Working at Height: Installing a New Roof

Posted on: 27 September 2021

Patio kits allow homeowners to add a patio, often with a roof or canopy, to their home without having to deal with installers and associated costs. While these DIY patio kits are manufactured to be simple to use, you'll still need to do some preparation at your home. The kits are built with the idea that non-professionals will be installing them, but that doesn't mean you can simply open the box and click a few things into place. The installation will be much easier if you look at a few things before getting the kit.

Make Sure the Yard Is Level

Patio kits include the floor of the patio, obviously. When you place the floor of the patio on the surface of your lawn, you want the floor to be level, which means ensuring the ground that you place the patio on is level. Technically, your yard will have a very slight slope to it to allow rain to flow away from your house, but that slope is so gradual that you can't really see it. Don't worry about that slope, but do check for rocky areas that could interfere with the "feet" of the patio posts, and ensure that there are no depressed spots that your lawn grass has been hiding.

Double-Check the Weights of the Parts

Patio kits use sturdy materials, and that means the materials have weight to them. You must be sure you know what weights you're dealing with because you might not be able to lift them yourself. If you have family or friends helping you, that will reduce the problem of having parts that are very heavy. But if you were hoping to put the kit together yourself, you could be in for an unpleasant surprise if some parts turn out to be too heavy for you to lift. If you know the range of weights ahead of time, even a rough estimate, you can arrange for help and install the kit with no delay.

Verify Any Permanent Connections Are Doable

Some patio kits are freestanding, but others connect to portions of your home or a nearby fence or wall. If any connections are supposed to be permanent, make sure the connectors you get are appropriate for the type of house or fence you have, and that your house and fence can withstand the installation. Most patio kits are customisable (even if the kit was pre-packed, you should be able to swap connectors to ensure you have ones that will work on your property), so verify that any connectors you get will be ones you can use safely.

Patio kits come in so many variations that you'll find something that fits your home and yard. Ask about customisable kits, too, if you want to have something that matches the patio you've been dreaming about.