Elements to Consider When Building a Rooftop Deck

A rooftop deck is one of the best things you can spend your money on. A rooftop deck can give you peace in a metropolis or bustling neighborhood. Also, there's something very charming about being able to sit in a comfortable chair and look out over the rest of your area.

Before you start building your new rooftop deck, you'll need to think about a lot of things, just like with any other significant home improvement project. Some of these are pretty obvious, but others aren't. This is why many homeowners opt for using deck builders in Orange County, CA, to save them some trouble. But if you must know the factors you are to consider when building a rooftop deck, find it all below!

The Building Codes and Requirements in Your Area

The thing is, your neighborhood, city, and state will all have their own rules and regulations about rooftop decks. For example, the rules and codes for building in California are different from those in Virginia.

In some neighborhoods, you can't even have a rooftop deck. So, before you start designing your new rooftop deck, it's very important to check and understand these codes and requirements. Some of these rules make a lot of sense. But others, like "you can only use outdoor wood flooring," are very specific. And that makes you unable to use other materials that might be better for the environment. To be safe, no matter what, make sure to read the rules and regulations and understand them.

The Purpose of Your Rooftop Deck

Before we discuss the needed materials or the logistics of building your rooftop deck, answer this: "why do you want it?" What do you want to use it for? Would you like a pool? Do you want to add some charm to your house? Do you want to sell your house and know that rooftop decks make it much more valuable?

Ask yourself these questions, and then think about why you want a rooftop deck in the first place. For many people, it's just a nice place to hang out with family and friends. That's a good reason! For some people, it might be a bit trickier. Knowing the purpose you want your rooftop deck to serve will guide you in building it. Or, as the case may be, to hire any deck builder in Orange County.

The Materials You Will Use

When building a roof deck, your choice of deck flooring is even more important than when building a deck on the ground. Rooftop decks will get exposed to the sun and wind for long periods and in harsher ways. Not all decking is suitable for installing on rooftops, so make sure to do your research before choosing one.

With so much direct sun and little airflow, PVC, vinyl, and composite decking are all likely to have problems. Not to mention that they will be very hot and hurt your feet if you wear them without socks. Pressure-treated wood can splinter, needs a lot of maintenance, and usually requires at least 12 inches of space under it. So it's not a good choice for most rooftop decks. Hardwood decking can be very expensive and isn't a good choice for people who want a green home. Also, many of these options are not to get installed on rooftops, so they could have big problems that the warranty might not cover. For these kinds of projects, modified wood would be a better choice for decking.

The only maintenance that modified wood needs is frequent cleaning. It is cool to the touch, doesn't splinter, and ages to a beautiful silver patina. Better yet, you can use modified wood for every part of a roof deck: flooring, siding, stairs, railings, benches, pergolas, and anything else you would build with wood. This makes your rooftop living space look beautiful and put together.

The Roof and Substructure Access

With a rooftop deck, access to the roof and decking substructure is probably the most important thing to keep in mind. Most roofs need to get replaced every twenty years. If you put down permanent decking on top, you'll also have to tear off that decking. And you will redo the roof and then put down a brand-new deck. This can take a lot of time and cost a lot of money.

If you don't want to have to replace the roof and deck at the same time, you might want to think about a more semipermanent decking solution. This can include a tile deck with a pedestal system, where each tile gets screwed to its pedestal and held in place with a fastening mechanism. With this kind of system, all you have to do to fix the roof is pull up the tiles and put them back down when you are through. This takes about three to four days of work instead of the time it would take to build a whole new deck after fixing or replacing the roof.

Your Space

Most of the time, building a roof deck takes more space than building a deck on the ground. You'll need to figure out how the crew will get to your roof, whether it's by stairs inside or by scaffolding outside. Some, but not all, homes may even need crane access for their rooftop decks. This means you must have enough room for the crane to move around trees, existing outbuildings, power lines, and other obstacles.

Your Landscaping

Think about the landscaping around your house and the deck you want to build. Are there any trees on your roof that could provide shade or a nice look? Or are they too close to the building site and getting in the way? What about planting some trees at the base of your house, where they won't get in the way of your deck but will give you shade in the future? Also, building planters and garden boxes into the deck is a great way to give your area some shade and give it a natural, relaxing feel.

Conclusion

Put all these into consideration, and you won't make a mistake with any part of the process, we promise! On the other side, you should know you can also actualize your dreams with the right team of deck builders in Orange County, CA. So hire us today! We are a team of expert deck builders who can take you and your home through the process and completion of your deck with ease.