Expert: Bruce E. Johnson - 1/19/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi Bruce, my husband and I are in the beginning stages of planning an addition.  Our house is a 2nd empire style built in 1874.  In 1900, they built an elevated screened-in porch of the back of the house (7ft x31ft)accessible through a door in the dining room.  The sloping roof is in good condition with asphalt and boxgutters.  We plan to enclose this area for additional living space.  The floor of the porch slopes so that will need to be leveled.  The footers need to be redone because they only go about a foot underground and are basically a stack of bricks.  All this being said, we have considered tearing down the existing structure and bumping it out 5ft.  Is there a way to keep the existing roof and somehow extend it out 5 ft. without having to rebuild it entirely? Or, is it that much more expensive to just rebuild an inexpensive roof system over the new addition?  Our plan is to use the space as two rooms (12x15) one as a dining room, the other as a family room off the existing dining room which is being transformed into the kitchen, creating a "great room" effect.  Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

ANSWER: Hi Kristen, It's hard to say what kind of roof you have over the porch right now from the picture you have sent.  I would say that it would be easier to do a new simple shed roof over the addition than to try and make the old structure work.  Sincerely bruce e johnson

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QUESTION: Thanks Bruce.  Is a shed roof okay if the enclosed addition is to be a dining room and family room?  What material is it and is it durable/long lasting?

Answer
Hi again Kristen, the term shed roof simply means that it is a single pitched roof, higher at the interior wall and lower at the outside wall.  As opposed to a double pitched rafter with a peak in the middle sloping to the outside walls.  The materials depend on the span or width of the room.  A ten foot wide room would need a 2x8 rafter, and the size of the rafter increases with the width of the room.  I hope this information helps feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com