Deck design help please

2 years ago

Hello friends! we are renovating this house and trying to get a deck design. The house is a weird design amd we are struggling. I’ve tried to use the deck design software on Trex but its awful and I have had no success.

We would like to do a 3 sided deck across the front and around the left and right sides there is a cement patio in the back of the house. The deck will be roughly 7’ off the ground and come just under the front door so we will box it in underneath. All that nonsense to the left of the house including that roof is coming down even as I type this. We are thinking to maybe bring the deck around the right side of the house and cover those cement steps and box that area in as well. Thinkg the stairs would be centered off the door location in the front. Also planning to put an A framed roof over front door similar to attached photo.

Looking for thoughts, ideas, suggestions????? Also looking for color schemes for deck and front door. Is there a user friendly design app out there?

Any help is appreciated!

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BeverlyFLADeziner

2 years ago

Seems you should be designing a 'porch' not just a deck to get it to look correct.

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Comments (8)

Lyn Nielson
2 years ago
you don't seem to have enough clearance for the doors on the ground floor for any decking off the 2nd floor.

What is the basement access? do you have proper egress? As far as the left side tear off... do you have an access from the main floor of the house to that area? Maybe you can add decking there and have it step down to the patio at the rear of the house.
cindy97 thanked Lyn Nielson
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mindshift
2 years ago
There are design and construction issues with what you want to build. Adding a porch over the front door is probably the easiest to do. A small porch, just big enough to keep guests dry when it's raining only needs corbel support. The roof design is an open gable. The window overhangs in your photo have this type of support.

Adding a deck is more complicated. Poorly done and with too much added weight, they can detach and crush whatever is below. I can see you used to have a ledger board. That board would be extended around the house wherever you wanted the deck. On large, deep decks, and especially on tall decks it is advisable to place support posts next to the house rather than rely on just the ledger board.

While a covered porch is nice, it also makes the interior of a house darker.
cindy97 thanked mindshift
cindy97
Original Author
2 years ago
We have already removed the old deck from the front of the house. It did have support posts under it and the new one will as well. Thanks for your input!
apple_pie_order
2 years ago
Do you have photos showing the old deck?

Is the basement area a separate apartment that is rented out?
cindy97 thanked apple_pie_order
cindy97
Original Author
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
The basement is just storage and the furnace. Here is a photo showing the old deck
cindy97
Original Author
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Also, the left side at the rear currently is ground level with the back entrance to the house
apple_pie_order
2 years ago
Thanks for photo. I suggest building a new deck like the old one, but with the gable you want over the new front door location. Painting the bottom level's bricks to match the top two floors would give a more unified look.

It looks like you are making a major renovation, not just replacing the deck. If you have an architect onboard already, they may be able to design the deck and gabled roof for the front door.

Please post an update when you are ready.