Month: March 2020

So, you have a flat roof and you want to put a deck on it, is this really possible? Rooftop Decking is becoming more popular as cities grow, and builders utilize more of the home’s potential. Rooftop decking can be virtually anything you want it to be – from wood, composite, stone, porcelain pavers, and even artificial turf. The possibilities are endless to create that beautiful maintenance-free living space.

A rooftop deck is a very inviting gathering space, offering great views and potentially lowering your heating bills by providing another insulating layer. When deciding on your rooftop decking, there are a few points to consider.

Firstly, is a rooftop deck allowed in your area? Will local building codes or zoning by-laws allow it? Are you part of a condo-association, where the By-laws may prohibit the construction of a rooftop deck? You certainly want to ensure this is possible before investing time and money into your project.

Secondly, you must ensure your roof is strong enough to support the weight of your rooftop decking. Depending on the style and material selected for your rooftop decking, it can add considerable weight. Your local building office may be able to help to a certain extent by providing you with building code requirements. Also, you may consider hiring a professional engineer to calculate the load capacities of your roof, taking into consideration snow loads for your area. You should not install any rooftop decking unless you are certain the roof can handle the weight.

Now that you have determined your roof can handle rooftop decking, it’s time to determine your design and find the right contractor for you – if you are not doing the work yourself. There are lots of building architects, landscape architects, designers and even green roof specialists that can assist you. Find one that can make your visions come to life and can work within your budget. Consider incorporating shade elements, whether that is umbrellas, pergolas or sun sails – you will be happy you did. Planters with vegetation will also add a softening to the hardscape on the rooftop deck.

Working with a designer or architect you will now have to consider the best rooftop decking material based on the design and needs. As mentioned, the possibilities are endless and depending on what finishes you choose will determine the structure under them. Obviously maintaining the roofs waterproof integrity is crucial, and fortunately, there are fantastic products out there for supporting your rooftop decking without compromising the integrity.

If you are planning on using prefabricated wood tiles, stone or porcelain pavers you will find pedestal systems, such as Bison and Eterno Ivica will work best. These pedestal systems allow for the adjustment of slope and pitch of the roof, while easily adjusting for the required height. One pedestal will be needed in each corner of the wood or stone tile.

When wood or composite boards are selected as your preferred rooftop decking you will need to install a joist system, similar to building a deck. These joists will support the chosen wood or composite boards. In this case, the joists are best supported again by pedestals, and the Bison pedestal system has a product called the Joist Topper. This is an attachment that quickly and easily attached to the top of the bison pedestal and secures the joist in place.

When selecting smaller size stones, porcelain planks or even artificial turf, your best bet is to use a product called SilcaGrate. These are structural supporting grates that can be used with a pedestal system and offer a sturdy subfloor for this type of rooftop decking.

Now that you have considered these key points in choosing the best options for your new rooftop decking, the only thing left is to start building. Welcome to the deck revolution.

We have seen an increase in the urban population and more people looking for homes in the urban market. Builders have responded by maximizing the number of home-builds, usually resulting in big, multi-level homes on smaller properties; building up when you can’t build-out. To give customers more outdoor liveable spaces, builders are incorporating balconies and flat rooftops.

Homeowners and contractors are now facing challenges such as how to finish these balconies and rooftops. Thanks to systems such as Bison Pedestals and Eterno Ivica Pedestals systems, transforming these areas into beautiful maintenance free living spaces is quick and easy.

Many are under the impression that installing a rooftop Pedestal System is complicated and can damage a roof membrane. This is not the case, as installing a rooftop Pedestal System is an easy and relatively simple process, that is not permanently attached to the roof. Installing a rooftop Pedestal System is a similar concept to laying a floating floor. The strength and integrity of the system is based on the entire system, a sum of all its parts, and is contained by a border.

The first step in installing a rooftop Pedestal System is to determine the style of the deck flooring you wish to install. The possibilities are endless; wood or composite planks, prefabricated wood tiles, stone, porcelain paver or planks, even artificial turf.

Depending on the style of decking you select, there are three basic installation techniques. If you are working with wood or composite decking, they will be attached to joists in the same manner as building a standard deck, except the joists will be supported by pedestals. The Bison line has an easy to work with connector called the Joist Topper which sits on the pedestal and secures the framing. If you opt to use prefabricated wood tiles, stone or porcelain pavers the pedestals will support these directly by having a pedestal at each corner. Finally, if you select a porcelain plank, smaller size stones or artificial turf, you would have the pedestals support SilcaGrate, creating your subfloor that will then support this style of decking or turf.

Once you have selected the style of the decking you wish to use, determine the cavity height at all thresholds, drains and high points. The cavity height is the space between the top of the floor membrane and the bottom of the decking material selected. Using a laser level or chalk line may assist you in determining this.

Deduct the thickness of the decking material from the cavity height, which determines the height of the pedestals that need to be used. The greatest advantage of installing a rooftop Pedestal System is they allow you to easily adjust for pitch and slope of the roof as you can dial the exact height of each pedestal you are installing.

Plan out your decking and pedestal layout. For builds utilizing a joist framing system, position your pedestals as needed to support your framing. For the other build method where pedestals will support material at the corners, begin your installation by creating a “T” shape portion of the deck, to ensure your deck is laid to run straight and true along both axes. Once you have this “T” pattern in place, you can install on both sides of the “T”, levelling the decking as you go.

For detailed instructions on installing a rooftop Pedestal System, check out the manufactures websites. Both Bison and Eterno Ivica systems have detailed instructions, and any reputable retailer will also be able to help you with installation questions.

Installing a rooftop Pedestal System is an easy, cost-effective way to transform any balcony or flat rooftop into a usable outdoor living space Welcome to the Deck Revolution.