Adding a Covered Deck to Your Home
Covered decks are great additions to any home in Pennsylvania. They add more functionality to your outdoor living space, especially if you have one area covered and another open to get sunlight. Deer Ridge Construction builds custom covered decks that meet any homeowner’s needs, ensuring the roof meets the existing style of your home. With a few different roof styles and multiple benefits, a covered deck creates a stunning focal point and extra living space for your backyard. Below is our guide to adding a covered deck to your home.
Popular Covered Deck Roof Styles
There are a few different roof styles you can choose from for your covered deck project. We recommend using a style that matches your home’s exterior. The three main ones we’ve seen are:
Gabled
A gable roof is a triangular, 3-brace roof that has two sloped sides from one central peak. It blends seamlessly with the roofline of your existing home, especially if it already has a traditional peaked roof. This is our most popular option with a vaulted, open-air design. These roofs are ideal for high ceilings, fans, maximizing light, and mounting a TV. If you want more natural light, leave the gables open for a more spacious feel.
Hip Roof
A hip-style roof is where three or more sides slope downward from one point. It creates a pyramid-like shape, offering a contemporary look with a distinct style. With a more complex construction design, this style is good for modern homes with larger decks to give visual interest. The slopes provide good protection from wind, rain, and sunshine. These roofs are more enclosed than gable roofs, but also have room for lighting and fans underneath.
Shed
A shed roof style has a slanted, single slope that attaches to the house and angles downward. This style is cost-effective, more economical to build, and works well with other roof styles. It has a clean, minimalist, straightforward design that is good for ranch-style homes. This style also drains rainwater efficiently by simply diverting water away from the home’s foundation.
Benefits of Covered Decks
Covered decks have many benefits for an outdoor living space. They are great for protecting your deck from the weather, adding privacy, and increasing your home’s value. Below are some of the most valuable benefits:
Weather Protection
A covered deck protects both the homeowner and the furniture on the deck from weather elements. It protects furniture and deck flooring from fading or being damaged by UV rays, and protects your grill from rain. Our decks are built with premium materials, but having this added protection will go a long way. With a covered deck, you’ll be able to enjoy the outdoors without direct sunlight exposure, getting some much-needed shade on hot summer days. The deck will stay dry and shaded, cooling it down so it’s more comfortable. A covered deck will give you weather protection year-round, allowing you to use it during rain, snow, high winds, and intense heat.
Extended Use
With a covered deck, you’ll be able to extend the use of your outdoor living space into late fall and winter. A covered deck makes the space more comfortable, so you’ll want to be on your deck more, extending the time you spend outdoors. If you add a fireplace, you’ll be able to use it on colder nights. To create an ideal outdoor living space, add a TV, comfortable seating, fans, and heaters. This gives a great place to host parties during most seasons, expanding your living space without adding a full home addition.
Adds Visual Interest
Covered decks add architectural interest to your home’s design. It complements your home’s overall appearance, especially when it matches your architectural style. For more visual appeal, make sure the deck’s roofline matches your home’s existing roof. With this, you’ll be able to add character to your home while enhancing your curb appeal.
Increase Home Value
Covered decks are desirable features for potential buyers. One of the top things buyers look for when buying a house is an outdoor living space. In places like Pennsylvania, where the weather fluctuates often, homeowners are more in need of a covered deck. It also adds more functionality to your backyard, which prospective buyers generally look for. This makes a covered deck a good investment for your home, as you will increase your home value when you look to sell.
Privacy
A covered deck offers more privacy from neighbors than an open deck. With the added privacy, the space can also be more relaxing. You can even have a partially covered deck so you can have both a more private section and a more open one, giving you the best of both worlds. If you want more privacy, we recommend adding a screen room to your covered deck design.
Deck Roofs are Not Like Awnings
Deck roofs provide full protection from sun, rain, and snow for your outdoor living space, providing a nice shaded area to relax. Another common way that Pennsylvanian homeowners get shade for their deck is through an awning. A retractable awning is a fabric that can be mounted to your patio to provide shade, but it can be retracted if you want more sunlight. They are great for blocking harmful UV rays, but deck roofs are ideal if you want permanent, more effective shade. If you want full weather protection for your deck, a covered deck with Deer Ridge is the way to go.
Create an Outdoor Living Space
Custom outdoor living spaces with Deer Ridge Construction are a great way to add more functional and entertaining space to your home. Adding a covered deck to your home adds even more functionality with the benefit of using the deck even during harsh Pennsylvania weather. Check out some of our featured deck projects to see what our skilled team can do for you. If you’re ready to discuss your design and needs, contact us today.
