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I know its hard to look past the green swimming pool but I had nothing to do with that!
I was wondering if anyone has some ideas on covering up the posts of the metal awning on my house? If there was any soil nearby, I would have trained honeysuckle to climb on it, but there is no soil close enough.
Is there anything else I can do short of tearing them down?
The other problem is that it gets very dark inside the house with such a huge awning. I wish there was something that I could put up over the summer and take down in the winter that isn't as expensive as the roll-up fabric awnings. I have so many other things I need to fix/replace before I get to that.
Can you remove the metal top and use plexi-glass that would allow the sun to shine through? They have the sun resistant plexi-glass sheets at Lowes in different colors, textures and some w/ "ridges."
BTW - I had a friend who had the same problem as you w/ the metal supports on cement patio - and she got nice pottery type (glazed) flower pots for each metal post, planted jasmine in them, and trained it to grow up the metal posts.
BTW - I had a friend who had the same problem as you w/ the metal supports on cement patio - and she got nice pottery type (glazed) flower pots for each metal post, planted jasmine in them, and trained it to grow up the metal posts.
The plexiglass would be great for winter but I think it might be too hot for the summer when it gets up in the 100's. At that point I probably won't care how dark it is inside
I love the idea of putting pots next to the posts! Didn't occur to me to take the soil TO the awning!! Thank you
Box in the supports with rough cut 1"x whatever cedar or redwood to create solid columns. Add a header at the top, box the metal I-beams with the same stuff. Cover the concrete floor with mexican tile or used brick (less slippery). At that point you can have a screening contractor come in and make a screen room. Add a couple of ceiling fans w/lights, chairs, and tall cold ice teas.
Box in the supports with rough cut 1"x whatever cedar or redwood to create solid columns. Add a header at the top, box the metal I-beams with the same stuff. Cover the concrete floor with mexican tile or used brick (less slippery). At that point you can have a screening contractor come in and make a screen room. Add a couple of ceiling fans w/lights, chairs, and tall cold ice teas.
I know the pool is nasty the previous owner turned off the power and the filters didn't work for a few months. If it doesn't get better, I'm going to add some Koi fish and call it a pond
I like your idea of covering the posts with wood. But I didn't understand what you meant about the top metal flat part with the ugly scallops (reminds me of a circus tent ). Should I leave that or cover it with wood also?
"I like your idea of covering the posts with wood. But I didn't understand what you meant about the top metal flat part with the ugly scallops (reminds me of a circus tent ). Should I leave that or cover it with wood also?"
The idea is to make a box beam that is about six or eight inches square, nearly butted up against (about an inch away from) the scalloped part under the roof portion. You won't see the scallops from the house, but the metal will still be able to function as a drip edge. You could face the scallops from the other side with something offset from it, but I'd wait and see how everything works in a heavy rain before doing more than the initial columns and box beam. You may find you want to have a gutter under it to keep rain from splashing into the finished area.
Do you really need that awning at all? It's about the ugliest thing I've ever seen and messing with it would be like putting lipstick on a pig.
I would rip it down, then save up for an attractive retractable non fading fabric one.
OK guy ITs simple either cut a standard 18inch wood planter and slide it around the base of each post then put a plastic liner like a 6 mil trash bag in the planter at the cut points and around the post till you are 1 inch below the dirt line. I would then take redwood 2by4 by 8 and and have them ripped to 1/3in by 4 slates and cover the metal like paneling. You may have to use a 1 by 2 red wood piece as a mount. Sandwich the mounts over the metal rail. The redwood is waterproof and will look great after you stain it with thomsons. Now the roof and the dark problem. A simple 16guage outdoor extention cord can be run to the bottom of the roof then a run a redwood 1 by 4 or rip a 2by4 to one by 4 so you have the same pattern as the panel slates you made. You attach the 1 by four to the top redwood mount of each support post and you attach the other end to a 2 by 4 by 16 that you attached to the housedirectly below the awning. YOU may need to run a sheet metal screw through the awning roof and tape it with waterproof aluminum tape. This will give the 1 by 4 your ran from the awning mount to the house more strength. A couple 8 buck double flourescent fixtures attach to these 1 by 4. now to cover you either rig a drop ceiling 3 inchs below the redwood and box it on the end with a redwood 1 by 6 border. A second Idea is a couple sheets of translucent blue plastic as a cover for the entire bottom of the awning. Dont for get to put a plastic sheet above the light fixtures to shield them from water drips. If the fixture is 5 inches wide by 3 feetyou need a 10 in by 4 foot sheet per light. All power can be removed by simply removing the extension cord. If you really like the result, Its real easy to drill trough your wall and tap into an inside plug to power an outside plug. Oh plant flowers in those planters.
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the previous owner turned off the power and the filters didn't work for a few months. If it doesn't get better, I'm going to add some Koi fish and call it a pond 
). Should I leave that or cover it with wood also?
