This blog post has been in the making for quite a while. I am so thankful that the project and this blog post is completed! I believe that adding a patio with a patio cover was one of the best things we’ve done. Yes, we (meaning Roy, not me) built a 27 x 16 patio cover over the cement slab we had poured in March.
Both Roy and I contributed to the writing of this post. I am sure that there are more details in this blog post than you need to know about, but all those details will help us remember something about the patio cover at some point in the future!
We saved a lot of money doing the installation ourselves (again Roy, not me). We purchased the materials at Short’s Siding and Patio Supply, LLC. Darren at Short’s helped Roy figure out what material and supplies Roy would need to do the job. I don’t think I will ever let Roy undertake something like this no matter how much money it would save us.
Short’s delivered all the materials to our home in Amite.
I can definitely say that this was one of the most strenuous and difficult things Roy has ever tackled. I’ve always been Roy’s little helper if that is needed. I tried to help Roy on this one and just couldn’t do it. My balance and lack of strength are stopping me from doing as much as I would have.
Our son Chip came to help a few times and was a tremendous help. Thank you Chipper for giving us your time to get this done!
We even asked our UPS driver to help put up one of the long panels. I’ll bet that was a first for him! Our neighbor Daniel came over to help put up another of the long panels. The insulated panels aren’t that heavy but their size and having to put them up above our heads made it really difficult. Roy learned on this project that taking it slow, drinking Powerade, and taking breaks often was a wise way to appreciate this project.
The columns in the back are 4″ fluted columns just like the ones on our front porch, they are just smaller!
He used 4 columns to support the 2″ x 7″ x 27′ one-piece beam to give the cover more support against strong winds. The columns are bolted to the slab with long heavy duty 1/2″ anchor bolts. Darrel from Shorts let Roy use his power hammer drill to drill the anchor holes in the slab. 
When Roy got the first panel installed he set up a portable fan so that he could begin to enjoy a bit of shade and cool breeze. He worked himself so hard I was always happy to see him in the rocker getting a bit of rest.
These are the insulated panels that are now all locked together creating the patio cover! 
Two of the panels have special beams placed inside them as to Roy’s specifications to allow the fans and outlets to be installed. Roy ran the wires through the panels and into the attic for the fans and outlets as the panels were being installed. He used metal armor cable to prevent the wires from chafing.
The two 72″ fans each have 8 blades. We really love them!
Us elderly Chauvins have ventured into the world of Alexa. Chip has them and we decided they were a good thing for us to as well!
We put two under the patio, two in our living room and one in our bedroom. The two under the patio and the two in the living room are set up to play in stereo and works really well. You can tell Alexa to play in the area you are in or to play everywhere. This feature is nice as you can go from room to room and not miss a beat.
The two fans are remotely controlled. By adding what is called a Bond Bridge, we can also control the fans and lights through Alexa eliminating the need for the remotes. While running the wires, Roy also installed a coax cable. He is planning on installing a 50″ outdoor TV to one of the columns in the near future. He glued a piece of treated 2 x 4 inside the column where the TV is to be mounted for extra support.
This is Roy’s foot hanging over the edge while he was working on top of the patio cover sealing the seams.
He still has more sealing to do but that will wait for a cooler time! He says it’s well sealed for now.
Here I am doing what little I could do. I helped Roy by holding the end cap in place while he made it permanent!
The finished patio!! We will be using our RV rockers and reclining lawn chairs, and other chairs we have on the patio for now. The rockers suit us well and the reclining lawn chairs are perfect for an afternoon of reading under the fan’s cool breeze and shade from the sun listening to Alexa’s spa channel! We are using the big outdoor mat we used with Dora when we were traveling. When we find something more colorful in the right size we will replace the Dora mat with the new one. 
This is the beautiful view of the pond from our new patio! Isn’t God’s creation amazing! The garden that is in the picture is mostly gone now and we can see much more of the pond now! I should be planting grass runners next week where the garden is now.
All my decoupaged plant pots with flowers from our property and a couple I purchased. We put them all on the bakers rack we bought at last year’s 15 Mile yard sale in our area.
We are enjoying sitting outside on this new patio and listening to a variety of music in stereo. Even when it’s been in the 90s we have enjoyed the cool breeze that the fans provide. You can see in some of the pictures that our garden is slowly being disassembled. We will be planting St. August runners where the main garden is very soon!
It’s always something! And this something has made us both very happy. If you come to visit us and we don’t answer the doorbell feel free to wander around to the back of the house. You may catch us napping or just enjoying the view from our rockers!
If you are interested in having a patio cover like this one here is their contact information:
Short’s Siding and Patio Supply, LLC.
20456 S I-12 Service Rd, Ponchatoula, LA 70454
(985) 345-1772
BECAUSE HE LIVES 