Cover It With a Canopy

Your home's door can take a beating from time and weather. Give it a fighting chance by adding an attractive awning.

Look up the word "canopy" in the dictionary, and you're bound to find some bland reference such as "a rooflike covering intended to shield an opening or stoop from the weather." Correct, yes, but that's only half the story. Whether for show or for bona fide protection, canopies can add special oomph to any doorway.

Put the Right Lid on It

These coverings help tie together a home's style by combining elements found elsewhere-roof, rafters, eaves, and supports-into one concise statement. Canopies are centrally located to grab your attention. That's why most architectural styles place great emphasis on how a front entry looks and how it works with the rest of the design.

Visible Inside and Out

The underside, or soffit, of a canopy is also important, mainly because you can see it. Some are treated with simple Ix slats or beaded-board sheathing. Others are more intricate, with paneled surfaces. Sometimes the interior construction is left off entirely, revealing the rafters or roofing material above.

Whatever the look, when your front door is a friendly, sheltering place, you can bet that guests will feel well received. -ROBERT MARTIN

Enhance Your Entrance

Because all of these steps are quite technical, it's best to consult a designer and/or builder first.

* Be sure to secure the canopy body to your existing wall frame. This step will also require removing the exterior finish (brick, siding, or sheathing) in the affected area.

* The junction where the canopy roof touches the exterior finish has an ability to trap and hold water, leading to rot. That's why adequate flashing (a thin, impervious material, usually vinyl or metal), run fully in and around this seam, is a must.

* Canopies look best when they work with a house's style and are correctly sized to the overall exterior.

above, left: This canopy consists of a pediment roof supported with brackets. far left: A metal-and-copper covering protects the door, left: A curved overhang cascades above an entry.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Apr 2007
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