Verandas

British weather can make planning time outdoors difficult. A veranda provides a permanently covered area that can make patios and terraces useful in a wider range of conditions.

Outdoor furniture can be positioned beneath the roof, providing a defined area for relaxing or eating outside.

A veranda can be particularly useful where French, bi-folding or sliding doors already connect the house with a patio. Stepping through the doors takes you into a sheltered outdoor area rather than directly into an uncovered garden.

This can help create a stronger connection between indoor and outdoor living spaces.

The veranda can also provide useful shelter immediately outside a kitchen or dining room, making it easier to use the outdoor space for meals and entertaining.

A glass roof veranda provides overhead weather protection while allowing daylight to pass through the structure.

This is particularly important when a veranda is installed against an existing house. A completely opaque roof could reduce the amount of daylight reaching the windows and doors beneath it.

Using roof glazing helps maintain natural light within the adjoining room while providing a covered area outside.

The roof pitch needs to allow rainwater to drain effectively, while gutters and drainage can direct water away from the covered area.

The amount of glazing, dimensions of the roof and supporting structure can be determined during the design process.

Aluminium is particularly well suited to modern veranda construction.

Its strength allows the supporting structure to remain relatively slim while carrying the roof above. This helps retain an open appearance and avoids unnecessarily obstructing views of the garden.

Aluminium also suits contemporary homes and can coordinate well with aluminium windows, sliding doors and bi-folding doors.

Different frame finishes can be considered to work with the property. A darker frame can provide a strong contrast against rendered or stone walls, while other finishes may be selected to coordinate with existing windows and doors.

The simple appearance of aluminium can also work with traditional properties where a homeowner wants the veranda to remain visually separate from the original architecture.

A veranda can work particularly well alongside large glazed garden doors.

If your property already has bi-folding doors, a veranda can provide a covered area immediately beyond the opening. When the doors are folded back, the indoor room and sheltered patio can function closely together.

The same principle applies to sliding doors. Large glass panels maintain views towards the garden, while the veranda creates a protected seating or dining area outside.

South Lakes Windows supplies and installs bi-folding, sliding, lift and slide and triple track doors, so new garden doors can be considered alongside the veranda where required.

French doors provide another option, particularly on cottages and traditional properties.

Planning the veranda and doors together allows the width of the covered area to relate to the opening from the house.

One of the most popular uses for a veranda is creating a permanent outdoor dining area.

A dining table and chairs can remain beneath the roof, providing somewhere to eat outside without relying entirely on dry weather.

For properties with a kitchen or dining room overlooking the garden, positioning the veranda directly outside can make serving food and moving between the two areas straightforward.

The dimensions should be planned around the furniture rather than simply covering an arbitrary section of patio.

Enough space is needed for the table, chairs and comfortable movement around them. Larger verandas may have room for separate dining and seating areas.

Considering these requirements during the initial design helps establish an appropriate depth and width.

A veranda can also provide a sheltered area for outdoor sofas, chairs and other garden furniture.

This can create a useful transition between the house and the open garden.

For homes with attractive rural or garden views, the veranda provides shelter without enclosing those views behind additional windows and doors.

This can be particularly appealing across the South Lakes and Cumbria, where many properties look onto gardens, countryside or surrounding hills.

Side screening can be considered on exposed properties where additional protection from prevailing weather is desirable, subject to the selected veranda system and design.

A contemporary veranda can become an architectural feature in its own right.

Slim aluminium frames, large roof glass panels and simple lines can complement modern extensions and recently built homes.

The veranda can run across a substantial section of the rear elevation, particularly where the house already has wide sliding or bi-folding doors.

Frame finishes can be selected to coordinate with existing aluminium windows and doors, helping the different elements relate to one another.

For homeowners already planning a kitchen or dining extension, a veranda can also be considered during the wider design process rather than added later.

Verandas are not restricted to contemporary houses.

A carefully proportioned structure can also provide useful outdoor shelter for cottages, stone-built houses, farmhouses and other traditional properties.

The relationship with the original building needs greater consideration in these settings.

The size and position of the veranda should respect the proportions of the house, while frame colours can be selected to work with existing windows, doors and external materials.

A veranda on a traditional property does not necessarily need to imitate the age of the building. A simpler glazed structure can provide a clear distinction between the original house and the new addition.

South Lakes Windows can discuss the options based on the individual property.

A veranda and conservatory provide very different types of space.

A veranda remains primarily an outdoor area. It provides a roof and shelter but retains an open connection with the garden.

A conservatory is an enclosed room with walls, windows, doors and a roof. It becomes part of the usable internal accommodation of the property.

The right choice therefore depends on what you want from the space.

If you want a room that can function as a dining room, office or living area throughout the year, a conservatory or orangery may be more appropriate.

If your priority is keeping the outdoor character of a patio while gaining protection from rain, a veranda may provide the better solution.

South Lakes Windows offers all of these options, allowing our team to discuss the differences based on how you intend to use the space.

The position and dimensions of a veranda need to be considered carefully before installation.

Existing windows and doors can affect the available height. Drainpipes, gutters, external lighting and other features may also influence where the structure can be attached.

The depth of the veranda affects the amount of patio covered and the level of shelter provided. It can also influence how much sunlight reaches the adjoining rooms.

Drainage is another important consideration. Rainwater collected by the roof needs to be directed away appropriately rather than discharged onto the patio or against the property.

Our team considers these practical details during the survey and design process.

Whether planning permission is required for a veranda depends on the individual project and property.

Factors such as the size, height, position and location of the structure can affect the requirements. Different considerations may apply to listed buildings, conservation areas and properties where permitted development rights have been restricted.

South Lakes Windows has experience working with properties throughout Cumbria and the South Lakes where planning and conservation requirements can require additional attention.

We can help identify relevant considerations during the design process and establish where further permission or specialist advice may be required.