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How to remodel courtyard roof?

katieshaw2001

I would like to turn this useless middle courtyard in the middle of my house connected directly to the kitchen, into a formal dining room but the roof that the previous owner built needs to be replaced. The room is hot, full of flies and when it rains in winter everything is soaked. The guttering is also an issue and leads to overflows of the gutter that fall directly into this room. It’s a large space that’s wasted, and I’m determined to turn it into a really nice comfortable dining space as we don’t have one in the rest of the house. The window on the left side is a bedroom, so the new roof would need to be clear to let natural light in, which led me to the idea of a huge sky light, but would that overflow from the rain? Would love to hear any idea or tips on how to enclose this roof but keep the natural light! Thanks

Also it is a semi detached house so one side of the roof is my neighbours and if possible that side should be left alone

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Comments

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @katieshaw2001. It's brilliant to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about remodelling a courtyard.

What you’re looking at is a really tricky project because of the way your house is designed. That central courtyard was intended as an outdoor space, and with the four surrounding roof sections all draining into it, enclosing it turns a simple problem into a very complex one. The main challenge is waterproofing the transitions between the existing home walls and your new roof. Each of the four sides would need careful detailing to prevent leaks, and the guttering/drainage system would need a complete reassessment. Simply putting in a skylight or a conventional roof without addressing the drainage won’t solve the issues as you could end up with leaks, overflows, and ongoing maintenance problems.

In situations like this, most DIY or even standard builder solutions won’t be enough. What you’re really looking at is a major structural and roofing redesign, possibly including raising or reconfiguring parts of the existing roof so that water doesn’t drain into your courtyard at all. An architect or structural engineer would need to look at it first to produce a solution that keeps the space watertight, maintains natural light, and works with your semi-detached neighbour’s roof. Once a design is in place, a builder experienced with complex roofing and waterproofing could execute it, but it’s not a minor job and will be expensive and time-consuming.

Starting by consulting with a professional to assess current drainage, roof structure, and possible skylight or transparent roof options is the safest approach. From there, you can explore whether the project is feasible as a fully enclosed dining room or if a more modest solution, like a covered alfresco with clever water management and screening from flies, might achieve most of your goals with far less risk.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

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