How To Create Shade On Patio

Best Patio Cover Ideas

Mediterranean garden ideas have been big in 2021 and in the Mediterranean they do shade well out of necessarily. So look at pictures of gardens from Italy, Spain, Malta and Greece for patio cover ideas to suit all sizes and budgets.

To get you started, we’ve rounded up the best patio cover ideas for creating shade, adding intrigue and providing shelter in your garden.

Faux And Elegant Pergola Can Upgrade Your Patio

Still undecided about permanent patio shades? The good thing is, you can now buy a freestanding pergola that you can prop easily in your property. Stake it to the ground with bolts and cover your deck with these elegant ensembles. This modern freestanding pergola has angled slats or louvers that open and tilts through a motor. It even has some LED lighting to turn your patio into a cozy place at nighttime.

Growing large trees by your patio is a greener and more effortless way of shading. Maybe not as effortless when it comes to yard cleaning when fall comes, but still. Aside from privacy, they can also beautify your yard and provide a home for birds and other small animals. If you are just starting to grow your natural patio shade, it may take you some years to see the result. We suggest growing evergreen trees that will last you through seasons.

Cover Your Patio With A Pavilion

Pavilions are not quite canopies and are not quite permanent structures, which makes this semi-permanent patio cover a good choice for homeowners who are not quite ready to invest in a permanent structure and for renters who want something nicer than a canopy but that they can disassemble and take with them when they move.

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Extend Your Living Space With A Veranda

We love the farmhouse vibes of this shaded space

If you’ve got bigger shade ideas for patios then you might consider opting for a veranda. This type of structure extends directly from the exterior of the home, often to cover a deck or porch. They create a fabulous indoor-outdoor setting that’s sheltered from the elements.

This example has a rustic farmhouse vibe with its exposed beams, and looks gorgeous alongside the shutters and soft-hued furnishings. Of course, there are plenty of smaller and more contemporary enclosed patio ideas available too.

Create Shade In Your Garden With Trees

Bring a contemporary garden to life with a selection of clever patio planting ideas. The rights plants and trees can provide adequate shade, as well as privacy to your outdoor oasis.

The parasol pruning of plane trees in the garden above has encouraged a flat but full canopy to provide plenty of shade in this small garden.

Both parasol and umbrella trees will have had the central lateral branches cut back to achieve their shape the canopy can be trained over a frame for extra support.

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Entertain In A Shady Spot

Although the dream of catching some rays while dining outdoors sounds good, its much more practical and comfortable to include some shade.

If your garden doesnt have a covered spot that offers protection from the sun, you can consider this when designing a patio for your space and create a pergola for it. You can then grow wisteria and vines that will provide beautiful dappled light and relief from the heat.

Once the sun goes down, use pretty patio lighting ideas such as festoon lights and paper lanterns, and lay down outdoor cushions, for a garden party vibe.

Use Pallets To Create A Privacy Living Wall

Much like the trellis, this smaller pallet living wall idea features plenty of floral plants to help add some flair into the mix. This would be the ideal setup for an especially small backyard sitting area that needs a little extra privacy.

Better yet, this project can easily be scaled up or down in order to accommodate a larger or smaller backyard space that needs a privacy wall. The flowers are a super cute added touch.

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A Green Option: Shade With Trees And Plants

Large planters with trees provide shade and bring greenery onto the deck. Evergreens are a good choice. They look and smell nice, and grow tall enough to provide shade . When filled with soil, these planters tend to be heavy. Limit the size to what you can move around. Set planters along the edge of the deck to serve as a sun screen. In cold climates, trees may not survive winter in a planterask before you buy.

For even more shade, plant trees in the ground around the deck. Maple trees are one good choice because they have dense foliage for blocking the sun and are fast-growing, so you won’t have to wait 20 to 30 years to reap the benefits. Ask about other choices at a local nursery. In many ways, trees are the best shade system because they can shade large areas, provide privacy and beautify your yard. The downside is you have to wait several years for results.

What Is The Best Patio Cover

The best patio cover is one that caters to the needs of the garden as well as the user.

If your patio is overlooked, its likely you will want it to have a secluded feel. Temporary options like small tress in large planters or decorative screens can help, but if you need a more permanent structure, a small pergola or automated awning are good options to incorporate into your plans.

As well as providing privacy, shelter and shade, a pergola has the advantage or creating an extra planting opportunity and adds an architectural element to the look.

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Go Boho With Pergola And Flowers

Plants and flowers are perfect choices for a patio shade if you want a more natural and eco-friendly yard. Instead of the usual steel or wooden truss, this hanging garden uses ropes to give it a bohemian spin. Potted flowers provide temporary shade, while the plants around the place give it a cool ambiance. Trained vine climbers covering the trusses are also impressive additions if you want to upgrade the look.

Diy Backyard Shade Canopy

Learn how to make a slide wire shade canopy with this DIY video from Sailrite. They even have lots of home do it yourselfers loading up photos in the comments of their finished shade project!

Hope you were paying attention to those tutorials, cause these next few backyard shade ideas dont have instructions, but they follow the same principles of the ones youve seen so far! This space from InDecora has a simple wire mounted fabric shade, with grommets to string the cable through. Grommet kits can be bought at craft and sewing stores, and this could be made out of sturdy canvas drop cloths from the hardware store.

Same patio shade idea as some of the projects above with this slide wire canopy from Superior Awning.

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Bonus Project: Patio Umbrella Support

Since many of you visiting this article are looking for a way to add shade to your deck or patio, we also wanted to include this umbrella support as an possible alternative to building a shade sail. This support was built by our customer, Patrick in Napa, California.

Instead of going with a traditional umbrella to cover the patio table, Patrick decided to build his own umbrella support. Strength and stability were a big concern as the support needed to hold two large umbrellas. The resulting support makes use of the Single Swivel Socket, the Adjustable Swivel Socket, the Double Swivel Socket, and the Single Socket Tee.

Here’s what Patrick had to say about the project:

“I built a dual umbrella support. I built it because the umbrella supports that are commercially available will only support one umbrella at a time. I liked the ability to make small changes to pipe lengths and angles so that I’m able to align the umbrellas with respect to each other. I never would have been able to get them right the first time with a weldment .”

If you want to build your own shade sail, or any other type of shading structure for your patio or deck, we can help! Our team is experienced in designing and building Kee Klamp projects. We’ll even go so far as to create a 3D drawing of your project so you can imagine it before you buy. Reach out to our team here and get started on your project today!

Pop Up A Market Umbrella

Another shade solution for decks and patios is a . Although sometimes theyre called patio umbrellas, those are different.

Large outdoor market umbrellas provide both shade and shelter from light rain. These expansive coverings work well for deck covering ideas that include a sizable seating area. You and your guests can enjoy an outdoor meal whether theres a misty rain or blazing sun.

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Bob’s Shade Sail Project Details:

Bob has a large back deck that he wanted to cover to make sitting out in the summer more enjoyable. However, with the options being limited, Bob decided to create his own shade sail. The resulting structure is anchored to the house and the deck railing. It also features a built-in 20 ft. trellis on one side.

To build the structure, Bob used Kee Klamp fittings and pipe. These fittings are similar to threaded pipe fittings. However, instead of connecting via a threaded connection, Kee Klamp fittings slide over pipe and secure down by tightening a set screw on the fitting. This generally makes them easier to use. It also allows for some adjustability within the structure. Lastly, Kee Klamp fittings allow for easier assembly and tear down.

Bob even started to build the shade sail using threaded fittings and pipe to start. However, he quickly realized their drawbacks:

“I started out using threaded pipes and typical “big box” store fittings but their fittings were limited and installation would have been more complex.”

That’s when he decided another approach would be best and he chose Kee Klamp instead.

Palm Springs Umbrella A

When seeking shade, go back to the basics. Palm Springs, California, designer Joel Dessaules of Joel Dessaules Design had lots of fun with this mid-century modern backyard that celebrates the heyday of swimming pool culture and style. Vintage or retro furniture and a nice, old-fashioned-style umbrella with a zig-zag motif that echoes the pool tile is perfectcan you imagine an earth-tone market umbrella in this yard?

The tanning chaises are custom designed by Joel Dessaules Design Inc. and made of powder-coated stainless steel to protect them in the water. The umbrella is by Santa Barbara Umbrella. The white woven metal chairs are vintage. The bench and sun canopy chairs are one-of-a-kinds from Trina Turk.

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A Temporary Triangle Sun Shade

If you want an inexpensive and effortless way of shading your front yard, get your hands on a fabulous sunshade. Aside from the sun protection, they also add a sense of style as chic decorations. Triangle sun shades are practical as you can prop and hang them easily on poles. They are also one of the coolest patio shade ideas, quite literally. These breathable shades allow the passage of air to cool down the area underneath it. Speak about cool ventilation and sun protection!

Pergola With Custom Shades

There are many sunny days in Southern California’s Orange County, so creating some type of shade structure is essential for anyone who spends time in their backyard. Instead of using 2 x 2 slats that tend to warp, designer Dian Garbarini chose custom-fabricated fixed Roman solar shading panels that provide filtered shade. Made with Phifer fabric, these shades reportedly block out 90 percent of the sun’s harmful rays. If they get dirty, just hose them off.

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Stick To Natural Cover

Image credit: Simon Scarboro

A patio area immediately off the kitchen is the ideal place for a permanent structure to shade a dining area. Keep the scheme simple and rustic with a covering of wooden lengths laid across a solid wooden frame. A simple willow slatted framework feels light and airy, and seems to float in the space.

How Each Fitting Was Used:

We’ve listed a few key areas where each fitting was used. However, if you need help designing or building your own Kee Klamp project, please reach out to our team for help.

• The Single Socket Tee fittings were used to terminate the vertical pipe supports into the horizontal pipe. Single Socket Tee fittings were also used for the support bars that run at the top of the structure.
• The Side Outlet Elbow fittings were used at the corners of the structure.
• The Flange fittings were used to mount the structure to the exterior wall.
• The Wall Flange fittings were used to attach the vertical pipe supports to the outward facing side of the deck railing.
• Each of the different clips were used to attach the wire grid to the vertical pipe supports.

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Incorporate Some Fun Tiki Hut

Complement your outdoor greenery with native tiki huts and give your curbside a tropical feel. Tiki huts are mostly lumber with a thatched roof made of palm fronds. These are literally cool patio shade ideas since thatched roofing is natural insulators. Thus, they can keep the shade underneath it at a lower temperature. You can also build a posh bar table, get some tiki torch, and enjoy lounging by your patio all summer round.

Shelter Beneath A Canopy Of Plants

Image credit: Simon Scarboro

Encourage climbing plants to take up residence on a terrace pergola to provide a beautifully natural shaded area. This garden shade idea is beneficial for adding a charming touch of planting and colour to a patio area. While also highly-practical for providing a shaded area on the terrace beneath, offering the ideal safe spot for lunch.

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Build Your Own Modern Wood Privacy Screens

Want a nice, modern looking privacy screen while still being on a budget? Then this great DIY tutorial it just for you! It offers step by step instructions on how to build your very own back porch wood screens. These easy to construct hanging screens were built from scratch, by hand, using wooden planks, to create a lattice effect. They look great, dont they?

And for an extra layer of privacy, there are curtains. In the case you want to host a private patio party or just relax in a quiet, you can achieve even more privacy. This is one of our favorite ideas.

Block The Sun With Shade Cloth

Shading fabrics are also excellent patio shade ideas. These types of draperies are wear-resistant and do not easily sag. It can also remain flexible even through long sun exposure. You can fasten a shade cloth on your pergola to give you protection from the sun and wind. It is also an inexpensive solution that you can do yourself with a few carpentry skills.

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Go Upscale With A Cabana

Cabanas include a pretty wide range of shade shelters that can be anything from fabric to wood, since pretty much any type of structure that is next to a pool or on the beach and has an opening facing the water is generally considered a cabana. This means that this option could fall into more than one of the above-mentioned categories, but it is worth mentioning separately here, because they are often considered more upscale and they do differ a bit from other options.

For example, in order to call it a cabana rather than a pavilion, most people would say you would need to have patio curtains on at least three sides so that it can be closed off to make a room. Since cabanas are often used as changing rooms for swimming pools and beaches, it would be best to have curtains on all four sides. You could also add curtains to a covered patio with a stick-built roof that is near your pool to turn it into a cabana.

The combination of a solid roof and curtains makes cabanas a particularly good choice for adding shade to outdoor living areas.

Architectural Outdoor Shade Structures

There are so many benefits to indoor-outdoor living, which is why homeowners are investing more than ever before to create stunning outdoor living spaces featuring kitchens, pools, and extensive patios. Permanent architectural shade structures are perfect for protecting these open-air spaces from harsh sunlight and rainstorms so that they can be enjoyed all day long. Adding an architectural shade structure to your backyard will also define and anchor your outdoor living, connect it to the interior, and make it an inviting place to spend hours in the fresh air. Here are our San Antonio architects six favorite architectural shade options.

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