My back/side yard was a little plain and needed a place for afternoon BBQ's and I figured why not build a patio.

The "clean slate"




Step 1 of course is to dig out the yard for the concrete.

Let the digging begin!




This pile of rubble is what's left of the pre-existing concrete in front of the sliding door. You know, I never knew how out of shape I was until I started to swing a sledge hammer to break up this 4" concrete.



Concrete finished! The concrete was extended past the dimensions of the patio so I could have room for a grill in the open air and avoid having to use it underneath the patio. Don't have any pics of the guys doing the concrete, I was too busy making trips with the concrete do-it-yourself trailer. It took 3 3/4 yards to complete this which equals to 4 trips.




Construction begins! Mounted the ledger on the wall and set up the 4x4 posts.




The lumber from Home Depot.




Here are the rafters being mounted. I spaced them 24" apart. They are 2x6x12 boards.





Here we have just finished the roofing boards.




A look from underneath this masterpiece.



I couldn't find anybody in the area with 4x8x16 beams so I had to buy 2 4x8x8 beams and join them in the middle at the middle post. I got this nice sturdy post beam cap and bolted it all together. This thing isn't going anywhere.



Got the roofing done. I went with composite shingle which I was worried about because I goofed on the slope. It wasn't what I had thought it would be but it seemed to be just enough for proper water run-off. We had rain for about a week not too long ago and it seemed to drain just fine.




Mission accomplished! There are other things I want to add such as lighting, a couple fans, maybe a water mist setup for those warm summer afternoons. I also need to paint it, all in due time.



I made a few mistakes along the way but overall it was not difficult to do. Between myself and my dad I think we did a pretty good job. If I ever need to build another one I'll know what NOT to do.

 

I would seriously look at the slope of that roof. Is it less than 2 12?

I would check out this thread: http://www.thomasfordroofing.com/slopepitch.html

 

Nice job in any case!

 

Oh yeah it definitely looks great. I'd just be concerned about water runoff on that roof.
How many layers of felt did you put down?

Did you pour the concrete?

 

I had a neighbor's friend who does concrete for a living do the work for me. I just hauled it in while he was doing his thing. At least the concrete was done right.

About the slope, I just completely mis-calculated the pitch and didn't realize it until I had put up all the rafters. I didn't take into account the width of the beam. We had a week of rain a while back and the water run-off seemed good. I even got up on a ladder while it was raining and the water wasn't pooling anywhere. If it becomes a problem I'll have to trim the posts but for the time being I'm going to leave it alone. I appreciate the link though, I bookmarked it in case I decide to fix the slope later.

 

NP just don't want to see a thread a few years from now showing the damage. I'm definitely not a roof expert but we're going through something similar on the home we're closing on this month.

Roof is being reshingled by the seller and our inspector asked to see the estimate to make sure he was doing it properly. It is a low pitched roof too (not as low as yours though).

 

Cool! I'm looking to do something similar in my back yard soon. I can't decide whether to do a deck or concrete.

 

Concrete might be less work/maintenance.

 

It might. If I went with a deck, I would use pressure treated wood for the frame and Trex (or similar) for the decking. So, the deck should last a while (though probably not as long as concrete) and be relatively low maintenance.

But the concrete may simply be easier to install. With the current state of my back yard, I'd need to remove about a foot of dirt from the entire back yard. It's not a huge deal as my back yard isn't that big, but it's still a task in itself. It'd involve renting a skid-steer, a dumpster, and a day of digging. With the concrete, I could probably pour the patio as the back yard is and be done.

Hmm...I'm going to run this by the fiancée.

Anywho, this thread isn't about me. I'll shut up now.

 

looks good...

 

great work, i was waiting for the hoard of mesicans.

If i am not mistaken, shingles shouldn't really be used on a roof with that little pitch.

It will be a pita, but get that taken care of. ::

 

Awesome job!

 

I think the roof will be ok until a heavy diagonal (windy) rain that goes the opposite direction of the roof...then you might have a problem. Who knows, maybe it'll be OK!

 

Wasn't expecting you to put a roof on top as I've seen plenty without the roof, but looks great.

How did you go about getting cement for the concrete patio? Did you have a truck bring cement?

 

I used my dad's F-150 to haul one of those little 1 yard concrete trailers. I didn't want a big ass heavy cement truck possibly cracking my sidewalk and leaving it's mark on my front lawn so I opted for the DIY trailer. The site was too far from the street for the extensions to reach. It took me 4 trips to get all the concrete needed. We backed the trailer onto the front yard as close to the gate as possible. Then we just wheelbarrowed it in to the back yard.

 

Nope, no hoard, just two. Myself and my dad.

 

arriba!!!

 

I know I sound like a PITA, are you planning to install a drip edge on the sides of the roof? With such a shallow pitch, water could easily wick back under the shingles.

Shouldn't be a big deal to slide it under the shingles, so long as you didn't nail to close to the edge.

 

I'm surprised you didn't need a permit in the great state of Kalifornia.

 

Hmm..really?! How much did it cost? I got a quote from a place in town to deliver 5 cubic yards of concrete (estimated based on my measurements) and it's $500 and change. At an additional cost they'll bring a pump (didn't get a quote for that) to reach the back yard.

Just curious if the cost savings is worth the increased manual labor.

Edit: Called the place just now to get a more accurate quote...only need ~3.5 cubic yards (31'x9'x4"), and it's $505.69 delivered on a Saturday minus a pump (it turns out have to pay the pump guy separately, but they'll coordinate with them).

 

Nice job, I would have given up about a 1/4 through digging that hole.

 

very nice, I have a very similar set up

 

I did build it to code though (except for the screw up with the slope ).

 

That's not too bad considering it's being delivered. Are you doing the concrete or is someone else going to do it? I paid the concrete guy $300 to do the work. You should get yourself a quote including the pump. I believe the pump rental is by the hour at most places.

 

Just for reference I paid $4.5/sq. ft. installed.. It was $1,350 for 300 sq. ft. That was for all the work to prep, pour, & finish.

 

I got a quote for 6.5 cubic yards from a ready mix company in Ripon. They have trucks that mix the concrete on site (I thought that was VERY cool) so there won't be any waste. The total including pumping, delivery, tax, etc, was ~ $947. After calling around a bit, their price is pretty competitive.

My dad and I will be finishing the concrete. Nothing special, just a simple broom finish. I'll be renting a bull float and a jitterbug to help with finishing the concrete. My dad has the tools for edging and expansion joints. It's my first pour, but definitely not my dad's.