How To Support A Deck Roof

Most deck roofs require separate footings from the deck to support the weight of the roof throughout the seasons.

How to support a deck roof.

Another great thing about installing a roof over your deck is that you can personalize it to match your style and tastes. To avoid any modifications to the existing deck below or to facilitate future replacement of the deck below the roof the roof can also be designed independently from the deck. Pictures of roofs over decks. Designing the deck roof.

This is where the real planning began as the design of the roof would drastically effect the appearance of the finished deck. Covered decks can be made with either stand alone roofs or when the deck is adjacent to a building with a roof connected to the building. Installing a roof over an existing deck isn t recommended unless your deck was originally designed to support the roof. 2 fix these support posts to your decks original support frame bolts work well.

If you like the idea of having the roof above your house s roof you need to make sure the support posts are within 4 feet or so of the original gutter on that side. For deck roof posts dig holes for the roof posts and pour cement to keep them secure. Adding a covered roof to your deck will typically cost between 3 000 10 000. Place pier blocks so that the posts will be against the inside of the support frame.

When bolting to the deck s structure be sure to use heavy duty galvanized lag screws that are long enough to penetrate the deck s framing by at least 2 inches. 20 6x6 pt posts would be long enough to use as both deck support and roof support but the expense isn t justified because all that is needed to support the roof would be 4x4s. Jason is a contractor host of decks. Porch decks also require larger footings than deck footings.

A 1 5 inch thick rim joist cannot support a 3 5 inch thick post above. Blocking must be installed adjacent to the rim joist. While a typical deck is designed to support 55 pounds per square foot psf a roof requires 80 psf of support. To safely install a roof deck the roof needs to be able to support about 55 pounds of weight per square foot in general.

If the deck doubles as a porch it needs to be able to support no more than 80 psf. A new series brought to you by cottage life jason lake shows you common mistakes and easy fixes for building a deck. The cost will vary depending on the professionals hired materials used square footage and weather conditions.