How to Choose the Best Patio Cover Material

A comfortable and cozy patio is very important for every homeowner. Our outdoor patio is where we often entertain our friends and family during hot summer days with homemade dinners, delicious barbecues, and memorable conversations. Adding a nice-looking patio cover to your exterior space provides the shade and comfort that will save you and your guests from the sun and will add a unique and beautiful detail to your patio.

Once you’ve decided to add a cover for your patio, your next step is choosing the appropriate material that will make your patio durable and practical. This will also add a unique character to your home, depending on style and design that you determine is right for you.

In this article we will help you to determine the best choice of material for your patio cover.

The material you choose is very important as it will determine the look and feel of your outdoor space as well as durability and the amount of maintenance that will be required to keep its original look. The material for your patio cover will need to be durable to withstand different weather conditions and the effects of the elements for many years.

Today we will focus on three most popular materials, and will go over their pros and cons:

Wood Patio Cover

The primary benefit of a wood material, specifically Redwood or Cedar, is how beautiful it looks. It is timeless with its natural beauty and patterns seemingly connect you to the nature where the timber was taken from. It creates a warm environment that is very appealing, a great addition to your exterior space. There are many different varieties and styles of lumber that will add a pleasing and charming look to your patio. Wood can also be painted or stained in a variety of different colors that will complement your home’s exterior and add your own signature finish.

However, there is one drawback when it comes to wood patios. One of the main cons of wood material is that it needs consistent and repetitive maintenance. Preserving and upholding the beautiful look and finish comes with a hefty price. Wood material needs sanding, filling, maintenance and repainting every few years, especially in constantly changing or extreme weather conditions. Wood material requires regular maintenance as it is prone to developing dry rot, cracking, peeling and losing its color. However, if your priority is charm and a more natural look, and you don’t mind the regular maintenance investment, then wood can definitely be a fine choice.

Overall, a wood patio cover is an excellent selection if you prefer a more vintage and natural style. To keep your wood patio cover well maintained, you can always ask our team members to help and we will be happy to take care of maintaining, sanding, painting or replacing dry rot in your patio cover for you.

Let’s take a look at two other patio cover material options.

Vinyl Patio Cover

The good news and the main positive of the vinyl patio covers is that it requires very little maintenance. If you don’t want to worry about sanding or painting your patio cover every now and then, and upkeeping the visual appearance constantly, then vinyl is your best choice. Vinyl is known to be a fairly durable material and it is unlikely to develop dry rot or get infested by termites because it is not a wood material.

There are 2 major setbacks regarding vinyl patio structures. Over the course of time, vinyl is prone to deforming and becoming very brittle due to overexposure to sun. Vinyl is aslo known to be less attractive when compared to wood. It might look less appealing and charming and it often loses its color over time. Color choices for vinyl materials are usually limited, and they cannot be repainted in a different color that might suit your exterior design and colors a little more.

To sum it up, vinyl is practical and low maintenance, but can offer only a few color choices and may fade over time. Overall, it doesn’t require a lot of maintenance, has a good value and is a great choice, if you don’t have much time or room in your budget to spend on the maintenance of your patio. 

Aluminum Patio Cover

Aluminum patio covers have many benefits: They are very easy to install, the structures are extremely durable and lightweight, and the are almost no maintenance required for the upkeep of your patio.

A solid aluminum cover provides excellent protection from different weather conditions and many different elements without compromising comfort and style at the same time. It is low maintenance and you will never see it fading, rotting or cracking. Aluminum is very flexible and allows for custom designs for your exterior space. Aluminum also provides good value for its cost. Aluminum patio cover materials range in many different colors

However, it also has its flaws. One of its main cons is that aluminum is prone to damage very easily. It is not difficult to bend or dent the material. It also does not resemble natural wood very well. It is possible to that the material can retain some heat on a hot summer day. However, this strongly depends on the type of aluminum material as well as the design, position, and the height of the patio cover. In general aluminum does not hold heat for long.

Overall, an aluminum patio cover is a great choice as this material is durable, low maintenance and will not lose its look and feel as well as quality as fast as wood. It will never crack or bow like a vinyl material and guaranteed rot-proof. They also provide excellent value for the money and will make your patio cozy, comfortable, and beautiful.

Why Choose GL Patios

At GL Patios we do our best to offer low maintenance, beautiful, modern, and stylish materials for patio covers. Customer satisfaction is our key goal and we always use only the highest quality patio cover materials.

We use high-quality, durable patio materials that can be customized into a large variety of styles giving your home a stylish and modern look. If you are hesitant about what material will work best for your patio cover, please give us a call and we will be happy to assist you.

Our team will evaluate and measure your exterior space, will walk you through all of the available choices and will go over your unique design preferences.

It is always encouraging to hear positive and amazing feedback from our clients and we pride ourselves in the quality of our work and service. We would love to assist you in creating a beautiful home exterior and a comfortable outdoor space that will create many memories for your family and friends.