Going Through The Roof

[cabinetman]

I decided to post this here instead of the HI section because this idea I wanted to throw in the air and see what hits it on the way down. We bought this house about 6 years ago and when we drove up to it with the realtor, we didn't even want to go in for a look. At that point we had looked at approximately 50 - 60 homes inside and out with this realtor, and he was getting tired of us. This house needed everything, new flooring, doors, windows, paint, appliances, kitchen cabinets (guess who). Wife and I would be doing everything ourselves, even tileing the whole house. The night we were to sign a deal on this house he walked out. Called the next day and said he was sorry. Guess we asked too many questions.

Anyway, back to the NEWS. One of our dislikes of the house was the roof design. The original house was a rectangle 20' deep, 40' wide with a flat deck roof, built in 1952. In 1965 an addition of another 20' x 40' was added in the rear, making the house a square. The rear roof pitches from the rear up to the front on an angle, and is about 4' higer than the flatdeck at the midline. When AC was added to the house in 1965 the ductwork had to lay on flat deck and have runs for the drops into the rooms. This looks funny from the street, besides seeing the long front roof compared to the rear roof. The front of the house looks like a chicken coop.

Since I've been patching the flatdeck from time to time, LOML and I decided to have a new roof constructed above the flat deck on a pitch from the front of the house to the rear, meeting at the midline. This is major construction. In South Florida, we need a separate structural engineer and an architect. After some searching and listening to high estimates for plans to go for permit, we finally hired an architect yesterday. Hey, I was going to build the whole shebang myself, but wife says it's too much work lugging lumber up to the roof.

So, the flatdeck will stay, a new roof will be built above it creating an insulated air space for the AC ductwork, and make the house cooler, and give it more "curb appeal". Ain't life grand?



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[wardprobst]

This will work. My grandfather's cousin was an industrial architect and designed several hospitals and schools with this type of roof in the days before air conditioning became almost universal in Texas. Some are still in use and the temperature difference between the roofs make the design an energy saver. Not to mention the neat cosmetic effects he was able to achieve.
DP

[billwmeyer]

I agree that it will work. My house at some point had this done to it. It is confusing thought when you get a roof leak. I finally reroofed to get rid of a leak. When I tore off the old shingles I discovered the leak in the opposite corner from where it was leaking. It leaked, ran down the old concealed roof, and then landed above our couch. I looked and patched for two years trying to stop the ever increasing leak.

Good luck on your project.
Bill

[padboy]

I did the same thing to my formerly flat roofed house. Now it looks like a charming English cottage. Best home improvement money I ever spent.
Good luck!