putting a glass canopy on a ground floor apartment

[Guest]

Hi - i'm looking to put a glass canopy on a ground floor apartment. I am wondering if it is advisable to do this being there are other balconys on top or my apartment and residue water would come down to my courtyard when it is raining hard.

[csintexas]

Does water come down now?

It does not seem to me that adding a canopy will change whether or not water comes down from above?

Am I missing something?

[Guest]

yeah but was hoping the canopy would shelter me from when i open the doors. Another aspect if i were to have some outdoor furniture didn't want to get it all wet.

[csintexas]

What I am trying to say is that if water comes down now it will still come down with a canopy.

The only difference is that the canopy will effect the path that it travels.

If you don't want it to come on to the porch than you need to build a canopy which diverts it away.

[RickBalkins]

Melbournian:

First rule of rain, it doesn't always just pour down. That is design mistake #1 in shielding from rain to assume rain only pours down.

If there is significant wind while it is raining. The rain will be at some angle but not just plain down. It might be at a 45 degree angle. If there is high-winds, like 50-70mph or higher speed winds for example - the rain would be practically horizontal. In fact, I believe we had horizontal rain at 30+ mph winds in Astoria, Oregon. Other areas can be subject to similar conditions that can cause that.

So if you don't want the porch to get wet, the porch needs to be enclosed with a door to allow you to get in and out of the porch area and you may want some sort of operable windows with screen so when it is sunny with a light wind, you can open it up and allow some ventilation. Especially if this porch is not surving as a passive solar room of some kind. You will still want some sort of ventilation regardless. Otherwise, it can become quite a greenhouse.

However, as I read through this, this is an Apartment building. It may require the service of an Architect. I suspect that the building is a non-exempt building. It appears that you are in one small unit of a large apartment buildings. Can you tell me how many units is this building and the state you are in? This might be a subject needing the service of an Architect (for all the legal stuff).

[Checkpoint43]

Have you considered a retractable awning?
http://vimeo.com/11339934