A Selection of Canopies, Porches, Verandas and Porticos

2024 Highlights from ZAC

Since launching ZAC in 2017, we have been fortunate to undertake many projects for customers to help them create some of the most stunning entrances and outside spaces with canopies from ZAC. This blog highlights 12 of the projects we have carried out just in 2024!

Early last year we were asked to design and manufacture a bespoke canopy for a magnificent property on Wandsworth Common. Planning consent was required as the property was of historical interest and located within a conservation area. We undertook a site visit to carry out a detailed inspection that included meticulous measuring around the tapered ornamental features.

Feedback from the planning office highlighted that not only were they happy with t the design but they were especially keen on the traditional materials specified by ZAC. I am sure you will agree that the canopy looks perfectly at home on this property, especially with the choice of Anthra zinc for the cladding.

We also carried out a project for a property in leafy Reigate; in fact, the property itself was located on a golf course. Similarly to the project on Wandsworth Common, the portico needed to be tapered into the building, but also within the customers’ remit was the need to replicate some details that were already used on the main house including zinc sphere finials.

Below is the finished portico, not just creating a grand entrance to enhance their already lovely house, but also providing an entrance to keep them dry whilst at their front door.

ZAC was approached to refurbish a dilapidated Loggia on a property in Kensington, London.

Although the cast iron fretwork was in good condition, the original zinc roof and guttering were in a real state of disrepair. The client was determined to bring it back to its former glory.

We approached the work by first manufacturing and forming new mild steel rafters to provide the shape of the roof. The rafters were then powder coated in black to match the iron fretwork. We then cut and formed the different roof panels, caps and flashings, all in the customer’s choice of Anthra zinc.

I am sure you will agree that the refurbished Loggia not only looks stunning, but looks as though it could be the original feature.

We also took on a project to create a veranda for a recently extended property in Arundel.  The veranda was to be installed on part of a raised patio to provide a covered outdoor seating area.  The customer opted for a natural zinc roof with simple stanchions and brackets from ZAC’s standard range.

The customer’s only concern was that the veranda would be in front of their home office window, and they did not want to cut out any light coming in.

We helped them overcome this potential issue by manufacturing the roof with a flat summit incorporating a glass sky light.

In addition to the many traditionally styled canopies, we were asked this year to create a porch that had a bespoke modern look for a new property in Buckinghamshire.

The customer chose to have simple square stanchions, that were powder coated in black to match their entrance, and an angled Antra zinc roof.

Another of our veranda projects was undertaken on a beautiful stately home in Cambridge.

The owners used their property as a wedding venue and wanted to provide an outside area that could be used not only as a covered walkway, but also as an area to keep guests dry whilst photographs were being taken.

This simple and elegant veranda provided the perfect solution; not just providing the covered walkway but matching perfectly with the overall look of the building.

Next onto a pair of matching verandas manufactured for a house in Cambridge. Our client wanted something more to finish off the facade of their magnificent new property. Their architect suggested that they contact ZAC to see if we could manufacture a pair of traditional verandas.

The natural zinc cladding on the roof slopes have now gained a lovely patina which blends in perfectly with the handmade clay tiles and lime rendering.

Something common to many of the enquiries for our verandas is the wish to have an outside seating or dining area. The owner of the below newly built manor house is a perfect example of how we can help customers to achieve their wishes. The customer’s architect was keen on our solutions because we can use a continental drip flashing system on the roof, so the new stonework on the house would not need to be chased.

The powder coating and cladding options selected by the customer were made to help ensure the veranda complemented the style of the house, whilst providing a large enough area to allow for seating.

Next on to a customer’s house in Wiltshire. The customer wanted a porch for their front entrance and to have a matching window canopy made for a bay window at the side of their house.

The owners of this unique sustainably-built new house wanted to make sure the porch and bay window canopy fitted in with their eco-friendly ethos. ZAC’s verandas, porches and canopies are manufactured with recyclable and sustainable materials and in fact, zinc and copper are the most sustainable metals in the UK building industry.

We were approached by two different customers with properties in Tenterden. Both customers were troubled by the wind and rain as they stood in their doorway and were looking for something to help protect both them and their door from the elements.

The overall look of both properties meant that Georgian style porches would fit in perfectly. The higher shape of the canopy roof would allow the canopy to fit around the arched window above the door. Although the canopy roofs were similar on both properties, different stanchions were selected by each customer giving one a simpler sleek design and the other something a little more elabarate.

Now to Kingswood in Surrey where a customer contacted ZAC to create a porch and co-ordinating Juliet balconies.

We worked with the customer to select stanchion designs that could also be used to make their Juliet balconies. Along with a Quartz zinc roof, the porch was made with two stanchions finished with brackets, all powder coated in black. The customer chose to visit ZAC’s factory to learn more about our manufacturing processes, which really helped them in their choice and in our ability to provide them with the perfect solution for their home.

As well as new canopies, porches and verandas, we are also asked to refurbish existing features. This year, in addition to refurbishing the dilapidated Loggia in Kensington, we were asked to refurbish a porch on a Georgian house in Crouch Hill, London.

After inspecting the canopy, we found that the original canopy was manufactured with copper and subsequently repaired with zinc and then coated with bitumen paint. As the porch was on a listed building it would need to be sympathetically restored to match the original.

We manufactured a new steel frame and installed natural copper panels with matching copper stepped flashing and Ogee guttering.

The final part of my round up is a project to help a customer with an ongoing problem with water ingress via a flat roof on their front entrance. This formed part of a portico around the entrance of their period property.

The customer asked if we could manufacture something grand to match the rest of the house. Our solution was to manufacture a faceted natural zinc canopy with roll caps, giving them the splendid portico whilst also waterproofing it. To finish off the canopy, the customer also elected to have a matching zinc gutter.

If you have a project that you would like us to help with, please feel free to contact us. As you can see from the above, we really love what we do and are always happy to welcome customers to come to our factory to take a look at our high-quality workmanship.