Adding a porch to your home can be a great addition to get that outdoor living vibe. However, there are a few things to consider before you erect a porch as the roof against your home could force water infiltration, leading to massive issues.
Once any roof meets a brick wall, many issues arise. The roof framing in this situation is straightforward and similar to any other traditional roof framing. Yet, once it comes to attaching the porch roof, you need to ensure it offers a stable structure by being secure to your house framing.
They can trick you with a porch roof framing diagram if you get expert advice. You can use our guide to understand better how structural construction works to attach a porch roof to your home. By the end, you’ll know much more about what needs to be done to the roof to brick wall flashing detail and how you’ll have secure anchors to keep your patio roof where it should be. (Learn How To Cut Copper Pipe Close To Wall)
How Do You Anchor A Patio Cover To Brick?
The most typical roof-to-wall junctions are a perpendicular gable roof with its ridge running perpendicular to the wall or a patio roof that slopes downward away from the wall.
The roof rafters are parallel to the wall in the steep gable, the rafters that form the wall-side gable are flat against the wall, and the ridge board at the roof’s peak contacts the wall at a straight angle.
The rafters on a patio roof intersect the wall at a straight angle at their upper ends, while their lower ends rest on the addition’s outer wall. The roof’s weight is borne mainly by the extension walls rather than the intersecting brick wall in both situations.
Attaching to Brick Wall
Attaching wood framing to a brick wall is tough, especially when the framing must support any load, as when a roof meets the wall.
If you have veneer brick, roof framing needs to tie to your wall framing for security.
You’ll find brick veneer placed over a traditionally framed wall, so then the best solution is to remove part of the veneer, so your roof framing is tied directly to your inner framing wall.
If your porch roof to brick is solid, the fasteners attaching the ledger board to the brick need to pass through the brick or be fixed into brick.
For a DIYer, these are difficult and should be done by a structural engineer.
Flashing
At a roof-to-wall juncture, proper flashing is essential. In addition, rain and run-off water are prevented from seeping into the space between the roof and the wall, causing damage to the framing and the building’s interior.
Flashing covers the seam between the porch roof and the brick veneer; in an ideal installation, the flashing reaches beneath the brick veneer to prevent water from penetrating the flashing and the brick.
Can You Attach A Ledger Board To Brick?
Ledger boards support joists or rafters at their vertical ends. A ledger board attached to a wall acts as a nailing surface for the gable roof rather than the soft brick veneer.
In this situation, the ledger board acts like a gable roof’s ridge board and doesn’t bear much of the roof’s weight.
A house-attached patio roof uses the house’s structure by mounting one end on a ledger. For example, the 2×6 ledger holds one end of the patio-roof rafters.
Ledgers should be mounted before building a deck, patio roof posts, or other structure’s foundation. It may be recommended to get expert advice from a structural engineer if your ledger board supports any considerable weight when you attach a porch roof to it. (Learn How Long Does It Take To Dig A Trench By Hand)
Where to Attach a Patio
Attach the patio roof ledger slightly below a two-story house’s eaves.
Drawing of the parts of a patio roof attaching to a house roof, including rafter, bolts and notching.
If attaching a patio roof to a ledger under the eaves doesn’t leave enough headroom, install the rafters on the wall’s top plate. You can usually tie the ledger into a band joist or rim joist located between the floors of a two-story house.
Mounting Roof Ledger
The patio roof is attached to a ledger that is secured to the house framing.
The method for installing a ledger is determined by the house’s siding. Flat siding can be left alone, but clapboard, beveled wood, metal, and vinyl siding should always be cut.
If your horizontal siding is beveled? Use inverted siding to create a plumb.
Screws can be used to secure siding that isn’t beveled.
To attach the ledger over lap siding. You can use an inverted piece of cedar siding to create a flat surface.
Remove enough siding above the ledger to allow flashing to tuck under it and overhang the siding below it.
A circular saw’s blade is used to cut wood siding. The sheathing beneath the siding is not cut by the circular saw. Also, cut sure the blade does not go beyond the layout lines. If you’re cutting vinyl siding, a sharp utility knife will suffice.
Fixing a ledger to strong portions of the house’s framing, such as second-floor joists or wall studs, is recommended.
The strongest ledger connection relies on bolts that run through the ledger and the house sheathing and rim or band joist and then are fastened with nuts and washers affixed from the other side.
When access to the other side is unfeasible, use lag screws with washers instead of bolts, as shown in the illustration.
If attaching the ledger to a floor joist is not possible, then fasten the ledger as well, with 16-inch (or 24-inch) centers and doubled up around doors, others, and other openings.
Nail or brace the ledger in place. Check for and drill lag-screw or bolt pilot holes through the ledger and into the house’s framing next.
Attach the ledger with 1/2-inch-diameter lag screws or bolts every 16 inches (or as specified by local building codes).
To allow water to flow behind the ledger, you can put stainless-steel washers between the ledger and your wall siding.
If you can’t get behind the joist to cinch down nuts, use lag screws.
Slip three or four stainless-steel washers between the ledger and the siding when driving each screw, as shown at left. This will allow water to flow behind the ledger.
If attach porch roof to brick ledger beneath the eaves. Locals may argue against this as you need to stand.
Fasten to Masonry
Expanding anchor bolts secure a ledger to a masonry wall. First, draw a line across the wall for the ledger’s top edge. Next, drill holes for expanding anchors every 16 inches or, as local codes prescribe, insert the anchors and tap the ledger to indent the anchor sites.
Remove the ledger and drill bolt holes where the bolt points left marks. Next, push or hammer the ledger back onto the bolts, check for level, and tighten the bolts.
Ensure you never use the brick veneer to support the weight
Patio Roof Ledger Flashing
To prevent water seepage, you’ll need a roof ledger connected to a house with wood siding and needs to be capped with galvanized metal Z-flashing.
Where integral flashing isn’t practicable, such as on a stucco wall, utilize Z-flashing and caulk the top edge. Before installing the roof rafters, do this.
Install the flashing, caulk the top edge, and nail it using galvanized nails 1 inch long—caulk nail heads.
If the house has shingles or lap siding, push the metal’s top edge under as far as possible.
How Do You Anchor A Porch Roof?
According to building codes, attaching loadbearing members of a porch roof to a brick veneer wall is illegal. However, it would help if you connected to the wall beyond.
This is done by installing a new lintel and removing a few brick courses so that a ledger may be attached to the wall.
If only a simple ledger is placed, it must be a 6×8 or similar owing to veneer thickness; the roof ceiling must be sheathed so lateral shear can reach the building’s main lateral force resisting system.
You could place posts to the veneer wall, but that won’t reduce lateral force.
How Do I Put A Porch Roof On An Existing Wall?
You may need to add a porch roof to your brick house for several reasons. But the intersection can be complicated.
Without steps and measurements, things can be challenging. That’s why most homeowners hire the services of an expert. (Read Can I Use 8-2 Wire For A Stove)
Here, you can see how to attach porch roof to a brick house with a bit of work and patience.
Add legs with a single screw so they can pivot and support the structure while you carry on to attach porch roof.
- Install the upper ledger 3/4″ below the flashing.
- Install the beam and posts.
- Brace it so you can walk without it falling, and it also helps square the roof.
- Install good plywood and screw it down.
- Install shingles and then have the installation checked.
