Is your Aluminum Patio Cover leaking? Here are some possible answers.
Is your Aluminum solid top patio cover leaking from rainwater or dripping water from excessive moisture in the air?
Carefully know the difference between these two issues before trying a fix.
In our coastal communities here in Orange County, California, coastal moisture can roll in at night and may bring wetness. Sometimes, water can build up due to this fog, and knowing that this is a typical issue and not due to rainwater leakage. What happens? The surface of aluminum products does not absorb moisture from the mist, as wood structures will; thus, this build-up happens. Don’t worry; this is normal.
When heavy rainfall occurs, overwhelming the system becomes a serious issue when water from the home’s roof drains directly onto the aluminum patio cover below. Many homeowners overlook this problem, essentially using their patio cover as an extension of their home’s gutter system—ignoring basic common sense. It’s important to understand that a typical home’s gutter system is a 5-inch drainage system designed to handle large volumes of water, whereas an aluminum patio cover only has a 2 ½-inch gutter system, which is specifically designed to handle its own runoff, not additional water from the main roof. When excess water is diverted onto the patio cover without proper drainage solutions, leaks and overflow are inevitable. To prevent these issues, we always recommend ensuring that any water from the home’s main roof is properly directed into the existing 5-inch gutter system, rather than relying on the smaller 2 ½-inch patio cover gutters. Please note that if a patio cover is overwhelmed due to improper drainage, it is not covered under warranty.
Another common issue arises when the patio cover is attached directly to the fascia board without its own dedicated gutter and downspout system. Without proper drainage, water from the home’s main roof can cascade onto the patio cover, overwhelming its smaller 2 ½-inch gutter system. This excess runoff can lead to leaks and water damage. If water from the upper roof continues to drain onto the patio cover without redirection, there is no guarantee of waterproofing, and any resulting issues would not be covered under warranty. Proper drainage planning is essential to prevent these problems.
How to solve these issues:
First, begin by thoroughly clearing your patio cover of debris, including the gutter system and downspouts attached. Ensuring that your patio cover’s gutter system and your home’s gutter system are debris-free is crucial for maintaining proper water flow. Additionally, consider installing gutters and downspouts on your house’s fascia boards above the solid patio cover. This installation will effectively divert rainwater away from your aluminum patio cover, as solid-top patio covers are not designed to manage stormwater independently. It’s essential to address this issue proactively rather than waiting for a leak to develop, as prevention is always preferable to dealing with the consequences later on.
Another way is to add more than one scupper or downspout to your aluminum patio cover gutter to ensure the water has somewhere to drain when this occurs. A scupper is a deflective shield that attaches to your gutter channel and pushes the rainwater away from your cover. If your patio cover has designer columns installed, we tend not to use downspouts but instead replace them with scuppers. Downspouts look bad when they are attached to your beautiful columns.