Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Wood Awning Questions

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/9121/034ke.jpg (http://img6.imageshack.us/i/034ke.jpg/)Help... I want to build a cedar awning (from rooftop to rooftop) over my existing deck.

My main question is.. I want to build it higher than my roofline so I was wondering how I should mount it? Can I rest part of the awning on the existing roof with some anchors?

What would you do?

http://yfrog.com/06034kejThanks for any input!!

gregnese,

I've done that with aluminum covers, so doing it with wood will be about the same thing.

First -- dimensions!! How large is this cover going to be, and how far is it from roof to roof?

When I have done it with aluminum, I have followed the span tables in the engineering for those covers. You will have to follow the span tables for wood. When I mount an aluminum cover on a roof, I mount it directly above the exterior wall that is supporting the roof -- the strongest point.

Give me your dimesions and we'll go from there.

from roof to roof is 11'

the top cover is estimated to be about 16 x 16.

I have attached a pic in my original post

I also plan to use a cedar inground post or maybe 2 on the corners where the roof is open, unless I can get away with just resting the whole awning on the roof.

My prejudice would be to do it with aluminum, rather than wood. If it's done with aluminum, there is no maintenance, ever. If it's done in wood, you have no way to get to the top of it to seal the wood every few years, and exposure to the sun and rain will rot the untreated wood.

If it were done with aluminum, you could either span the 15' from wall to wall with three 3X8's with steel inserts and roof mount it, or you could make it free-standing by embedding 3 posts just inside each overhang to support those 3X8's.

If you do it with wood, you'll need center posts to support the beams. Dimensional lumber won't span wall to wall, and that would be a very long span if it went post to post. With all the weight of the wood on top (joists and lattice boards), it would eventually sag without center posts supporting the beams.

Those are good points. I would ideally want to mount everything to the roof instead of mounting posts inside the overhangs.(that would just take up more space and look awkward)

Where can I look at different alluminum products/designs to figure out what to use? And how exactly would you tack/mount the beams to the existing roof, since I am not wanting to do "freestanding"

Thanks for your input.

I THINK Home Depot will sell the aluminum parts to a retail customer. Otherwise, they are only available to an authorized installing contractor. You would have to search the Yellow Pages for a local contractor who installs them.

IF Home Depot does indeed sell it at retail, make sure that you can get the enginering for the product. That will tell you exactly what parts you need and allow you to be able to pull the permit and DIY.

Thanks, I will see what they offer and go from there. I will let you know what I find.

are you going to use roofing shingles on it or leave it bare wood?? will an aluminum awning be kinda noisy when it rains??

jnugget,

IMO it's too flat to use any sort of asphalt or asphalt/fiberglass roofing on.

Noise in the rain -- trust me, it's really not an issue. The cover is outside of the walls of the house. You won't hear any more noise from the rain hitting the cover than you hear from the rain hitting the rof of the house. I know -- I have 2 covers like this on my house right now. (What does Redding know about rain?? We get as much rain in about 3 or 4 months as Seattle gets in a year! We can rain an inch an hour or better at times!