Forum
« Cornice Restoration Installing Door to Deck »
January 27, 2005
Brownstone Roof Deck
I'm currently looking into putting a new roof deck on my brownstone. I understand that there are certain limitations on the amount of wood used for the deck. 20% of the total sqft has been proposed. Does anyone have knowledge about the subject? Are there ways around this? Suggestions about other materials or who to use?
Comments
I used to have a really incredible roof deck, so I've learned a thing or two on the subject. That 20% rule sounds familiar, it is certainly no more than that.
You might be able to go with a larger area if you use a steel understructure. Usually, when you use steel, a couple of steel beams are run in between the building's parapet walls. This has the advantage of lifting the deck off the roof's surface and that offers two advantages: (1) Minimizes the prospect of damage to the roofing membrane, and (2) Insulates the deck from a noise point of view, from the apt below. When somebody's on a wood deck, they sound like elephants to the inhabitants below.
If you go with wood, then keep in mind that your roof was probably never designed for this type of load and usage - so damage to the roof both during construction and afterward are big issues. In a co-op, you could end up being blamed for any damage. It will be important that the wood deck load be distributed evenly over the roof. Also important that it permit access to the underlying roof via removable panels - and mayb even dis-assembly. Remember, the roof may need to resurfaced every 8-15 years - and the deck may need to be moved or taken apart in order to accomplish this. In fact, I would not put up a deck unless the roof is in tip top shape.
Lastly, you do not need a building permit and such if the deck is free-standing (i.e. it is not attached to the house). There are, however, regulations for things such as the height and spacing of railings, etc. And if you have children, you need to take some extra precautions (lockable gate, no sharp corners, etc.)
In terms of contractor recommendations, I have spoken to the Sketch & Hammer people and seen their work - it's pretty good. Park Slope Craftsman is also decent, but outrageously expensive for what you get. There's an outfit in Staten Island, I think maybe its "Decks R Us" that seemed to do a good job on a neighbor's house.
Posted by: BigBubba at January 27, 2005 11:02 AM
We used the steel I beams in conjunction with precast tongue and groove concrete slabs. We tiled the slabs and it looked awesome. I also recomend a Bilco hatch to access the deck.
Posted by: Justin at January 27, 2005 12:34 PM
The 20% has to do with combustibabilty (if that is a word). Basically, only 20% of the roof can be covered in a combustible material - and just about everything is considered combustible. Weight is also a factor. An architect/structural engineer would be able to guide you through both the design and DOB regs. regarding the "20%" rule. You could consider ipe (beautiful dense wood)or trex (low maintence wood composite but has it drawbacks - it kind of plastic like). Both of these are heavy though.
Posted by: seyburn at February 2, 2005 10:16 AM
We used Sketch and Hammer to build our deck from scratch and were very happy with the result. Susan, the principal was (is?) an architect and she approaches her work carefully and thoughtfully. We love our deck and will miss it now that we're moving. I'd say Susan can answer these questions for you:
718-596-0951
Posted by: tony at February 2, 2005 2:36 PM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.