How To Support A Roof Deck

A 1 5 inch thick rim joist cannot support a 3 5 inch thick post above.

How to support a roof 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. Another great thing about installing a roof over your deck is that you can personalize it to match your style and tastes. 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. In most cases larger footings and sometimes more footings are required for a roofed deck.

Designing the deck roof. In the past many decks were built with 4x4 support posts also called structural posts. Adding a covered roof to your deck will typically cost between 3 000 10 000. If the deck doubles as a porch it needs to be able to support no more than 80 psf.

If you choose to add a roof to an existing deck you may need to add additional supports so it can hold the weight of the roof. 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. This is where the real planning began as the design of the roof would drastically effect the appearance of the finished deck. We will walk you through the entire process from siting the patio roof to raising posts attaching beams and installing the roof.

A regular deck can support a certain amount of weight per square foot but a deck roof adds a lot of weight and requires support. And if a deck is over 10 feet tall you should install bracing. This is why it s best to add a roof during initial deck construction. Most deck roofs require separate footings from the deck to support the weight of the roof throughout the seasons.

For that reason we strongly recommend that you use 6x6s instead even if your building department does not demand them. But these can bow seriously even if a deck is only 3 feet off the ground. Pictures of roofs over decks. To safely install a roof deck the roof needs to be able to support about 55 pounds of weight per square foot in general.

However this calculation can vary depending upon what you plan on. Blocking must be installed adjacent to the rim joist. For deck roof posts dig holes for the roof posts and pour cement to keep them secure. The cost will vary depending on the professionals hired materials used square footage and weather conditions.

Adding a roof to your deck is best done as the deck is being built. Porch decks also require larger footings than deck footings.