Can I install My Own Door Canopy?
Hiring an external company or tradesperson to put up your front door canopy can be very expensive and can put people off from buying their own. Luckily there are some canopies that are specially designed to be easily fabricated and easy to install onto almost any building surface.
Step 1 - Planning Permission for a Door Canopy
We know it’s boring but, when installing your own door canopy, it’s important to ensure that you are allowed to, so that your local council doesn’t get upset with you. Most flat packed door canopy kits will already be fully legal to install without planning permission but it’s good practice to check before you buy.
If you’re planning on making your canopy from scratch, it’s important to know that, to ensure you don’t need planning permission, your buildings entrance (door canopy) must not extend more than 1 meter beyond the front of your house; must not exceed 3 meters in height and the canopy must not cover more than half of the front garden.
If your house is listed as a historical building, there may be more rules and regulations so it’s important to know all the facts before jumping in.
Step 2 - Buying the right canopy, canopy kit or raw materials.
There are many different canopies to choose from that vary in shape, size, material and colour. The shape and colour of your front door canopy is completely subjective and doesn’t really matter when considering whether you will be able to install it yourself. The size and material, however, are critical.
Make sure you know the width of your door and the width you want your canopy to be.
You might not be able to return a door canopy if you buy the wrong size! You may be thinking that the obvious answer for materials is traditional materials such as wood and slate, but you might be surprised to find that we don’t recommend this at all if you want to install the door canopy yourself!
We admit that wooden, slated door canopies can be extremely good looking but the increased effort and complications that the weight brings to installing them is massive.
Due to the increased weight, lifting equipment and machinery such as cherry pickers may be needed just to get the wooden door canopy in place.
This will introduce extra unnecessary rental costs and will make the whole process more complicated. You may also have to reinforce your wall so that it can cope with the extra weight that wooden canopies have, this can be complicated and expensive and if done wrong could damage the structural integrity of your house.
The final drawback of wooden canopies is maintenance! If left to its own devices wood can crack, rot and look very weathered. To stop this you must treat and varnish it somewhat regularly, which in the long-run will be time-consuming and costly.
We recommend canopies made of prime and recycled plastic polymers. I know what you’re thinking, “that sounds like a fancy way of saying plastic.”
And if we are honest, it is! But that doesn’t mean it’s bad.
Prime and recycled plastic polymers are designed to look like wood but have many added benefits. Plastic polymers are far lighter than wood which means they can easily be lifted into place without needing any external equipment, allowing anyone to be able to install them. This lighter weight also allows them to be used on virtually any exterior wall without compromising anything structurally. We go into more detail about the pro’s and con’s of the most common door canopy materials here.
Prime and recycled plastic polymers are also more robust than wood and once installed needs next to no maintenance other than a very occasional clean with soapy water and will last for decades while keeping its great looks. If you are set on wanting a slate roofed door canopy, it’s not a problem, plastic canopies are easily strong enough for a fully slated roof. You can browse the canopies that we recommend here.
Step 3 - Building the Door Canopy
Tools you’ll need:
Tape measure
Drill with appropriate drill bit (often included in kits)
marker pen
level
Hammer
spanner or ratchet set
Many canopies will come flat packed with instructions on how to put it together. These should be straight forward and easy to follow for any DIY-er. You will likely need some tools that aren’t included with the canopy such as a drill or a level. Here is an example of an installation guide/instructions.
These are found in most homes but if not, you will likely be able to borrow them from a friend or family. If you have gone for a heavy wooden canopy, it is likely you will need lifting equipment which you may have to rent.
You will normally need to measure out and drill the holes for your brackets first, then attach the brackets to your wall, then place the actual canopy on top securing it tightly. You must ensure that you have the right screws for your wall type e.g. brick, stone or cladding. Most kits come with brick fixings so if your wall is a different material you may have to find your own fixings. Don’t guess! Having the wrong fixings could lead to improper installation and accidents.
Step 4 - Maintaining Your Door Canopy
If you have opted for a prime and recycled plastic polymer door canopy, then you can relax! You might occasionally want to clean it with soapy water, but you don’t have to, it will still look great!
A wooden canopy will need to be treated often, typically once a year. If you find that water is soaking into the wood instead of beading up on top of it you should treat it asap, otherwise it could start to rot. Treating wood can be a time-consuming process as it should be applied thinly in multiple coats to ensure maximum protection.
You may also need UV filters to stop the wood from getting sun damaged. Many people find this work fulfilling and worthwhile as they love the look of their wooden canopies so much and can look back at their work and see the difference but if you’re not willing to put in the time to keep your wood treated then I wouldn’t recommend choosing it.
In conclusion, can I build and install my own Door Canopy?
Yes! Building a canopy for your house can be as hard or as easy as you want It to be. If you want to start with raw materials, you can! Just ensure that it complies with planning permission laws and that you have the right fixings to attach it to the wall.
It’s important to remember that if there are any accidents because of poor installation it will be your fault, so don’t rush in, take the time to ensure it is as safe as possible. If you don’t want to build a door canopy from scratch but don’t want to pay someone to install a canopy for you consider a flat-packed kit. There are lots of different designs, sizes and colours to choose from to fit anyone’s needs.
Next Step:
Learn how different materials like wood, GRP, glass, or Woodex Polymer affect durability, maintenance, and cost in our full guide - Choosing the Best Material for Your Front Door Canopy
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