A polycarbonate roof lets light through and the veranda does not turn dark. A shingle roof looks like the roof of the house and is quiet in the rain. A sheet metal roof is light and smooth but louder in the rain. The choice depends on light, the house roof and the roof pitch.
The roof decides how bright the veranda will be, how it will look next to the house and how quiet it will be in the rain. Three coverings are used most often for wooden verandas next to a house. They are polycarbonate, bitumen shingles and sheet metal. Each has its own advantages, and none is the best in every case.
Polycarbonate gives light, shingles give quiet and a look that matches the house, and sheet metal is light and smooth. No covering is best everywhere. The choice depends on the roof of the house, the position of the veranda towards the sun and whether the windows of the house need light. In any case the roof needs gutters and the right pitch.
Polycarbonate is a clear or matt plastic sheet material. Its main advantage is light. The rooms next to the veranda stay bright, and the veranda itself does not turn dark. That is why polycarbonate is often chosen when the veranda is on the north side of the house or in front of large windows.
On a sunny day it can get warm under a clear roof. Matt or tinted polycarbonate diffuses the light more. Leaves and dust show clearly on polycarbonate, so the roof has to be cleaned more often. The catalogue has several such examples, including a 3 x 4 m veranda with a polycarbonate roof and a spacious veranda with a polycarbonate roof. All of them are in the section polycarbonate extensions for houses.
Bitumen shingles are a soft roof covering laid on a solid wooden base. A shingle roof looks calm and goes well with houses whose roof is also covered with shingles or tiles. It is quiet in the rain.
Shingles do not let light through, so there is shade under such a roof. In summer that can be an advantage. Shingles need a sufficient roof pitch, and the exact requirements are set by the manufacturer of the covering. In the catalogue a shingle roof is used, for example, on a 3 x 3 m veranda with railings and an open veranda with a mono-pitch roof.
Sheet metal, or profiled metal sheets, is a light and smooth covering. Water and leaves slide off it easily. A metal roof is often chosen when the house already has a metal roof, so that both parts look like one whole. In the rain the sound under a metal roof is louder than under shingles.
| Polycarbonate | Shingles | Sheet metal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light on the veranda | bright | shade | shade |
| Sound in the rain | audible | quiet | louder |
| Look | light and modern | like the house roof | simple, matches a metal roof |
| Care | more frequent cleaning | removing leaves and moss | removing leaves |
Besides the covering, the shape has to be chosen. A mono-pitch roof is simple and suits a position against the house wall, because water runs away from the house. A gable roof looks like a small house and suits an entrance well. The catalogue has a 3 x 4 m veranda with a gable roof. What else to plan together with the roof is covered in the article wooden veranda with a roof - 7 things before ordering.
The roof covering also affects the price. Price examples by size are in the article wooden veranda price 2026.
Whatever the covering, the roof needs gutters. Without them water falls along the edge of the veranda onto the ground and splashes onto the floor and the plinth of the house. A mono-pitch roof usually has a gutter on one side only, a gable roof on both sides. The downpipe has to lead water away from the foundations of the house.
In winter snow collects on the veranda roof. The maker designs the structure taking the roof covering and size into account, but in a winter with heavy snow it is worth keeping an eye on the amount of snow. A thick layer of snow is best cleared in good time with a soft brush or a plastic shovel, so that the covering is not damaged.
Shingles and sheet metal come in different colours. The same colour as the house roof is often chosen, so that the veranda looks like part of the house. Polycarbonate is clear, matt or tinted, so its look depends more on the wooden structure beneath it.
It can, but the roof structure has to be adapted to the new covering. For example, shingles need a solid base, while polycarbonate is fixed differently.
A clear roof lets light through, so potted plants on the veranda do better than under an opaque roof.
Polycarbonate and sheet metal are light materials. Shingles need a solid base of boards or panels, so the whole roof structure is heavier.
They can. For example, the entrance can have a shingle roof like the house, while part of the terrace has polycarbonate for light. Such a design is best shown in a 3D sketch.
If the sound of rain at night is a concern, shingles are the better choice. If the room needs light, matt polycarbonate gives light with less glare.
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