How To Support A Deck Roof

Convert the space under a second story deck into a dry spacious patio by installing this simple under the deck roof and gutter system.

How to support a deck roof.

Support posts should be spaced less than 8 apart and be located on top of properly sized frost footings. If local codes allow setting the overhead directly on an existing slab but the concrete is not thick enough to support the overhead s weight you will. A new series brought to you by cottage life jason lake shows you common mistakes and easy fixes for building a deck. However this calculation can vary depending upon what you plan on.

A higher pitched roof would be better for extra living space than a lower pitched roof. We will walk you through the entire process from siting the patio roof to raising posts attaching beams and installing the roof. Once again a 2 by 4 inch piece of lumber is placed between the trusses and parallel to the ceiling joists. 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.

Install bracing cut from the same 2 x material you used for the joists 2 x 8 for this deck between joists in the middle of the frame to support parting boards. This is where a high pitched roof is necessary. One of our readers rune eriksen sent us photos of his design for a home built deck drainage system and we were impressed enough to check it out. Porch decks also require larger footings than deck footings.

If you are tying the shed roof into an existing roof on the house you will need to remove the shingles and sheathing to expose the roof framing. If the deck doubles as a porch it needs to be able to support no more than 80 psf. Blocking must be installed adjacent to the rim joist. To safely install a roof deck the roof needs to be able to support about 55 pounds of weight per square foot in general.

For deck roof posts dig holes for the roof posts and pour cement to keep them secure. A 1 5 inch thick rim joist cannot support a 3 5 inch thick post above. Most deck roofs require separate footings from the deck to support the weight of the roof throughout the seasons. Rafters should be attached to the header beam using hurricane ties.

Parting boards also known as pattern boards add a distinctive look and can eliminate the need to butt boards together to span the width of the deck. A great deal depends on the pitch of the roof.