This blog post explores rooftop living and provides tips for transforming your roof into a functional outdoor space. It emphasizes the importance of identifying the right roof for your needs, whether you have a tight budget or are ready to invest in a significant upgrade. Outdoor living spaces can transform your deck, patio, porch, or yard into a gorgeous oasis. Consider transforming your rooftop into an outdoor living room with cushy furniture, wall art, and lighting. The roof over your patio can cover multiple living areas and uses, such as an outdoor kitchen, dining, and lounging area.
There are various pergola roof ideas featuring different styles, from classic lattice toppers to less-standard pitched roofs. To create a versatile and sheltered outdoor space, start with a pergola and build it up. Create a makeshift green roof, make a patio part of your extension, or choose a glass box. Contemporary aluminum garden roofs can also be used to create beautifully versatile and sheltered outdoor spaces.
Extended roof decks with a reliable waterproof surface can create more outdoor living space and residential luxury. With the help of an experienced home builder, you can create a sturdy roof-level patio, porch, deck, or terrace that is as structurally sound as possible. Planning for permits, building codes, and aesthetic goals is essential, but any reputable patio roofing company can help.
📹 DIY Covered Patio | P1: Building A Roof To Cover My Concrete Patio | Foundation, Framing & Roofing
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📹 Patio Cover Ideas (Everything you need to know)
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As a G.C.who has been in the trades for 30+years,I’m very impressed with your DIY project!Your willingness to tackle a roof tie in along with your attention to detail in your project and article is commendable!Also great to see you having your dad work along side you,I was lucky to have my carpenter father teach me all his trade secrets.Keep up the great work and look forward to seeing the next one!!Aloha from the big island!🤙🌴
Man you’re a rock star when it came to building this it is amazing how professional you are doing something that you don’t do for a living don’t be embarrassed or make excuses this is a fantastic fantastic freaking series job and articles great work and I will watch the last one when are the remainder when they come thanks again congratulations and a fantastic job.
Listen Friend, there is nothing… to be embarrassed about. You’re a humble guy, that is obviously a good teacher, that has his priorities in order. Thankful your Father was there to be a part of it all. Luke 12:48 – states, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Keep up the great work !!
You’re a beast brother!!!!!! The only thing I didn’t agree with was back filling the 6X6 posts with dirt. I would of went with concrete (with a few long screws running through the posts before back filling with concrete for extra support). I’m a GC and have seen these posts rot within 8-10 years. Not only that, termites will destroy any wood, pressure treated or not. Other than that, your project looks great!!!!!🤙🏼😎
Very nice project, young man. Even though you frequently reminded viewers that you were not a professional carpenter, you still did a splendid job of doing things well and with lots of desire to doing what was correct. Your final result will surely be something you can be proud of, and a big thanks to dad I am sure. You can’t beat good ole dad’s help and guidance.
Incredible attention to detail! This is why I like doing my own projects. Without the pressure of production you can take the extra time to make everything perfect. In production I was told to build with a tolerance of 1/4 inch. I personally aim for 1/16. I’m pretty sure you are building to 1/64 or smaller lol. Amazing work and documentation.
In this project, we explore the process of building a roof to cover a concrete patio from start to finish. A covered patio not only provides a functional outdoor living space but also offers protection from the elements, making it a great addition to any home. This guide focuses on the foundational aspects of building the roof, including laying the foundation, framing, and installing the roofing.
Do you happen to have a article going through the process of getting your approval from the city? I’m starting to look at either adding on to my hours or building a home office in the back corner, but I’m not sure what all I need to provide to get the permits. I’m great with SolidWorks and AutoCAD so I’m not concerned with making drawings, just making sure I have everything they need.
Looks GREAT. This is something I’ve wanted to do as well to our back patio. But I cheated and ordered the Toja Grid system for 6×6 beams. The kit consists of 4 Trio Arm corner brackets and 4 Solo bases. I’ve found at my local lumber yard some 6x6x16’ beams that were returns and got them at a great price. Took a few weekends of cutting and staining them. It turned out pretty well. Wife’s happy. Love your project. Look forward to your next article.
Great article, was a high school construction teacher. I personally don’t put wood posts in the ground anymore. I did a very similar project and poured concrete posts about 3 feet high and 18×18 inches. Going to put stone on them to dress them up. Don’t be embarrassed at slow progress, you saved a ton of money.
Nicely done. I want to do a similar project maybe this spring and will use this as a reference so THANK YOU! My only question is: Those Posts will eventually begin to rot? I noticed you didn’t wrap them with anything? You could have gone with some embedded mounts to bolt the posts down above ground? Do you have any concerns there?
I have been building for 40 years, and I am impressed how you handled this project. You obviously did your homework before you got started. Very nice job.👍 Oh, If you ever tackle another shingle roof, the feet on the roofing nail gun are adjustable. You simply set the feet under the bottom edge of the lower shingle, and rest the shingle in hand down on the face of the safety/tip of the gun. That will give you the correct and consistent spacing. Depending on which shingles you use will determine the spacing. Metric shingles typically are 5 5/8″ and ASE are 5″. For some reason the west coast uses the metric shingles which are 1 meter or 39 3/4″x 13 1/4″, where the east coast uses SAE shingles which are 1 yard or 36″ x 12″. Don’t ask, because I have no idea why. Anyway That a great job you did! 👍
Don’t be embarrassed at all. You don’t do this for a living and it looks pretty darn straight. I’m also a diyer and bought a three plane level from Milwaukee. That thing is so awesome I’m using it for my deck project I’m using it for my basement remodel it’s also one of my favorite tools. I look forward to seeing the completion of this project good luck.
Nicely done your project but for me even though the posts are treated; I would have placed drain rock around it instead of dirt. My reasoning is the wood shrinks and the post develops cracks which allow bugs and moisture to migrate into the center of your post causing it to rot because the treatment of the post only goes in so far. What you can do to test this out is the ends that you cut off, put one in with soil around it say in a bucket with hole in the bottom for drainage and put another cut end in another bucket doing the same thing but use drain rock around it. Then after two or three years pull them out and check the condition of each post to see how they turned out. Good Luck
Courious why you decided to bury wood posts in the ground. Pack rock in around the post. Not dirt. Still be a good idea to seal the post at grade level. That’s where it will rot. Even treated posts will rot. Even if guaranteed not to. The wood they use is usually crap wood unless ordered specifically for a better grade. Always a good idea to use rock so water will drain.
Do what u got to do to get er done. Nice job! I think I would have made the roof a freestanding (not attached to house) and slightly higher and overlapping by just a few inches. Being separated from the house tends to lower insurance $ and u don’t have to remove the house siding, etc. We need more articles! 👍. Love the attention to detail.
As a 22 year + GC, I loved your way of doing this project. The only real difference I would have recommended would have been to use a liquid waterproofing to the posts (underground) and to backfill with gravel instead of natural dirt. Minimal cost/time and overkill is always good. One other point…seems like the connection between the posts and beams is a little light, but if it was approved by your local municipality with a permit, that’s what really matters.
so are your 4x post are they mostly just sitting on the concrete or are they in it, i was looking to make my footer all the way to the surface, then use thoes 6×6 metal standoffs that would be bolted to the concrete footer and the post this was so i wouldent ever have to worry about the post is that okay?
Maybe you’ve got some steel verticals here to keep this Airplane Wing from taking off. You will loose this roof. Concrete in the ground with rebar and anchor bolts in the concrete then attached to and narrow steel sheathing on each post at least four inches wide and 1/4 inch thick going up to steel plates above each column. The physics for this roof on a windy day. I would say if it is still up you’ve been lucky so far. I love the build tho. Looks Great. Good luck!
This was pretty awesome. I currently have a covered patio that I would like to change out the two outer posts. I know that when the guys installed it 16 years ago they put it on a footer and since then we have had additional concrete patio added, all that water that goes down worries me, the bottom of the pressure treated 4 x 6 posts are changing color, I’m worried they may be rotting away. Do you have any suggestions on how to replace these, beside hiring a professional to do it?
Nice job! A few comments: 1. In a structural setting concrete MUST be vibrated in order to push out the air bubbles. Not vibrating the concrete means it’ll be weaker due to the trapped air bubbles and will likely crack over time. 2. LVL’s that are joined to form a support beam generally require either through-bolts or structural screws to attach them. I’ve seen it done with nails but even then it’s 3 nail (top, middle, bottom) every 8″-12″. 3. When attaching wood to metal it’s seems to be good practice to give the water a place to drain so that the bottom of the wood doesn’t rot. Overall, well done👏🏻
WOW what an inspiration. This is so cool! I would like to DIY a covered patio on my place as well. The difference is that the back of the house is 2-story, so the roof would need to extend off of the existing one. No idea how to do that yet but I’m learning more every day. I consider myself to be pretty handy and I try to do all of my own stuff when possible. Thanks again for such a thorough article, this is really great!
Glad to see you did not concrete those posts in. That’s a guaranteed way to decrease the life of pressure treated lumber. Most folks don’t realize that concrete acts like a wick pulling the actual CCA (chromated copper arsenate) treatment out of the wood causing it to rot faster. Don’t believe it, look at old wooden mailbox posts and treated fence posts that have been in the ground for a few years that were concreted in. They’ll be rotting right at the ground level because of that. Most applications that Engineers spec concrete in post holes, they’re normally doweled with #4 or #5 rebar, rebar cage attached around it and holes are belled out in the bottom to keep from lifting out of the ground. The posts should be wrapped with a plastic membrane to keep the concrete from actually touching the post base. What would work better for your application would be to backfill those holes with bank sand. Once filled and watered in really well you’re done. The sand is so abrasive it bites into the posts and doesn’t let that post go anywhere. Works like millions of Chinese handcuffs.
I do like the way you and your dad started the upper rail’s and putting the two runner’s made it stronger than just one extra wide runner. But I would have used a board glue to seal them. (That’s just my sight) If I didn’t know better, I’d think you and I do it the same way, but I hand made my own Truss’s. Everything I saw is just the way I built mine. Only I did mine pretty much alone. GREAT JOB!
I have to echo a number of comments, well all of them really. The project result and article are A+ number one spicy meatball. Comprehensive. Detailed. Great DIY stuff. I assume you have city water and sewer. I’m on well and septic. I often wonder about the setbacks for the posts from the septic tank and/or line. I guess I’ll never know until I talk to the county. Anyways great job putting in the work, you deserve the praise.
You did an outstanding job, looks fantastic.. One thing that even the pros or general roofers miss is they often mount the drip edge tight to the trim. Water will follow the contour of the trim and some will get behind the gutter instead of going in the gutter. Ask me how I know. Next time around pull out about the width of finger tip. Fantastic job something to be proud of.
Good work, I watched your DIY French Drain article a little over a year ago when I was considering how best to deswamp my back yard, today youtube decided to recommend this article to me and I was pleased to see I recognized the website. Can’t wait to see the rest of the patio whenever you release the next article about it.
I didnt see a gap for the fascia left on the drip edge. You may be able to overcome that by using 3/8 smart side since you have a 1 1/2 ” backer 2×6, and still get it under the drip edge without that turning into a mess. I hope so, let us know how it works out. Great article though, for an amateur, lol. Very good.
H-clips; This is what my city inspector told me; “You know how if you rub two sticks together fast enough it’ll create enough heat to start a fire? Well, the same thing can happen during a high wind to those sheets between the trusses. They can vibrate and if they’re touching it can create heat and possibly fire.” That said; I’ve looked online and the only reason I’ve found is to provide support for the sheets between the trusses, the wider the truss spacing the more important they are. The only thing I’d have done differently is pour the footing all the way to the surface with rebar and L-bolts. Because the roof is attached to the house there is less possibility of independent movement. It also keeps the wood posts out of the ground and a “post base connector” will keep the wood out of contact with the concrete so it can fully dry after it gets wet. Also, during high winds the roof is less likely to lift the posts out of the ground if they’re bolted to hundreds of pounds of concrete. Overkill, I know, and those post base connectors don’t look the greatest. I’ve wondered about the longevity of micro-laminated beams outside due to high moisture. I don’t know; OSB boards are also a glued product and they seem to handle humidity. I think they’re fine as long as they are protected from direct rain, like your’s are. Awesome article and great addition to the back yard! Enjoy the shade!
Dude, the reason you are being questioned about backfilling the posts with dirt, is not entirely about the post treatment, but the compaction around the posts. For such a small area you should have used gravel or sand, especially if you re-pour the patio cutout soon. There is no way the topsoil you used will get the proper compaction needed for the pour within the project timeline. Only a few dollars of costs compared to headaches down the road. Next time ask a real professional.
next time use simpson cbsq66 for the post base and a ccsq for the column cap. None of this embedded post crud. with the simpson lag screw bases and caps you need almost no bracing at all. they make the column caps in standard install and end of post type EC. the column can be specced 5.25: for the 3 microlams you are using
concrete poured around wood is not the best! It will eventually lead to rot. I would have poured your pillars, and then set a U-channel in it, with a heavy rebar welded on the bottom, so that the rebar is in the cement and the bottom of the u-channel that would hold the beam in place is also above the concrete ensuring that the bottom of the beam does not touch the pillar. This way, no moisture can creep up into the wood from the ground when it rains, giving your beams a longer life! I learned the hard way and tried to mount 4×4 beams for a patio blind, and after 6-7 years had to replace it because of rot. I then took steel beams and left my wooden fence off the ground, and this should bring me another 15-20 years I hope! Hope the structure lasts long!
Im a 66 yo pretty serious diy guy. Your work is outstanding! A couple of things I would share with you; 1. The ice shield in your case is totally unnecessary. The purpose of it in a house is to prevent melted ice from flowing backward as it mounds up from the drip edge back. In your case, you have no heat source under the roof to cause all of the melting there. 2. Next time you might consider building up the flying rafter at the end, and then just install it. Either way works, but building it up on the roof might be easier for you. I found it particularly satisfying that you discovered the value of using a laser, and also, that I have the same ladders that you do! I’m not sure what I would do without my laser and my expanding step ladder! Bravo mate, you “nailed” it! Edit; I had a nearly identical roofed patio on our last house and I installed steel roofing on the ceiling to cover up the trusses and finish it off. If I had it to do over again, I would insulate it first to keep it cooler on the hot days. The sun really heats up the shingles and you can really feel it down below.
You should be proud of yourself. It seems like you did your home work as a teacher, and you have all the knowledge, tools, and most of all father as a helper. It looks great, only thing I would done different is that put some nails 6 or 8 inches half way in and put some tar on the bottom of the posts to hold the cement better and protects from the water damage. Bottom line it looks great, use it in good health!
Lmao. People this is not how you do a footing for a deck. You need rebar in the bottom. And you dont burry wood. Man i love u tube. A guy with obvious no trade schooling has a article teaching you how to build stuff. I hope one day these articles can be used to sue a guy for these. ” how to ” articles. By non professionals
Great job. Looks fabulous. I was thinking that the posts lack any diagonal bracing and that a good wind would topple the whole thing sideways. I dont think that the dirt in the hole produces much lateral support, and even if it prevented complete lateral collapse the nice symmetry would be lost if it started to lean.
any time you can avoid embedding wood members into concrete and especially dirt do it. your project deserves high marks for attention to detail. In my previous post i explained simpson concrete embedded post bases. they are amazingly stout and the posts 6×6 btr will not move. then you are never talking about lifespan of treated material embedded. One thing too about pressure treated wood is you cant nail them with anything other than hot dipped Galv. or stainless steel. or they will corrode sooner than you might thing due to the super corrosive treating agents used.
Do not apologize! Starting a family is hard work. Your time is your most valuable asset right now. You’re working, raising a family, marriage, dealing with illnesses, making content, and life gets in the way. Investing your time to create a great space for your family to enjoy for years to come is a pleasure to watch, and I’m a fan. Keep doing the best you can each day and it’ll add up to a great home and great life. It’s nice to see a creative producer instead of entitled taker. God bless.
I like how you and your dad work together to make efficient and exact. The posts are the most suspect to me. I suggest checking the moisture levels near the bottom to see if rot conditions become a concern over time. The lateral forces I hope were engineered that the post ties on top doesn’t cause the lvl’s rotate. I really like this article because it shows how to make detailed decisions.
Wow I came across this article while looking for something else and decided to watch since I want to do something similar next year. Man, I loved following along with your build and the narration really getting into your reasoning and mindset for the various steps throughout the project. The only thing I will do differently for myself is set my posts on some sort of Simpson Strong-Tie bracket attached to a completely solid concrete footing just because I’m super over the top with everything. It’s great to watch another like minded DIY-er take on a big project though and sometimes learn as you go through research. I honestly feel that most of what I build is every bit as good or in a lot of cases better than a professional would do because I take the time to make sure everything is done exactly right, will look great, function correctly and not have issues. I can see you doing all of this as well. I can’t wait to see the next part of this project. Great job!
had to rewind three times to listen better each time, finally turned on the auto subtitles to figure out what you said in the first 3 seconds. lol its “pretty sure its deep enough” but I was hearing “I pretty sure its a demon hut” as you popped out of the hole in the ground lol wonder if that’s 4 views for the article 🙂
Just currious why you did not use post straps instead of direct burial in concrete/dirt? At some point all wood will rot when in contact with earth. Post straps would have at least kept the post end above any moisture. I’m talking about the real post straps that extend solidly into the concrete and provide for the transfer of moment loads, not just the bases that get anchored in with screws. Not trying to slam your project, just curious. Cheers!
Mr. Tech Teacher: Excellent project. Love the detail and effort. Are the beams nominal measurements or actual measurements? Did you have to custom order them for width and length? Also, what is the size of this project from end-roof to end-roof? This is excellent because I’m doing something similar but not attached to the house (free-standing on a concrete patio). Good job, love it!!!
Just two questions. A. I have a wood patio at about 3 feet high that meets my back door and the ground underneath is slooped. Can your patio supports be integrated into the patio? My goal would be to widen the patio on three sides by 5 feet. Use the verticle posts you are using as the patio supports. Any advice? Also are your rafters hand made or did you buy them as forms.
Very nice project and attention to detail. I appreciate that you consulted A&Es regarding the posts, though as a professional engineer I still cringe at putting wood in the ground, regardless of how much chemicals and heavy metals are pumped into it. Not to mention that the chemicals will leach out into the ground around your home. So much better to get a little trailer of redimix and pour a pier like they would for your house, especially with it being attached to your house. The mix you buy from a plant will also be superior to the bags from a store. I too prefer screws for some framing situations, but you definitely need to pay attention to the strength compared to the nails. Screws tend to be more brittle than nails which causes them to fail more catastrophically. I also feel your pain regarding scheduling. Good job on continuing your projects. Gotta go work on mine.
That looks amazing. Very well thought out and done. Thank you very much for sharing. Of interest to me as I am a year or so away from retiring and will be buying our retirement home next year. I expect that we will do upgrades or modifications and love seeing different concepts. Thanks very much for sharing.
Great work and can’t wait to see part two. You got a subscriber out of me. Do you by chance have the plans available anywhere? Looking at doing this exact same thing (but only 18’x18’) off my house. Yours came out super clean looking. You gave me inspiration and some confidence to tackle this upcoming project so thanks for that.