Roof for the Deck

Ever since we got our deck built a few years ago we have been debating what to do about the roof. 

Deck Without Roof

Whilst lovely to enjoy al fresco dining and look up at the clear blue sky, it is also a bit annoying when you have dinner planned outside and just as you sit down there are a few drops of rain and the whole evening goes into abort mode.

We saw a lovely covered outdoor area with a vine running over the beams a couple of months ago and we decided we would like something similar. The carpenter who built our deck assured us that putting on a roof would be quick, cheap and simple - I was completely mislead on all fronts!

Deck with roof

We picked a clear plastic roof so we could let as much sun into the house during winter as possible, this meant more wooden beams needed to go up to ensure the plastic wouldn't bend and crack. 

We also made sure that special screws were used so we didn't get that annoying creaking sound that you sometimes find on covered areas. After a bit of staining action, everything came up really well.

We are hoping to get a little outdoor lounge or some comfy reading chairs to add to the deck along with some solar powered hanging lights and a nice green climbing plant.

Finished Deck

Some pics of our new gorgeous deck.

Finished deck with furniture

Mr L'Orange & I put together our deck furniture in record time on Saturday morning and got to enjoying our new deck.

new deck table & chairs

Servery area for drinks, plates & food

This handy cupboard also hides the piping behind.

Easy access to the kitchen for clearing up and serving.

Deck lights

And some shots of the deck by night.

Romantic dinners prepared by Mr L'Orange....

Drinks on the deck

Pimms & lemondade - perfect!

Building A New Deck

Our garden make over is about to get into full swing, we have plans for our new deck drawn up, builders locked in and materials due for delivery. If all goes well, the deck will be complete by early September, in perfect time for the start of spring.

This is the spot we have chosen for the deck, right outside the kitchen and lounge windows, completely north facing and with established trees down one side. As you can see, at the moment it is a bit of an ugly wilderness, which we are hoping to transform in the next 6 weeks. So far we have got rid of the huge gas hot water system that was conveniently placed right in front of the kitchen window, providing the less than stunning view whenever I was washing up. Our plumber also helped us move some old pipes out of the line of sight and installed a new and tiny instant gas hot water system around the corner from our deck.

Our steel footings

Our total deck size is 20 square metres (meaning we can avoid having to put plans through council) and we have opted to have a pergola with slats rather than a roof. We will either put up a shade sail or allow a climber to grow over the timber offering some shade in summer. Our lounge windows are being replaced with French doors which will open out on to the deck and offer an inside/outside feel during the warmer months.

Our merbau decking

Logistically everything needs to go in at the same time, so when the cladding comes off to install the new window and doors, the electrician will be putting in new wiring for the outdoor lighting and our deck builder can start laying the timber at the right height. We have decided to have our bbq area in front of the kitchen window which will act as a servery so food and plates can be passed back and forth. We are planning to help with the deck build as much as possible so we can pick up a few new skills and keep the costs down.

Make sure you keep coming back to this site so you can see the progress.

It took us months to get organised about getting the deck put in and this simple check list would really have helped. So we are passing it on so somebody else who is building a new deck can get the benefit.