Residential Specialty
Kalorama Roof Deck
FINALIST AWARD

The client’s specific requirements and how we met them: This roof deck was designed and built to replace an aged pressure treated one.

1) Our first challenge was to help the client decide what type of roof to install. This was very important as the new deck was not designed to be removed and parts of the roof would be visible. After much analysis and pricing they decided to invest the extra money in an all copper, flat seamed roof. It provided extra peace of mind and beauty. The less expensive alternative was a white granular modified bitumen roof.

2) Choosing deck materials proved to be our next challenge. We started out with Pressure treated lumber and cedar and, after much deliberation and pricing, the customer decided on Ipe, a Brazilian iron wood that is very dense. (it actually sinks in water). This product added a good deal of labor as we decided to fasten all the Ipe with stainless steel screws. (They cost almost 10 cents each). Ipe also requires installers to pre-drill, regardless of the fastener used.

3) Site Access also made this job challenging. This roof deck was 4 floors off the ground, in a tight urban neighborhood and accessible only via a small stairway. We had to use a 40 ton crane to get the framing and the finish lumber packages onto the roof.

4) Structural modifications were recommended by a consulting engineer to assure that the deck would support a maximum live load. This was achieved by squeezing several 12 foot long LVLs through a vent at the front facia. Our carpenters really earned their keep completing this job in a hot attic crawl space.

This project was designed by Schwartz and Peoples Architects.