Let's Get Technical--FSOLS Patio Cover 101

Four Seasons Outdoor Living Solutions patio covers are made of 100% aluminum, that you know from reading our website. Some facts that you may not know are covered in our our FAQs, so here is a sampling of the most important and frequently asked.

Snow load measures how much snow per square foot the patio cover roof can hold. The difference in the engineering of each snow load type is determined by the number of posts and the thickness of the aluminum used to make it. Our patio covers start at 10 lbs. and go all the way up to 50 lbs. We can help determine your snow load requirement; email our customer service team at support@fourseasonsols.com and include your city and state.

A structural integrated gutter system is included in the our patio covers. The gutter is connected to the front fascia and the kit comes with scupper drains to allow for water drainage. The kit does not include downspouts, but these can be purchased from a hardware store and easily added.

Pitch is determined by applying 1/2" to 1" of slope (or pitch) per foot of patio cover depth. Heaver snow loads (i.e., 20 and 30 lbs.) require more pitch than lower snow loads (i.e., 10 lbs.). For example, a 12' deep patio cover with a 10 lb. snow load requires 6" of pitch or slope. For heavier snow loads, apply at least 1" of slope...and if you can get more pitch, do it.

Walking on the roof is only permitted when installing the Contempra roof panels but the installer must avoid the seams of the roof panels. Do NOT walk on the TWV Series or Optima Patio Cover roof panels at all. The installer must use a ladder to install these type of roof panels.

Sealed engineering can be purchased from Four Seasons OLS if a building permit is required for installation. Please check with your local building authority to see if a permit is required. If one is, contact support@fourseasonsols.com for more information. We will need your order number, city, state and zip code. Sealed engineering generally takes two weeks to process.

Insulated roof panels come with the Contempra Patio Cover. They are flat with a 3" thick foam core that has an aluminum "skin" on both sides. The Optima and TWV Series Patio Cover roof panels are not insulated and have a "W" shape for strength and wider spans.

Please refer to our FAQs under SUPPORT for even more technical info. 

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