover. Some installers will “double up” the 2×6 rafters, there by giving a larger area to attach the fan to. Other installers will mount the fan up at the lattice level, between the rafters. This gives you a higher starting point for the fan. You should check any instructions that come with the fan for head room clearance but I believe you will need at least 6′-8″ under the blades.

As with any custom project, there may be many ways to accomplish the job and get the same results. I have attached a picture of one way a customer has solved this problem. He actually used a 2″x2″ metal tube, primed and painted it and then set it in between the lattice tubes spanning over four rafters. He then ran the wiring and attached the fan to the metal tubes, this seems like a very sturdy application.

What about Hail?

Hereis a great question by a customer I though I’d share with you

We don’t get much if any snow here in Lubbock, but we
do get hail.  How hail resistant is the system?

Also along that line, I’ve heard there’s a competing
product called U—-Lattice which uses as a selling
point that it is thicker.  Now I’ve been around long
enough to know not all aluminum is the same and just
because it’s thicker doesn’t make it stronger.  I do
know it would make it heavier load-wise.  What’s your
opinion of the other product?

H W
Lubbock, TX  79424

HW,  Thank you for your question

Hail depending on it’s size will destroy just about anything.  Yes the Alumawood would dent in a large hail storm.

U—–Lattice is only thicker on the lattice tubes.  The header beam in the Alumawood is .042 in lieu of the .040 in the U—–Lattice.  This is the main carrying beam of the system.  The lattice tubes are a nonstructural item.  We use a 3004 alloy which is a structural alloy for the rafters and beams.  The lattice is 3105.  Which is a nonstructural alloy.  U—–Lattice engineering shows the same as we do.  So the lattice pieces are nonstructural in their engineering as well. 

Multi Level Alumawood

Here is another great Alumawood design by one of our customer.

This custom multi-level Laguna (lattice) style patio cover was designed by Phil Smith. He did a great job of combining creativity with structural function. There are actually five different levels of 2×6 rafters and headers!

Phil “doubled up” all of the beams and was able to achieve greater spans between posts and between the rafters themselves. Notice how all the rafters and headers layout to meet at a post. When a post wasn’t needed, he inserted “false posts” where the rafters and headers met. He also made a nice transition from above the roof at the garage to the existing portch at the front of the house.

As you can see, the possibilities with Alumawood are practically endless.

Installing Outdoor Lighting

Here is a nice job of outdoor lighting on an Alumawood patio cover.

Four outdoor lights were install on this freestanding Alumawood patio cover. One light was installed on the header, above each column on the inside of the cover.

Electrical conduit was run underground to the back post before the concrete was poured. This was easy because the cover is a freestanding unit, all freestanding patio covers have steel posts set in concrete footings, so the conduit was just taped to the steel post during the concrete pour.

Before the 12″ fiberglass columns were slipped over the steel posts the electrical conduit was connected to an electrical outlet and dimmer switch for the lights and then ran up to the top of the post. At this time square holes we cut in the back side of the column about 16″ off the ground and again at about 36″ off the ground to accommodate the electrical outlet and light switch.

When the 3×8 headers were installed, a 1″ hole was cut in the bottom of the header and the electrical conduit was run straight up into the header. At this point the wiring was run to the light and then down the inside of the header to the other light.

When the rafters were installed, a hole was drilled from the header to the rafter and the wire was fed through and down the rafter to the header on the opposite side of the cover. Two lights on that side of the cover were then connected.

This is a great example of how, with a little patience and forethought, a “clean” wiring job can be achieved on an Alumawood patio cover

Pool Trellis

This Alumawood trellis was installed by Pinnell Construction Inc. to compliment the beautiful views from this estate. In this setting the trellis is more of a sculpture than an actual shade structure. The pool trellis really sets off the beautiful slate paving and sitting wall. The height of the trellis draws your gaze up and encourages you to take in the exquisite views from this veranda. This home has a total of five Alumawood structures, each one different in design and function.

All Alumawood freestanding structures must have steel cloverleaf posts set in large, typically 22″ to 27″ cubed, concrete footings. Because of this the freestanding structures generally cost 1-1/2 to 2 times that of a standard attached cover. They also usually have twice as many headers and end caps and labor!!

Many of the Alumawood structures also incorporate columns. You can see the amazing variety available at superioraluminum.com. We ship direct from their factory to our customers. The columns are a wonderful addition to add mass and elegance to the Alumawood structures. We also add a double header to all structures ordered with columns.

Freestanding Trellis

This custom freestanding Alumawood trellis is curved to follow the pathway leading to the guest house.

12″ round fiberglass columns have been installed and painted white to match the cover. The 3×8 headers were “doubled up”, a common addition when columns are used. 3×8 rafters with corbel ends were substituted for 2×6 rafters. 3×3’s, which are normally used for the posts, were used to replace the standard 2×2 lattice. The combination of these custom features make to trellis look massive.

Alumawood Covers can be customized many ways. Pinnell Construction Inc. has done quite a bit of custom and commercial work.