Residential Construction

A structure placed next to the house is seen together with it, so its proportions count for as much as its function. We set the pitch of the roof, the height of the eaves and the depth of the projection so that the roof does not block windows or cut across the facade at a random point. We build straight, sloped and arched forms, on supports or fixed without them, always to a specified size. The same element can stand as a shelter of its own or form part of a larger arrangement by the building.

In residential work colour is a tool, not an accessory. We powder coat the profiles in any colour from the RAL palette, so the structure can be tuned to the window joinery, the gutters, the garage door or the roof covering, instead of adding one more foreign shade to the elevation. The infill is multiwall or solid polycarbonate sheet, in a clear or an opal version: clear passes the most daylight, opal gives diffused light.

For a private investor the formalities can weigh as much as the structure itself. Small shelters next to a house, within the limits set by law, do not require a building permit, which shortens the path from decision to installation; for larger structures it is worth checking the formalities before ordering. Installation is carried out by qualified fitters on ground prepared in advance — work begins with preparing the site and the foundations, the load-bearing elements are set on them, and only then is the roof assembled.

We select the material for the conditions in which the structure has to work for years. Polycarbonate is about 25 times more resistant to breakage and cracking than glass, and it is light and passes light well, so it performs in hail and under lying snow. The whole structure has to withstand strong gusts of wind and drain rainwater properly — two points worth checking when comparing offers. Maintenance comes down to cleaning the surfaces regularly and checking the condition of the structure.

Work around a house rarely ends with a single element. A carport can be extended with further parking bays, and canopies can be joined with shelters for bicycles or garden equipment to form a coherent layout around the building. That is why it pays to settle on one profile system and one RAL colour from the start — stages added years later will then look like part of the original design rather than an ad-hoc extension.