How to Install an Insulated Patio Cover

Set up a ladder near the site of your patio cover installation. Examine the eaves under your home's roof and the fascia of the wall to determine an appropriate place for installing the header, which is the horizontal bar that attaches an insulated patio cover to your home.

Choose a site that is sturdy and relatively smooth. For example, you can remove the top row of vinyl siding to attach the header to your home's exterior wall studs beneath the roof's eaves.

Apply construction adhesive to the back of the header that comes in the insulated patio cover kit with a brush or applicator that comes with the adhesive.

Press the header against the installation site. Drive screws through it, into the masonry or wood studs on your home's exterior, using an electric screwdriver or power drill with a screwdriver bit. Use masonry screws instead of the screws provided in the cover kit if screwing the header directly into brick, stone or stucco.

Clamp the header in place, if possible, using metal clamps. Wait for the construction adhesive to dry according to the manufacturer's suggested curing times for the current temperature and humidity level.

Attach mounting brackets to the insulated patio cover header using the supplied screws and an electric screwdriver or power drill with a screwdriver bit.

Measure the location of the posts that will support the corners of the cover using a tape measure and the diagram included in the patio cover kit.

Attach concrete brackets to the patio floor where the posts will rise. There is no need to dig footings if the insulated patio cover will be supported by a header attached to your home.

Insert and screw in 4-by-4 lumber ordered to a length that matches the height of your posts into the concrete brackets. Insert and screw in the remaining frame pieces from the patio cover kit, connecting the posts to the header and to one another at their tops.

Install the insulated patio cover panels by snapping or screwing them into place, following the installation instructions that came with the kit.