Visitors staying at this Airbnb-type rental in the Lost Creek neighborhood of SW Austin are going to love the newly-upgraded patio. The homeowners brought Archadeck in to design and build a covered pergola over the existing patio to provide shade and increase the patio’s functionality. This patio is going to be everyone’s favorite outdoor spot – guests and homeowners alike!
Our clients in SW Austin’s Lost Creek neighborhood have been renting out the apartment above their garage to short-term visitors. It’s a charming spot but the patio here needed a facelift, and it needed a shade cover as well. Luckily the homeowners hired Archadeck of Austin for the project and not a less-capable builder. In the wrong hands, this cozy patio could have become too cozy, but Archadeck had just the solution to keep that from happening.
Patio before Archadeck o Austin began the project.
Archadeck is Your Resourceful Austin Pergola Designer
To turn their flagstone patio into a welcoming destination, these homeowners chose to add a custom wooden pergola with a TopGal polycarbonate cover. The cover filters out UV rays, and while providing shade, it keeps the area cooler by reducing solar heat gain. It will provide protection from rain showers, too, for those who enjoy staying dry while watching and listening to rain.
Your typical pergola design was not going to work well for this project. The problem was that the home’s walls were only 8’ high in this area. If we had used a traditional bracket attachment for the pergola the clients had in mind, it would have made the area feel too confined. We were able to offer an alternative that we were confident would work well for this project. It’s called the SkyLift Roof Riser.
Last year, we had the opportunity to use the SkyLift Roof Riser, and we were quite pleased with the results. You can read more about that project in our blog post, Complete Outdoor Living Overhaul Creates Delightful NW Austin Patio. The solution came to mind here in Lost Creek because this pergola needed more height.
The last thing a pergola designer wants to do is make clients feel cramped and penned in under a pergola that isn’t tall enough. Using the SkyLift Roof Riser system gave us another foot to work with on the height of the pergola, and that made all the difference. This system is installed through the home’s roof, with brackets lifting the pergola above the height of the roof.
The homeowners have a Big Green Egg on the patio, available for their guests to use. They wanted their patio upgrade to include a permanent home for it. We created a small outdoor kitchen with a space just for the Big Green Egg, a counter for food prep and a couple of storage compartments. We know the guests will enjoy cooking out on this patio. We suspect the homeowners will find time to enjoy it as well!
Sometimes a Patio Needs a Facelift!
The flagstone patio and iron railing dated back to the home’s original construction. As part of this patio upgrade, Archadeck power-washed and sealed the flagstone to restore it to its original beauty. We also cleaned and power-washed the back of the house so the entire patio area feels new. The clients asked us to remove some of the original iron railing and to add a drink cap to the section of railing they kept.
Amenities added to this patio include lights and a ceiling fan. We ran electrical service to the area and moved the clients’ bistro lighting from the roofline to hang from the new pergola. The ambiance here after dark is quite inviting. Altogether we helped the homeowners create a more usable patio for their over-the-garage renters. We hope the homeowners, who live in the main house, find opportunities to enjoy the upgraded patio as well!
Are you looking to transform a patio or add a new patio with a covered pergola? Contact Archadeck of Austin to schedule your free design consultation.
Jim Schallon, senior designer Archadeck of Austin.
