How To Support A Roof Deck

Designing the deck roof.

How to support a roof deck.

For deck roof posts dig holes for the roof posts and pour cement to keep them secure. In the past many decks were built with 4x4 support posts also called structural posts. Most deck roofs require separate footings from the deck to support the weight of the roof throughout the seasons. Another great thing about installing a roof over your deck is that you can personalize it to match your style and tastes.

For that reason we strongly recommend that you use 6x6s instead even if your building department does not demand them. The most common styles are gable hip and shed. Start here if you want to build a roof over a patio or deck. To safely install a roof deck the roof needs to be able to support about 55 pounds of weight per square foot in general.

Porch decks also require larger footings than deck footings. Consider including an ice and water barrier too. Adding a roof to your deck is best done as the deck is being built. But these can bow seriously even if a deck is only 3 feet off the ground.

And if a deck is over 10 feet tall you should install bracing. We will walk you through the entire process from siting the patio roof to raising posts attaching beams and installing the roof. If the deck doubles as a porch it needs to be able to support no more than 80 psf. In most cases larger footings and sometimes more footings are required for a roofed deck.

This is where the real planning began as the design of the roof would drastically effect the appearance of the finished deck. Adding a covered roof to your deck will typically cost between 3 000 10 000. A 1 5 inch thick rim joist cannot support a 3 5 inch thick post above. This is why it s best to add a roof during initial deck construction.

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. 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. 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. However this calculation can vary depending upon what you plan on.

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. Blocking must be installed adjacent to the rim joist.