Alfresco Area An outdoor living space designed for dining and entertaining, usually attached to the home and flowing directly from indoor living areas. Patios, verandahs and louvre roofs are all ways of creating or covering an alfresco area.

Attached Structure A patio, verandah or carport that connects directly to your house, integrating with the existing roofline, gutters and stormwater. Attached structures usually require council approval and careful engineering — which we handle as part of every project.

Australian Standards The national engineering and construction standards that structures must meet. Our outdoor living systems are Australian Standards tested, covering things like wind loads, materials and structural connections.

Box Gutter A concealed gutter that sits between two roof sections — commonly used where a new patio or verandah roof meets the existing house roof. Done properly, it gives a clean junction and reliable drainage. See our Box Gutter page.

Carport An open-sided roofed structure for protecting vehicles, caravans and boats from sun, rain and hail. Ours are custom designed in flat or gable styles to suit your home and what you’re parking under it. Explore options on our Carports page.

COLORBOND® Steel Pre-painted, corrosion-resistant steel made by BlueScope, available in a wide range of colours. It’s designed for harsh Australian conditions — including coastal Fleurieu environments — and never needs painting or sealing. Learn more on our Roof & Wall Cladding page.

Council Approval The process of getting planning and building consent from your local council before construction. It covers siting, height, boundaries and wind loads. As licensed builders, we manage the entire approval process for you.

Curved Roof A roof with a gentle arc rather than straight lines, giving patios and verandahs an elegant, contemporary look. A popular choice where you want something softer than a flat roof but less imposing than a gable.

Development Approval (DA) The formal approval issued under South Australia’s planning system, generally made up of planning consent and building consent. Most attached outdoor structures need it — we prepare and lodge everything on your behalf.

Downpipe The vertical pipe that carries water from your gutters to the stormwater system. New outdoor structures need their downpipes connected properly so water is directed away from your slab, paving and footings.

Dutch Gable Roof A roof style combining a flat or hipped section with a raised gable in the centre — giving you the height, light and airflow of a gable with a cleaner overall profile. Popular for larger entertaining areas.

Eave Height The height from ground level to the underside of the roof at the gutter line. It determines how the new structure meets your house and how much headroom you get — especially relevant for carports housing caravans or boats.

Flat Roof (Skillion) A single-slope roof that falls gently in one direction. It suits modern homes with clean, minimalist lines and works well where eave height is limited. See examples on our Patios and Pergolas page.

Flyover Roof A patio or verandah roof raised above the existing house eave on riser brackets, creating a gap that lets in light and airflow. It’s a design option worth discussing where standard attachment would make the area feel low or dark.

Footings The concrete foundations that anchor the posts of your structure to the ground. Footing size and depth are determined by engineering, soil type and the wind rating for your site.

Freestanding Structure A patio, pergola or carport built independently of the house — popular for poolside areas, garden retreats and BBQ zones. Freestanding designs are engineered for their position and wind exposure.

Gable Roof The classic triangular roof shape with two sloping sides meeting at a central ridge. On patios and verandahs, a gable adds height, airflow and natural light — ideal for larger entertaining spaces.

Gutter Guard A mesh system fitted over gutters to keep out leaves and debris — handy for outdoor structures near established trees, and it cuts down maintenance. See our Gutter Guard page.

Handypay Our finance partner. Handypay lets you spread the cost of your project over manageable instalments with fixed-rate repayments and no early exit fees. Details on our Finance page.

Homeowner Warranty The warranty protecting you as the owner of the structure. Our patios, pergolas, verandahs and carports carry a 30-year homeowner warranty (terms and conditions apply).

Insulation (RevCool™) RevCool™ is a reflective insulation system installed beneath the roofing to reflect radiant heat away from your outdoor area — making a real difference on hot Fleurieu afternoons. See our Insulation page.

Insurance (Construction & Public Liability) Cover that protects the build, the structure and your site while work is underway. We carry both construction insurance and public liability insurance on every project.

Licensed Builder A builder registered to carry out building work in South Australia. ShedEx Fleurieu is a licensed builder (BLD 236453) — meaning your project is designed, approved and built to code, with the consumer protections that come with it.

Louvre Roof A roof made of adjustable, motorised aluminium blades you control at the touch of a button — open for sun and airflow, closed for shade and rain. The most flexible option for year-round outdoor living. Explore our Louvre Roof Verandahs & Patios page.

Louvre Warranty The warranty covering louvre roof systems, including the motorised components — ours carry a 15-year louvre warranty (terms and conditions apply).

Patio A solid-roofed outdoor living area, attached or freestanding, that gives full weather protection for year-round entertaining. See our Patios and Pergolas page.

Pergola A more open outdoor structure providing partial shade and architectural appeal. Modern pergolas are often roofed for weather protection, blurring the line between pergola and patio.

Planning Consent The first stage of development approval, assessing whether your proposed structure suits the site — position, size, appearance and boundaries. We handle this as part of your project.

PolyPiu Polycarbonate Roofing A premium polycarbonate roofing panel that lets natural light through while providing impact resistance, UV protection and impressive thermal performance. See our PolyPiu Polycarbonate Roofing page.

Posts (Columns) The vertical steel members supporting your roof structure, anchored to footings or an existing slab. Post positions are planned around sightlines, access and engineering requirements.

Progress Payments Our simple four-stage payment structure where each payment is tied to a completed stage of your project — so you only ever pay for real progress. The exact schedule is set out in your contract.

Rain Sensor A feature available on louvre roof systems that detects rain and automatically closes the blades — so your outdoor furniture stays dry even when you’re not home.

RevCool™ See Insulation (RevCool™) above — a reflective insulation system that keeps outdoor areas cooler by reflecting radiant heat away from the structure.

Roof Pitch The angle or slope of the roof. Pitch affects water run-off, the structure’s height and how the design sits against your home. Learn more on our Roof Pitch page.

Setback The minimum distance a structure must be from your property boundaries under council planning rules. Setbacks depend on the height and type of structure — we confirm what applies to your block during design.

Skylight A translucent panel in the roof that lets natural light into the area below — a popular addition to solid-roof patios and verandahs. See our Skylights page.

Smart Home Integration The ability to control your louvre roof from your phone or home automation system — adjusting sun, shade and airflow remotely, alongside features like rain-sensing automatic closing.

Span The distance a roof covers between supports. Larger spans need heavier engineering, and they determine how open and post-free your outdoor area can be.

Stormwater Connection The piping that carries water from your downpipes to the stormwater system or rainwater tanks. Proper stormwater management protects your paving, slab and footings from moisture damage.

Structural Warranty The warranty covering the structural integrity of your build. Our patios, pergolas, verandahs and carports carry a 30-year structural warranty alongside the 30-year homeowner warranty (terms and conditions apply).

Verandah A roofed structure attached to your home along one or more sides, extending your living space outdoors and sheltering doors and windows from the weather. See our Verandahs page.

Victory Home Improvements The Australian outdoor living systems we design and build with as an authorised distributor — covering patios, pergolas, verandahs, carports and louvre roofs, backed by long-term warranties (terms and conditions apply).

Wind Rating The classification of your site’s wind conditions under Australian standards, which determines how strong your structure and fixings must be. It matters a lot in exposed coastal spots like Victor Harbor, Middleton and Carrickalinga — we design every project to the correct rating for your site.