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How to cool down a patio with translucent roof?

Hi,

Our verandah has bronze sheets that cut off 85% of light, and 100% of UV, but still gets hot under hot summer days. The sheets get hot and radiates heat underneath. The fan helps but a not a lot. I was thinking of a few options but have their own pros and cons.

Add shade sails underneath by fixing it along the rafters using aluminium strips (I don't have space to put shade sails on top)
- Pros - Easier to do. Will cut down the heat.
- Cons - Excess heat build-up between the roofing sheets and the shade sail can damage the sheets. Can get darker during winter months. Harder to clean.
Add misting ring to the fan.
- Pros - Easier to do.
- Cons - Low coverage area. Since the fan is pretty low, the water can dampen the guests/furniture.
Add misting system along the outer edge of the verandah
- Pros - Easier to do.
- Cons - Not sure how effective it will be as it is along the outer edge. Don't want to get wet by adding the mising hose more towards inside.
Add some insulation panels such as foilboard under the roofing sheets
- Pros - Possibe heat reduction
- Cons - Possible mould build up. Heat build up between the insulation and the sheets damaging she sheets.
Add some sort of reflective sheets and paste it on to the existing sheets to reflect the sunlight and possibly reduce the heat?
Possbily some sort of an awning or adjustable louvre system where you can control the opening?

Appreciate your ideas. Please see some pictures. The roofing sheets are made by Palram.

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Comments

EricL

Hello @knightshifters

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about cooling down your patio.

I will place my vote with shade sails. But instead of putting it in with aluminium strips, I suggest anchoring the corners and installing it like a proper shade underneath the patio roof. In this manner there will be an air gap between your roof and the shade sail that will allow it to cool off.

At the same time should you decide to lower the shade sail on a rainy day you simply disconnect two corners and clip it on the other end.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1, @Jewelleryrescue and @Nailbag for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Dave-1

Evening @knightshifters

Not sure of how much space you have above the bronze sheets but here is an idea...

You could space off by around 40mm a new set of sheets (probarly clearer to allow the light through tho) This will give an air gap much like double glazing doeas between two sheets of glass. With your roof tho the last 10cm top side would be left open (Nearest the gutter above) This would allow the heat to travel up inside the two roof sheets and out the top, drawing in cooler air from the bottom. Natural convection should keep the air moving up and out.

Not sure how to space it off the existing roof as you would only want spacers going the same way the existing rafters are going but if you can take a photo I am sure we could figure something out?

I also like the idea of a shade sail that @EricL mentioned, but wa t hinking along the lines of 4 stainless steels runs across the width of the area with eyehooks that attach to the sheet so it can be drawn out and then drawn back as needed, (Think an actual patio style shade sail that is looped in U's that run on wires)

And lastly, Iwould like to offer a warm welcom to the Bunnings Community page 🙂 Lots of outside the box thinking in here and hopefully you will find a solution amongst these pages!

Dave

Jewelleryrescue

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/34817#Comment_34817

Hi @knightshifters

I would simply use shade cloth across on top of your roof various shades avaliable. It will breath It will shade alot of direct sun light reducing your radiant heat on the inside of the roof.

How to use shade cloth simply have three treated pine timber strips at the edges and middle or more if you wish and gang nail shade cloth to it

. inexpensive and durable and the wind dosnt catch it like sail cloth with tighter woven fibers.

I used this on a shed once and I had the timbers hanging over the edges of the shed wall with shade cloth being tensioned by the wieght of the timber 4 screws in each corner lasted 15 years until the vine grew over the shed.

Jewelleryrescue

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/79723#Comment_79723

Hi @knightshifters

I also recently had clear poly carbonate section blasting in heat on the side of my house next to my tiled roof.

While I was respraying the roof with new roof membrain/paint I had the painter spray a mist over the clear polycarbonate roof to about 50% covrage to make it more opaque this definatly reduced the heat down to make things more bearable. I have a leaf green colored roof which also reflects more heat than dark colors.

Probably not the best solution for every body ideally but it worked well.

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