Photos by Linda Oyama Bryan
Large eclectic backyard deck in Chicago with a water feature and no cover.

Mid-sized transitional backyard deck in Charlotte with with dock and no cover.

Design ideas for a mid-sized country backyard deck in Wichita with no cover.

SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE PROJECT The customer requested a large 22 foot 11 inch wide x 14 foot, attached, 2 span (3 post) water proof retractable deck patio cover system with front water drainage. The plan was to have rain water drain through the invisible downspouts (inside the posts) and exit through a hole at the bottom of the posts. The entire system used one continuous piece of fabric and one motor. The system frame and guides are made entirely of non-rusting aluminum which is powder coated using the Qualicoat® powder coating process. Frame color chosen was our vendors proprietary Grigio Ferro. The stainless steel components used were Inox (470LI and 316) which are of the highest quality and have an extremely high corrosion resistance. In fact, the components meet the European salt spray corrosion test as tested by Centro Sviluppo Materiali in Italy. Fabric is Ferrari 302 Precontraint color Avorio P741, light filtering and opaque, a PVC fabric that is fire retardant and totally water-proof (not water-resistant). This retracting patio cover system has a Beaufort wind load rating Scale 10 (up to 63mph) with the fabric fully extended & in use. A hood with end caps was also used to prevent rain water, leaves and debris from collecting in the folds of fabric when not in use. Purlin covers were requested to prevent rain water, leaves and debris from collecting in the space between the two sections of aluminum (purlins) running from the house to the front posts. Motor operated with remote control. PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT The homeowners preferred a more modern design to their entire home. They are very active people and enjoy the outdoors (they both train as triathlete’s). Their desire was for the retractable patio cover system to provide shade on the desk that receives a great deal of afternoon sun. Prior to the installation, it got so hot, the client could not walk on the deck without shoes. Essentially, as much as they enjoy the outdoors, they did not use their deck. Again, with the modern design preference, a traditional roof structure was not their vision. They printed a retractable patio cover picture from Pinterest for the contractor. That was the start of the entire project. In addition to the upper area, they wanted to utilize the area below their deck, as well as create an area for their Jacuzzi Hot Tub. All this work was to be performed while keeping the overall design modern. UNIQUENESS OR COMPLEXITY OF THE PROJECT First and foremost was the initial design of the project. The contractor worked with the client for 11 months creating this living area using Chief Architect software. They created numerous different designs & elevations. They looked at every aspect of the design in great detail. For example, the slope of the retractable patio cover structure and if the retractable patio cover base plate would be above or below the transom windows on the house. They revised the width of the structure numerous times, which then affected the posts below with each design change. The width of the space was decided based on the clear span of the structure. There were multiple design options with the retractable patio cover & the contractor looked at each of those options. When ordering the retractable deck cover system, the contractor had to have it fabricated to a fraction of an inch because the cable railing posts where to be directly adjacent to the retractable deck cover posts. There was very little margin for error. Planning was essential! The deck posts below needed to be replaced, this included new footings. The layout of the posts and the sizes of the posts needed to correspond to the supports of the patio cover structure. The posts for the rail system were designed to duplicate the posts of the retractable patio cover structure. The contractor created a method for draining the rain water from the posts of the retractable patio cover structure to the ground below. PROJECT RESULTS One extremely happy homeowner and proud contractor. Our company is honored to work with a client who allowed us to assist them in providing a retractable shading system to keep the homeowners deck cool. We are very proud to have been a part of this project. This complex and time consuming project met every desire the clients had. After the project was complete, the homeowners told the contractor how excited and pleased they were with the space. That, to us, is what is so critical in our line of work. The comments related to how they enjoyed the entire process and are able to enjoy their lives even more now.

Balcony Detail - AFTER
Design ideas for a small mediterranean backyard deck in San Francisco with a pergola.

Photo of a contemporary backyard deck in Dallas with no cover.

Inspiration for a large traditional backyard deck in Seattle with no cover.

Space for the hot tub offers an ideal spot for enjoying their waterside views — whatever the season. www.besthottubs.com
Photo of a large country backyard deck with no cover.

Woodinville home. We also did the exposed aggregate concrete patio work.
Inspiration for a large traditional backyard deck in Seattle with no cover.

Multiple level deck with Williams Deck Railing that is available at Menards.
Photo of a large traditional backyard deck in Milwaukee.

Large tropical backyard deck in Miami with no cover.

The cottage style exterior of this newly remodeled ranch in Connecticut, belies its transitional interior design. The exterior of the home features wood shingle siding along with pvc trim work, a gently flared beltline separates the main level from the walk out lower level at the rear. Also on the rear of the house where the addition is most prominent there is a cozy deck, with maintenance free cable railings, a quaint gravel patio, and a garden shed with its own patio and fire pit gathering area.

Inspiration for an expansive arts and crafts backyard deck in Indianapolis.

This is an example of a large transitional backyard deck in Denver with with dock and no cover.

Inspiration for a mid-sized arts and crafts backyard deck in DC Metro with no cover.

An overview of the backyard made for entertaining. It features an outdoor bar, blue stone patio, pergola with outdoor lighting and an ipe deck with sunken hot tub.

Design ideas for a transitional backyard deck in New York with a fire feature and no cover.

Large arts and crafts backyard deck in Boston with no cover.

Mid-sized contemporary backyard deck in New Orleans with an outdoor kitchen and a roof extension.