For many homeowners, balconies, and rooftops are a dream extension inside their houses. They serve as an extra chill spot to relax, have family chitchat, bond with friends, or even hold a particular party, lessening leisure expenses as they no longer need to go out and have fun.
However, building this area isn’t easy—it requires much planning, designing, and many more factors to consider. We know it can be too much to handle; hence we prepare this article as your reliable guide, so you can adeptly prepare and check everything essential rooftop construction component before building one in your home. But before you worry about those, here are some design factors you should take into account:
- Size: Plan your rooftop according to the space available in your home. When deciding, it’s also essential to consider its usage and zoning regulations applicable.
- Weight: Speak to a construction professional like a civil engineer and consult them regarding the maximum weight limit for the rooftop you plan to build. Note that the material and decking system you’ll utilize will also be critical weight factors.
- Use: Evaluate the valuable square footage you’ll need to achieve the rooftop deck of your dreams.
- Cost: When designing, it’s important to consider your budget, anticipating all construction expenses from material, labor, and maintenance costs.
- Safety: Apart from the rooftop’s aesthetic, size, and cost, you should look at its safety elements as well to avoid hazardous risks that can lead to tragic falling or collapsing circumstances.
Once you closely examine the crucial design factors above, you can develop the rooftop deck you’ve always dreamed of. When constructing, here are seven things you should take a closer look at:
Rooftop’s accessibility
Talk to your architect or engineer and plot the essential doors and access points within your rooftop deck. Choose a location that will grant quick, easy, and safe access for everyone’s convenience. Install roof access panels also, so cleaning, repairs, or maintenance specialists can efficiently work on your roofing facilities without much hassle.
Rooftop materials
You must consider varying factors when establishing your rooftop deck, so you can adequately purchase the best-fitting material for your rooftop deck. One of the most significant elements is your rooftop’s exposure to harsh weather and high UV. Thus, weather resistance should be one of the features you should check out when purchasing construction materials for your house’s rooftop. According to the blog post of a decking and siding company, here are some other questions you should ask and contemplate yourself with:
- How will you use your deck or balcony?
- How much maintenance do you want to do?
- Do you want to spend a lot on maintenance?
- Do you want your decking to last for a long time?
Nonetheless, many builder experts pick natural wood as an impressive material to build your rooftop decks. It’s a wood material that can withstand all-day weather exposure without worrying about its deteriorating quality. Furthermore, it’s affordable and can be stained and painted at your disposal. Other wood deck options you can check out are:
- Thermally Modified Wood Decking Material: This wood decking material type exhibits stunning colors and grain patterns that further darken and enhance as it gets exposed to heat. You can choose between ThermoWood and Thermawood and select the most fitting to address your needs.
- Hardwood Wood Decking Material: This wood decking material type provides the highest fiber density among its peers. It grants a wide range of beautiful hardwood decking selections. You can pick among Ipe, Cumaru, Machiche, Jatoba, and Garapa.
Rooftop’s decking system
The weight and materials utilized are essential determinants of the decking system installation. There are two leading installation methods that you can employ.
- Wood Furring Strip Rooftop Decking System: It’s a rooftop deck method that contains a matrix of wood furring strips that leaves enough space between each board, allowing the humidity to disappear. On the other hand, the decking gets placed on top, and builders often put the furring strips in a grid as it’s famous for preventing moisture.
- Eurotec Aluminum Rooftop Decking System: The Eurotec rooftop decking installation method typically consists of aluminum marine-grade aluminum components and adjustable pedestals which can weigh lighter on your rooftop space. Unlike the furring strips, the Eurotec aluminum rails don’t require grid placement, granting you a sturdy and lightweight framing system that’s also rot-free.
Rooftop’s deck railing
Railings, or balustrades, are a necessary architectural element surrounding your rooftop deck, often constructed with either glass panels, bars, or vertical balusters. It serves as a safety measure required by the local building agency. Hence it’s essential to call them or visit them to learn the specific height or railing style needed for your home.
If you aim for a traditional look, you can design your railings with the same wood decking material you used. You can combine it with metal and glass elements for a great natural wood mix-and-match style, perfectly complementing nature’s view.
Rooftop size
Determining the purpose of the rooftop can help you choose the appropriate size for your deck. For more accurate sizing concerns, you can go to a professional architect or designer to assist you. Remember to consider the size of your home property and its proximity to your neighbor’s house. Mansion-size houses enable you to create a large rooftop deck on top of your garage or room floors, whereas smaller homes only allow a narrow rooftop space.
Rooftop construction cost
Construct your rooftop deck within your budget. Anticipate the project expenditure beforehand and track every expense to prevent spending more. Quantity of material supplies and labor costs are some of the initial expenses you should assume when planning the target budget for your ideal rooftop.
However, you should also consider the following things when building and see your rooftop investment in a much bigger picture:
- Maintenance
- Damage Repairs
- Deck Refinishing
Find material products that are affordable, high-quality, and durable, as they can save you a lot from the needed maintenance and repairs in the future.
Find licensed and skillful rooftop contractors
Yes, licensed construction experts, such as architects, designers, civil engineers, and others, ask for expensive professional fees. But what’s beneficial about entrusting this project with licensed contractors is that you can guarantee your rooftops’ accessibility, quality, sturdiness, and, more importantly, safety. You can assure of getting a higher ROI over time, as your rooftop deck and your entire home itself has long-lasting value.
Build the rooftop of your dreams
If you have an extra roof space that you can turn into a rooftop deck, maximizing every corner of your home, this article will guide you through cautiously planning and constructing it. This way, you can build a rooftop that’s a haven and safe for your family, friends, or even colleagues to stay and bond.
