A covered patio is an exterior area of a house or business that is typically near an entrance to the building and provides space for storage, sitting, or similar purposes. Covered patios are specifically designed with a covering that provides protection from rain and snow, or shade in hotter climates, and can be built with a cover or one can be added later. Patios are often found at the ground level of a building and can be paved or may be raised and constructed from wooden decking. A covered patio can also extend from an entryway at a higher floor of a building and provide outdoor seating at these upper levels.
Similar in many ways to covered porches, a covered patio is usually found at the back or side of a house and provides area for entertaining and storage away from the main entryway. This means that a patio can provide options a porch may not be able to provide. A porch, for example, is often used as a main entryway and gives people entering or leaving a building a place to move around each other and remove or put on shoes.
A covered patio is often designed to provide guests or owners with a space that can be used outside because it is fairly protected from the elements. The covering on a patio can be wood, brick, or just about any other building material that can stand up to harsh weather. Temporary coverings made from vinyl and similar materials can also be used. A covered patio can be beneficial in just about any type of climate, since it provides shade in the heat and can block rain and snow.
This also makes a covered patio ideal for storage. While the protection provided may not be perfect for cardboard boxes and other materials easily damaged by water, a covered patio can protect from direct rain and snow quite well. Patio furniture under such a covering is often less likely to become wet or rusted due to such weather. High winds and other extreme conditions, however, can result in items under a patio covering becoming wet, so some care should still be used when using covered patios for storage.