Why a Patio Cover for the Winery Deck?
Often a patio cover can make the difference in having a deck that’s basically useless transformed into an inviting living space. That’s what spelled success with this winery deck that was so drenched in sun that it wasn’t usable. At first glance, the solution didn’t appear to lend itself to an easy fix. It took some real design ingenuity to yield the ambience the space needed.
The relaxing pasture and sunset views from the now shaded, Winery deck. Patio cover made all the difference and transformed this living space.
The Story Behind The La Vista Winery Deck
How do you take a complicated situation and make it look simple? That was the design challenge for the deck on my friend’s home winery. He had a small rectangular deck nobody used. Although it was a balcony deck, it was not inviting or easy to access. The sun cooked it on summer afternoons.
Here were the factors that made it tricky to design a good project:
- The best view was to the northwest which meant that the deck needed to be built at a 45 degree angle from the house.
- The area under the deck needed to be as open as possible for vehicles to load and for wine barrels to roll in and out. This span required a 6×12 beam.
- The only possible attachment for the patio cover was under the eaves of the house. Putting the beam under the rafters would block the relaxing view of his pasture and pony and sunset over the western hills, so we put the beam on top and hung the rafters.
- The owner had one major request. He needed to have a place to display his original sign with the winery name.
In the end this clear heart redwood deck became an inviting place to have a glass of wine while watching the sunset, even in the heat of summer . Mission accomplished!