A porch is a great way to provide shade and create a relaxing atmosphere for your home. Who doesn’t want to be able to sip a cool drink during the summertime, looking out at their freshly cut yard during the day, or gazing up at the stars at night? However, before you can start building that beautiful porch, there’s one thing you need to consider first: your roof. Keep reading to find out how adding a porch to your home impacts your roof, and remember that for all your residential roofing services, you can always count on Lyons Roofing.
Steps to Take Before Putting a Porch Under Your Roof
- Research Building Codes: Before you can even think about adding a porch to your home, you have to figure out whether your local building codes will allow you to do this. Every municipality has their own rules and regulations regarding height, width, materials, building times, and even styles for certain additions. You may not be able to begin construction without notifying the city, or you may have to check with your HOA first. You may be able to begin building without making any other changes to your property, or you might have to do some work on your roof first. No matter what, you’ll want to check the rules and regulations, so you don’t get fined later.
- Make Sure Flooring is Level: The one thing you absolutely need for a solid porch is a level floor. Whether you’re putting in a deck, paving slabs, or another material, a floor that is not level will mean that your porch roofing will not be level, which can affect the structural integrity of your larger roof, not to mention your entire property. Use a spirit level to do this, or hire a contractor to check the flooring for you.
- Schedule a Roofing Inspection: Before you can add a porch onto your roof, you will need someone to inspect the strength at the existing roof first. By hiring a professional roofer like one of our team members at Lyons Roofing, you will be able to see if your roof needs any repairs or maintenance before you start building. If you are missing shingles, need patching, or dealing with leaks, there is a good chance your roof will need some service before you begin work on your porch. In some cases, you may actually need to replace your roof entirely, in which case you will likely want to weigh your options before you proceed with any additional building. Putting in a porch without addressing the needs of your current roof can damage your entire property, so do NOT skip this step.
- Begin Building Process: Once you complete the preceding steps, you can begin the actual job of constructing your porch. This will involve building support posts, attaching valley boards, a top plate, and rafters, as well as applying shingles. Remember, putting in a porch is a lot of effort, but it can be worth it as long as you do your due diligence and make sure everything is going to work with your existing structure ahead of time!
Getting ready for a building project? Call Lyons Roofing now at (520) 447-2522, or contact us online.
