open deck over a wrap-around porch???

16 years ago

Been lurking awhile but this is my first post. Has anyone out there ever built an open deck over a wrap-around porch? Here is the address of an eplans.com house that shows what I mean.

http://www.eplans.com/house-plans.hwx/Q/Plan.HWEPL10400/searchId.127313421/offset.0#floorplan

(Sorry but I haven't figured out how to make links work)

I'm in LOVE with the look of the deck/porch combo and want have something similar but am concerned about a couple of things?

1) Support issues? Can one really cantilever a deck as big as the one shown on this plan?

2) Drainage issues? How does one keep water from pooling on the upper deck and rotting it out?

Would love to talk to someone who has built this plan or something similar to find out how it has worked out.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

woodswell
16 years ago
We didn't do a deck over a wrap around porch but we did put a deck upstairs from a side porch.

1) I doubt a deck the size shown on the plan you like is cantilevered - the porch shows support posts that would likely be sized to support the deck.

2) Our porch was built with an almost flat roof then the deck was constructed above that roof. That was the deck can be flat (with just enough pitch to allow water to run away from the building) and the roof will still shed water.

We haven't yet moved into the house, but we already go up and spend time on that upstairs deck. From our deck we have a view into the tree tops around the house as well as down the hill our farm is on.

Here is a link that might be useful: Outdoor Balcony
vfish
16 years ago
This is a picture of our deck.

It's an older picture, I can take another one tomorrow and try to show you a little bit better. Our deck is cantelevered out from the front about 5 feet (we used steel beams and channel beams), then out to the right of the deck, we have a 23 foot run with a deck that is approximately 16 feet wide (hard to see in that picture), it is supported and balanced on 4 beams. It was a feat to design and construct, our framers still scratch their heads wondering how that did that!
We drain the deck to the center of the deck, down drains that parallel the beams. we also have a front copper flush mounted gutter installed for water drainage. The deck is hot mopped right now and we are planning to put stone on it.
Again, I will update this photo, doesn't do it justice, tomorrow if I can.
Hope this answers your questions.
Related Discussions
Wrap around front porch, leaves and debris under it
Q
Comments (7)
We have a front porch and used the white plastic lattice around it. We put up black landscape fabric behind the lattice to hide what was behind it (in our case that included the structure of an old porch that was there before the renovation...) The skirting board is low to the ground. The porch deck is a pale gray and the framing around the lattice is painted pale gray too. On one side of the front steps the driveway comes right up to the porch skirt so it is all visible; pots give some additional screening in the summer: On the other side of the steps, there is a very narrow bed under the overhang of the porch roof. It is dry and shaded except for a few hours in the morning. It is planted with Emerald Gaiety euonymus, rodgersia and, on the corner that gets sun, a clematis. The green and white euonymus blends well with the white lattice and, of course, is evergreen for a year-round look. The big leaves and white flowers of the rodgersia add additional summer interest. The clematis is a bit over-the-top when it blooms and, would not be an option if your area is entirely shaded but it might be worth trying a more shade tolerant one like Ramona. Emerald Gaiety and Rodgersia (very dense screening - you can barely see the lattice in some places): The flashy mid-summer bit:
...See More
Re-Framing a wrap around porch on Victorian home
Q
Comments (4)
Blocking is great for keeping joists in line and needed on large spans, but relying on them as "nailers" for the decking is asking for trouble unless you are willing to use hangers on every block in order to keep them from moving with use of the deck. If you simply nail the blocking, eventually they will settle and the decking will follow the blocks leaving a roller coaster deck surface. I think you would be better to run girders every 4',the girders attached to the planned 2x12's and ledger, and joist opposite/inbetween using hangers attached to the "girts". The girders can be doubled up joist material same size or larger,(2x12's same as your header/ledger).
...See More
Wrap around porch-Paint in front and stain in back?
Q
Comments (0)
So how weird will this be? We have a wrap around porch. The front and side are covered and we have it painted. It has been 10 years and needs to be redone. The roof makes it hold up pretty well. The back part of our porch gets full sun and is not covered. We have had to redo that part many times. We used some of that Behr renew paint on just the back portion 2 years ago and it ruined all of that wood. So my husband is going to replace all the back partl. It is all pressure treated wood. . So... we want to definitly stain the back. But removing all the paint (on the section that is painted) on a pressure treated deck is very difficult. I tried stripping it and it will take me forever. I'm not so keen on sanding as it is pressure treated. So would it look ok if I painted the front and side with a bluish grey porch floor paint and then when it gets to the back section transition it to a brown stain? I like the two colors next to each other but I am nervous that it would look awkward. I don't like the idea of a colored stain as I think it will show all the chipping much quicker. I was thinking of using penofin for pressure treated wood as it penetrates wood well and therefore does not show as much when it starts to fade. Thoughts?
...See More
Wrap Around Porch/Roof Line Help
Q
Comments (1)
Your split level style doesn't lend itself to wraparound porch. You could add a porch over the bay window section, like this: http://imperfectlypolished.com/2011/08/29/getaway-cabin/ But be aware the roof pitch will be very shallow. If you add a porch here I would advise you to excavate out in front of the current porch and extend the patio or slab out to the end of the new porch and create stairs there to connect the two. You wouldn't be able to walk under the side of the current porch if you tried to connect the two at that point.
...See More
oruboris
16 years ago
The deck isn't cantilevered at all: its supported by the house on one side and the perimiter posts on the other.

The plan doesn't acually show how large the upper level deck is, but it does look comfortable.

The surface of a deck over an enclosed space is usually pitched slightly, enough that the water rolls off, not so much that a glass tips over. Typically a few inches in 12 feet.

There are several ways of doing this. Sometimes you see a regular 2x6 deck built over a low pitched roof, but more often the roof and deck are the same material similar to the asphault used on flat roofed structures.

A cool new option is LockDry, an aluminum surface that you walk on, but interlocks in a way to channel off water.

A certain amount of care must be taken with flashing, siding etc. so that water can't inflitrate, but your builder won't have to invent the wheel, here: the procedures are well established. Just make sure your guy know and follows them: he'll probably tell you it won't be a problem, but ask how many such structures he's done.

Still, a certain amount of all this will depend on your area [more care has to be taken in Seattle than Phoenix], and the exposure of the deck [A south or west exposure will dry more quickly, lowering chances of mold, etc].

But if proper practices are followed, you can have a large deck on the north side of a Seattle home.

Here is a link that might be useful: LockDry
tx_music_gal
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you everybody,

I guess I hadn't realized that the porch posts actually helped to support the 2nd floor deck. I thought the deck was cantilevered somehow and that the porch posts just supported one side of the porch roof with the other side of the porch roof leaning up agains the 2nd floor deck and being supported by it. You've allayed my concern that I might be wanting something that couldn't really be built.

The deck would be in the northeast corner of our home so as to be on the coolest side of our house but, since we don't usually get all the much rain here in central Texas (well, this past Spring was an exception!), hopefully mold won't be a problem.

I think I prefer the "deck over a low pitched roof" option rather than asphalt as asphalt has a tendency to get really soft and smell "icky" when our temperatures hit 100+. We were planning to have a metal roof and I was thinking the deck would be wood but I'll certainly check out the LockDry aluminum decking material Oruboris mentioned.

Again, thanks.

open deck over a wrap-around porch???

Comments (4)

woodswell

vfish

Related Discussions

oruboris

tx_music_gal
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

open deck over a wrap-around porch???

Comments (4)

woodswell

vfish

Related Discussions

oruboris

tx_music_galOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

tx_music_gal
Original Author