Building a Roof Deck
We are in the process of buying a coop with roof rights, but no deck. The access to the roof is not great — just a ladder to a hatch. Once you’re up on the roof, it’s a spectacular view, but feels like a death trap. We want to put some kind of a deck…
We are in the process of buying a coop with roof rights, but no deck. The access to the roof is not great — just a ladder to a hatch. Once you’re up on the roof, it’s a spectacular view, but feels like a death trap. We want to put some kind of a deck up there, but don’t want to spend a ton of money because, with the poor access, not a lot of people will want to go up there. Does anyone have ideas about a more temporary deck, and how much something like that would cost? We were thinking of decking squares. And how much would it be to put up a “real” deck — with railing.
Have you think about Synthetic grass? cheap and good looking
brucef.
you’re suggesting a ship’s ladder, i believe.
I have these senior moments quite often, so I can’t recall the name of a half ladder/ half stair that is quite steep with handrails. Maybe some of you out there know.
Plan on steel supports that span either adjacent or opposite masonry walls. A&J Iron does this all the time. Then you can lay in wood squares into a grid of steel- voila.
Reframing a roof opening slightly to accomodate a more convenient hatch might pass coop muster. Especially if it is viewed as an improvement.
Good luck.
I think people are being too negative here. Every other brownstone in park slope has a deck and many have less than optimal access. I’d say first find out about whether you can change the ladder for a more usable staircase – there are quite a few options but it depends on the hatch size, space below the hatch. That’s the main thing: access.. If you can, then it would be worth investing in a proper deck – and again every other brownstone has one and every deck builder around knows how to get the materials up there in one way or another. Our quote of course included that part and it was through a hatch like yours. If you can’t modify the access, just use the roof as is! We’ve used ours for years and although it’s not perfect, it’s still wonderful! In other words: if you can make access easy, build a deck. If you can’t, just have some simple arrangement that allows you to be comfortable and enjoy it – some chairs, a table etc – make sure to tie them down to the chimneys or something because of the wind. Coops usually have rules about that anyway.
Enjoy your view!
please don’t put loose cinderblocks on your roof
If someone falls or slips down your ladder, they can sue you and the coop up the wazzo for having a non-code-complying deck. And if you have not informed your insurance company about your new “deck” they will not pay the claim but rather cancel your policy. This isn’t kid stuff.
If your only access is the roof hatch and few people will be going out, I’d recommend just throwing a large indoor/outdoor rug down. You can weigh down the corners with furniture or cinderblocks. Get something in color with a pattern or a border so it will look more finished.
I tried using deck tiles as a cheap alternative to real wood deccking and I DO NOT RECOMMEND. They may work for a backyard patio or low balcony, but these tiles just couldn’t withstand the elements they encountered (wind, rain, humidity) they were subjected to on the roof. They shattered after one winter and now we have to pay to have them removed. Very disappointing.
I do not think that you can properly address this issue on the cheap. A roofdeck is not a big deal, but I think it is a bigger deal than you are imagining. First there is the question of whether the roof can take the loads. My guess is probably not. So you will need to have an engineer design a support system for the deck, one that is anchored to the bearing walls. Next you have to think of how to get a circular stair or some kind of code-complying stair to the deck. Once you have tackled these issues you will have a real investment that will pay off whenever you decide to sell. Otherwise, you may be causing more harm than good. The wrong kind of work can result in roof leaks. You really cannot mess around with an old roof. They are very fragile and pretty tricky unless you know what you are doing.