hi i am trying to find out if i can fit some decking on to my flat roof to make a balcony from the bedroom the roof was rebuilt 4 years ago with new boards and felt and seems still in good condition
thanks Gar
Are you going down the legal route? ie building regs, planning etc? No doubt you'll not want to hear this but your flat roof would have been designed as a flat roof whereas the potential loads on a balcony can be considerably more unless its only going to be tiny, still, thats a matter for your conscience!
The supporting structure for your decking can only be the walls supporting your roof. You cannot use any part of the roof to support the decking (unless you have a supporting wall under it). So, this means that you have to fit beams on top of the walls and then span the roof area between the beams with joists. The length of span will determine the thickness of the joists. This, in turn will determine the weight of the joists and the overall pressure that will pass down through the walls into the foundations. If its an old building, the additional weight of your deck might not be significant, because yars ago they made thick walls and big foundations, but new houses are built for purpose on an economy basis and they are not designed to take additional weight. Get an architect and structural engineer to give you some advice. It might cost you a few hundred quid, but its worth it.
If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below,
or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.
Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.
Please select a service and enter a location to continue...
Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local
