Porch Addition

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Steve W

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Steve
OK, folks, here's the plan:

We want a screened-in porch on the back of our two-story Williamsburg colonial-revival. Usually this is a fairly straightforward proposition -- I've done this on a previous house (New England-style "colonial"). The New England one was easy, as I just built a roof over the deck, floored it and screened the whole thing in. It was just a shed roof off the back of the house.

This house, however, has a small, 8 ft long x 4 ft out, bump-out to the rear from the kitchen, and an "ell" off the back already, (our 20 x 20 living room).

Note the bedroom window over that small kitchen rooflet. I would like to keep this window as is if I can as it's the only window for that room and I don't want to start suffering "project creep."

The deck will be dismantled. I anticipate digging for new footings for the supporting framework for the new roof and extending the deck outward after the porch is done. I want to have the porch come out to where the kitchen bump-out ends (to the right, behind the tree), thus forming a straight line, and the porch will run the 20 feet to the end of the ell.

Decision point 1: Do I run the new roof from the ridge of the existing ell, or take it off from part-way down? I am inclined to take it from about 1/3 to 1/2 down the roof of the ell. I anticipate I could get a roof over the porch with a 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pitch. Since we don't have significant snow loads here, am I correct in reckoning that I can get away with these shallow pitches?

I anticipate that I will take the kitchen rooflet off and run the new roof all the way to the back side of the house. I need to sneak under the bedroom window and I suspect that I should leave at least 6" to a foot under the windowsill. Anyone know if there's a minimum distance requirement?

I was originally thinking of running the porch roof from over the kitchen bump-out (perpendicular to the living room rafters) but have rejected it because I would wind up with a much smaller porch out of the deal (assuming maximum available rafters of 16 to 18' long) and it would result in a somewhat asymmetrical valley where it would join the living room that would be both awkward-looking and susceptible to water problems.

Anyway, this is the next project as blessed by LOML. Opinions are welcome.
 

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Dennis
Staff member
Corporate Member
You should never put tab shingles on less than a 3/12 pitch. The options I see are to slope it the other way or use a metal roof that can go a flat as 1/12. That would make it look too much like an add on. The object of the game is to make it look like it was there all along. You could bring a roof up under the windowsill as close as 4-6" to allow for flashing there. If the bump out stays you could use it to brace the long rafters. There is also the possibility of buying loooooong rafters. Some independent suppliers around CLT carry 2 x 6 - 2 x 12 up to 24' in #SYP. Don't let a few dollars there spoil the looks of your house. A valley over the Living Room would not be so unusual on a skew. It's the only way you can join two roofs with different pitches. Having said all this, it's still YOUR house.
 

Steve W

New User
Steve
Thanks for the advice, Dennis. Yeah, I know it's not good to use tabs for less than a 3/12. I might be able to get a 3/12 on there that will still sneak under the window.

I'm not much concerned with spending a little extra for the long lumber -- I just don't think it would look right if I brought the porch out as long as the living room. Shorter? Yeah, it would work. The bump-out will stay in either case -- it will be tucked under whichever roof I go with, as it's also in the main footprint of the house.

I'm going to have to do some measuring. I think I would like the appearance of the multiple-pitch roof better than a long, narrow roof sloping from the back of the house -- the valley notwithstanding.

Time to get out the tape and chalkline!

Steve
 
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