How to Make a Roof Top Patio

Roof top patios extend your outdoor living space while affording more privacy than a deck or ground-level patio. The area can be furnished as simply as a chaise lounge for sunbathing or as elaborately as a party space with an outdoor kitchen. Weight is a potential issue with roof top patios. If you have doubts about whether your roof can carry the load of plants and furniture, hire a professional to test the roof for you.

Things You'll Need

• Laser level
• Plants
• Bricks
• Plastic
• Gravel
• Soil
• 2-by-4 lumber
• Decking boards
• Deck screws
• Tile or carpet
• Lighting
• Pest control

Instructions

1. 

   Use a laser level or string line to check for uneven patches on the roof. Cover severe dips or raised areas with flower beds or potted plants and trees if you're not building decking or laying tile. Purchase trees in large pots that won't have to be transplanted. Evergreens are the most hardy and require less care.

2. 

   Use bricks, plastic pavers or lumber to create raised beds for planting flowers or vegetables. Arrange the bricks in squares or rectangles, lay heavy plastic sheeting on the bottom and partway up the sides and cover the bottom with 1 inch of gravel. Add soil and plants.

3. 

   Build decking with pressure-treated 2-by-4 lumber and finished decking boards. Lay out the foundation of the decking on the roof with the 2-by-4s in whatever pattern fits the area. Screw them securely together with deck screws. Use deck screws to attach the decking boards to the top.

4. 

   Lay ceramic tile with tile adhesive and use waterproof grout between the tiles, or put down indoor-outdoor carpet or Astroturf. Level the surface with leveling compound if necessary before laying tile or carpet.

5. 

   Install lighting and pest control. Use uplights in potted plants if the roof has electricity. Put a bright lamp in the area you use for barbecuing. Use tiki torches, gas lamps or candles if there is no electricity. Bug zappers, citronella candles and insect repelling plants will keep the area pest free.

6. Finish the patio by adding weather-resistant tables and chairs, a barbecue grill, and/or other furnishings and accessories.

Tips & Warnings

• Line the roof edges with potted plants if the roof has no railing. Use a sun sail, retractable awning or canvas canopy to create shade.

• Use lightweight fixtures like plastic pots instead of clay if weight is an issue with the roof.

References

• Rooftop Garden Plant Considerations

Resources

• Patio Design Ideas
• Deck Building Tips
• Patio Design Considerations