Can I modify my alfresco roof myself?

The roofed & paved outdoor area of our new home is far larger than we’d ever need (it extends the full width of the back of the house in addition to the alfresco area under the main roof). This wouldn’t be a problem, except it’s at the expense of any garden or greenery!

We’re considering modifying the roof structure to open the area back up. Ideally we’d also pull up the aggregate past the end of the pool fence so that we can install some turf (possibly artificial) and kids play equipment adjacent to the shed.

First Q… Is this something we could reasonably do ourselves (perhaps just bringing in the professionals to cut and remove part of the aggregate)? Does anyone in the Workshop community have any insight to share on the steps involved / things to consider before proceeding?

Secondly; if this is a job best left to the pros, who would we even call?! Which trade(s) would tackle this sort of job?

Lastly; is artificial turf the best option here, or is there a better Bunnings product (incl special orders) we could use (either on top of the aggregate or to replace it) to make the ground soft and not too hot to play on?

Sorry about all the Qs - the idea is slowly forming in my mind as to how we can make this space better suit our needs and I know others will have valuable insights to share!

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Comments

Jewelleryrescue

Hi @AS19

Happy new year. Your questions welcome and please feel free to ask around for as many opinions you need to form your master plan.

I would keep the area as is but transform to space to your needs. You want greenery great so many nice plants that would love to sit in wheeled pots as you desire and you can simply reposition them as you wish, To add lower pot plants along the pool fence wheeled for ease. Potted palms against pool fence. bigger pots no wheels. You all ready started the nice looking hanging plants 🙂

Use the existing areas as is

Artificial turf or kid safe playground rubber or plain carpet all with soft underlay will go onto the aggregate possibly with a Timber flooring as a base.

If you take out porch floor all you change is floor height at high removal costs but you will still end up with artificial turf area but gaining 300mm ?

You want kids play sets great I am hoping they fit in under that space is my only bugbear. Keep in mind your kids will grow up and that area might be a great teen age hang out spot which is easy to do keeping the existing building structure and floor

I worked in and around some million dollar properties and they would keep your house as is they use hired plant services that come around rotating plants and caring for them so they need to be moveable. If you wanted more light up that end add more clear roofing panels. The roofing panels will sheild you and kids from the bad heavy UV rays as we are getting High uv ratings in the weather these days as a plus for keeping roof.

Firstly breaking up those area would need professional concrete cutting and jack hammers to break up aggregate no doubt with steel in it too Hard work for any one and then disposal of rubble. For some thats advanced DIY then you need a new ground work or turf ground preparations.

Pulling apart roof needs some though as it is attaching to house will need selected disassembly if this is your plans. 🙂

This only one opinion you guys are the Boss and have the final say 🙂

This way you can transition those spaces to suit your need today and into the future.

MitchellMc

Hi @AS19,

I'd be inclined to agree with @Jewelleryrescue here. If the main goal is to provide a playspace, then I would consider what you can do without removing the roof and aggregate. As mentioned, if the play equipment fits under the roof, then it will provide much need shade. My kids' equipment is partly under shade, and there's no way I'd have them out in the midday sun and heat during mid-summer; the shaded area gets much more use.

Great idea as well to use soft fall mats under the synthetic turf.

To answer your question, though, depending on your level of D.I.Y. ability you could remove the roof yourself and cut away the aggregate. However, if you are concerned, then I'd encourage you to enlist the services of a professional. You might like to advertise the job on service platforms like hipages or Airtasker.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

AS19

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/33263#Comment_33263

Hi @Jewelleryrescue and @MitchellMc ,

Thank you both for your responses. We are coming round to the idea of keeping the roof and aggregate if we can achieve both a safe play space and a more appealing aesthetic. I know many people like things super low maintenance but we just aren’t used to so many hard surfaces and so little greenery!

To answer @Jewelleryrescue’s question… the play set we currently have (monkey bars) should *just* fit below the roofline, providing I can convince the kids not to climb on the top of it. Having the roof there might actually be a helpful deterrent for that!

So we’ve decided to begin by respraying the cream fencing to match the shed for a more modern look and will bring in some pot plants to soften up the space.

There is also a small border at that far end that could work well with some low screening plants. It has partial shade throughout the day. Are there any plants you’d specifically recommend we look at for this area that are low maintenance and safe around kids and cats?

We will do some research on flooring and come up with a plan for that too. If we were to use the Bunnings ‘pour in place’ rubber rather than mats, how easy would it be to remove this later if we wanted to change the purpose of this area again (ie when the kids are older)? I do like your idea of a teen retreat, or maybe even a spa one day!

Thanks for your support and expertise, as always 🙂

Jewelleryrescue

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/78975#Comment_78975

Hi @AS19

Nice move on fence respray.

Can I offer you think about the feel of you home re plants for example I like the japanese garden style so I look up a bunch of plants around that style to guide my house but i have other plants too.

I can see you place a tropical feel tropical paradise with tall swaying plams well suited down the far pool fence side and hibiscus flowers every where on the fences, Rain forrest ferns in over head baskets lined with bromiliads or bright tropical flowers (they dont actually have to be tropical just the theme ) on your balcony an stag horns in shady areas on your walls

So what theme do you want. Think of you place as a movie set and create that space.

Cats/ dogs I own and its really only the kittens and pups that test eat/ mouth everything so as they older now I had some lillies not good for cats to eat but the poison plants are usually bitter to warn animals once they are over kitten stage. But aim to not have any just in case as they might hurt them.

List of bad cat plants

https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-and-animals/animal-welfare-victoria/cats/health/toxic-plants-for-cats

I looked up pour and play. I think it is absolutly fine but I would completely cover your aggregate floor with timber 10mm ply tape joins and on the edges to with a lip (or use yellow tonuge Flooring to lay the rubber on so in years to come it will be a breeze to restore the original aggregate flooring. using Direct Pour directly on aggregate would work but would be NIGHMARE to remove cleanly afterwards. The timber flooring will also provide a slightly more warmer and softer floor to concrete.

Yes I can see a teen chill out space retreat at the far end of your porch comfy lounges and tv etc later transitioning into your spa area OR spa might be just before that space to enjoy now.

Enjoy the journey

AS19

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/103778#Comment_103778

Great tips for the planting theme, we do like a more tropical feel around pools. I think this is what we miss from our old place that had a lot of frangipanis, palms and agapanthus around the pool area!

Interesting suggestion about the ply - would I need to treat the panels first so they withstand the moisture outdoors? I know it would be mostly protected but heavy rain could certainly creep in from the open sides, especially in winter. I would hate for it to all go rotten and need to be pulled back up before the kids have outgrown the area!

Thanks for brainstorming with me, it’s greatly appreciated 🙂

Jewelleryrescue

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/118938#Comment_118938

Hi @AS19

No problem sharing ideas glad you are forming your own directions I like the flowers you had before 🙂

The object with the ply is to lay a tempory floor (lasting x years as you need) to set the rubber onto for removable ease and later area use. A sacrifical floor.

Go for a 6mm ply not the good marine ply a a waste of money for this purpose but not shabby bent distorted ply either but you do need it flat to make a flat floor (select the flatest sheets.). I would use a quality undercoat Tape the ply together as a joins cloth tape or duct tape in where you want the rubber floorring to go. Smaller off cuts closet house inner wall as a guide, Lay it all out taped up together I wouldnt even screw it to patio as its own weight plus rubber compound will hold it in place in theory.

Idea 1Timber or aluminium edging built in?

Screw and glue a undercoated and later painted timber frame over the top edge of the ply like a super large picture frame to screed to the (Pour inplace) rubber compound into for a neat edge .

If you have a long super straight timber or aluminum screed the width of the porch you can slide the screed on top of the frame rails to check floor thinkness. 2nd method You can use a sample peice of edge trim in the middle and simply hand trowel to the height of the sample edge bit each time.

Idea 2 Tapered edge running off the ply? Less trip hazzard ?

Or slide some plastic under ply edges where you walk and form a tapered egde over the edge of the ply on plastic butted up to 10 mm timber edge to form a neat edge. Cut the plastic once rubber set on it. A gaint rubber mat in essence. You may wish to have shorter ply on outer balcony edge so rubber covers the over the ply egde to with a timber length as form work for a neat rubber edge. Trim the under plastic later.

Tip Probably a good idea to have plastic sticking out all 4 sides to protect house walls etc and trim it later.

Zinsser 1L Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Undercoat Primer Sealer Stain Blocker I/N: 1579690 $35.98

2 coats both sides of ply and especially the along the edges 4 coats should seal timber agaisnt most moister attacks given the ply will be covered in rubber too. The outer building edge is where water might get to ply and try soak in that way.

Sorry I am getting way to involved. Just pick out the tips you want and form your own plans. 🙂

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/118938#Comment_118938

Hi @AS19,

Another option other than the ply would be Villaboard. I have concerns that pouring straight onto the Pebblecrete might be hard to remove at a later date.

Mitchell

AS19

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/127988#Comment_127988

We’ve changed direction again with this project and have finally settled on installing artificial turf with a layer of foam shock pad mats underneath. (The rubber soft pour was proving too expensive). I’ve been advised they can be adhered directly to the concrete with artificial turf adhesive or double sided tape, after drainage holes are drilled in any areas where water pools (I’m yet to check this).

But what I’m still pondering is how to finish the edge neatly so it isn’t a hazard, the edges don’t lift, and the edge of the foam mats aren’t exposed. I’ve seen some edging strips designed for use over concrete (ie no channel or pegs needed) and wondered if I could achieve something similar with Bunnings products. The foam is 20mm thick so any channel (like the attached photo) would need to accommodate this plus the turf backing layer. I only need straight edges. Any suggestions of outdoor-rated products I could use to achieve a similar effect and that could be adhered to the concrete without too much fuss?!

Jewelleryrescue

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/133895#Comment_133895

Hi @AS19

@MitchellMc idea with the villaboard (cement sheeting) protection on top of your verandah as protection will work as it is water resistant too. No sealing required.

You can raise the villa board at asliight angle 1:20 near the wall so any water will run off the balcony and there will be no need to drill holes.

Holes would only work on sand ground to run away not on flat concrete any way.

You then can adhere the foam directly to that as per your plans as well as artificiacl turf. If you need to nail or staple artifical turf down Switch back to a ply base to allow staple to be used.

Aluminium channel can be also glued down on villa board/ply enclosing he artifical grass and foam inside it making the edge smooth and safe. I am thinking the foam and grass can be compressed/held into a 25mm x 25mm aluminium channel.

See what you think and build your plans as you go.

Another metal channel is

https://www.bunnings.com.au/suntuf-3000-x-45-x-20mm-surfmist-back-channel-frame_p1010802

Suntuf 3000 x 45 x 20mm Surfmist Back Channel Frame I/N: 1010802 $25.90

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/133895#Comment_133895

Hello @AS19

I understand how you feel when everything is concreted up and there is no greenery in sight. Just to add to the suggestions made, I recommend building some raised garden beds with trellises on the back or you can build a vertical garden just like in this guide - How to build a vertical garden by @MitchellMc.

When combined with the artificial turf it should turn that concrete corner of yours into a green paradise. I also suggest having a look at this discussion - Vertical garden and Merbau planter boxes by @BrendanB.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

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