Ideas needed for Fish Room

[Yboat]

A metal roof is not maintence free, I can assure you. The maintance cycle is actually very simlar to a membrain. Trust me.


hurrcane codes change every thing.

[Pardal]

This sketch presents the left hand and right hand lateral walls of our Fishroom Project.

There's a 1' 06" sudden drop in the RH lateral wall height, when the decorative hollow clay brick wall begins.

Let's solve the roofing problem. I never have snow falling down here.

As for using undulated tin sheets... I don't think it is a reasonably good aesthetical solution. So I would need other options, even if the cost rises.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo

I was born in an island in the caribe just like you, Cuba. and received the visit of huracanes. I recomend to use a concrete roof "placa" , resting in columns, just make it thin about 5" thick, the columns can be made out of 4" or 6" diameter aquaduct pipes use for sewage "new" of course cut to the appropiate high. this should be full with concrete and should have a 1/2" metal bar in the center the placa also should have metal bars across and longitudinal inside the concrete. al support by wood coffer construction.
You might have to invest more but it will be forever, Trust just hire an old masonary and tell what you want to do; to pour the concrete . we use to get a lot of beer and get all the friends neighbors and by noon we were done and then start to kill the cold ones.

[Tito]

I was born in an island in the caribe just like you, Cuba. and received the visit of huracanes. I recomend to use a concrete roof "placa" , resting in columns, just make it thin about 5" thick, the columns can be made out of 4" or 6" diameter aquaduct pipes use for sewage "new" of course cut to the appropiate high. this should be full with concrete and should have a 1/2" metal bar in the center the placa also should have metal bars across and longitudinal inside the concrete. al support by wood coffer construction.
You might have to invest more but it will be forever, Trust just hire an old masonary and tell what you want to do; to pour the concrete . we use to get a lot of beer and get all the friends neighbors and by noon we were done and then start to kill the cold ones.

Where are the columns going??

He's got SIX feet to work with. The width of six feet alone is restricting and yet at the same time actually helps out in getting away with a simple roofing solution.

This is a very simple project. A tin roof with some metal rafters firmly secured unto the supporting structure is all that would be needed. Unless a tornado or 80 mph burst of wind struck directly into this small enclosure - I don't see any force that would damage or blow the roof off.

Could just go with some flat sheets of tin right unto the rafters. You could always layer over the tin with something more aesthetic.

Needless to say this is a simple project with a simple solution.

[Jennie]

why can't steel framing/reinforcement be secured directly to the concrete wall from one wall to the other at the top??

[Tito]

why can't steel framing/reinforcement be secured directly to the concrete wall from one wall to the other at the top??

Actually - this is exactly where the project begins and ends. What areas and surfaces/material do you have to secure ANY roof structure?

The wall to the left of the photo is poured in concrete and what about the wall to the right of the photo?

Are you going to drill into the concrete? Not sure if that's a good idea.

Can you provide more details on teh surfaces the roof would sit on and be anchored to?

Edit: As I study the structures in your photo more and more - I see that you are going to have to spend quite a bit of money to place a true roof over that alley way. That area was not designed to have a roof. You will either have to modify the exsiting concrete walls to support the roof structure (not a DIY project IMO) or support the roof from below with columns (but you only have six feet to work with almost fruitless).

[Jennie]

My guess is the wall on the right is part of a building stucture and the wall on the left is freestanding so to speak. I'm sure that steel framing can be drilled into both walls however with the force of hurricanes coming through and guessing that he wants the roofing material that sits on the steel frame to be secure, the hurricane can compromise the freestanding wall on the left and send it crashing into his aquariums anyway. I would say it depends on the wall on the left and how sound it is??

[Tito]

My guess is the wall on the right is part of a building stucture and the wall on the left is freestanding so to speak. I'm sure that steel framing can be drilled into both walls however with the force of hurricanes coming through and guessing that he wants the roofing material that sits on the steel frame to be secure, the hurricane can compromise the freestanding wall on the left and send it crashing into his aquariums anyway. I would say it depends on the wall on the left and how sound it is??

That's just it - drilling into a poured concrete wall IMO is work for a structural engineer. I will assume that these walls have rebar. Now concrete can be "patched" but that area will be compromised structurally. The patching would be more of an aethetic solution to a wall that may have had some cracking or pieces fall away. But here - he will be intentionally drilling into the bearing wall and then after the roofing structure is in place he would do some patch rock to cclean up - but again - that is not a DIY job.

[Jennie]

In the end, the idea of this seems expensive and exhausting.

[Skip]

That's just it - drilling into a poured concrete wall IMO is work for a structural engineer. that is not a DIY job.

yep.. thats what i said in the second post.. this should NOT be Aggie-rigged.. it should be done by a professional.. BUT its his roof.. he can do it as he wants..

[pepetj]

Some pics of the working area for our Fishroom Project:


Thank you all for your interest and feedback.

I think tin roofing is the solution. I agree this may not be a DIY project (the roofing part at least) and I may need to hire someone with competence to do this.

Any way I could explore using 2x4's for the structure holding the roof instead of using metallic structure... don't you think? If I go with wood I could keep this within the DIY zone.

I'll get on the roof of the house to take pics of the surface we have to actually work with to place whatever structure we decide to use to hold the tin roof.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo

[Tito]

Ok thanks for the pics!!!


Here's what I would do if I were you. I would build a frame of 2x4 around the enitire space. 24' x 6'. The 2x4's would be placed against the walls. you are basically just buidling a box frame within the enclosure. Then attach the roof to the frame.

If I have time tonight - I'll get on autocad and provide you with a rough draft.

If a hurricane were to strike near you - it would have to pull out the entire frame. you could anchor the frame with a couple of bolts or just leave it free standing.

Edit: When I'm done perhaps you can IM me your email adress and I will send you the drawings.

[Tito]

Pepetj


Is there is drain on the ground anywhere - there should be because this is your original patio area.

Let me know if there is and where at eactly. If I had to take a guess it should be over to the back corner by the bricks.

You should have a finish plan by tomorrow.

[pepetj]

There's a U shaped channel embedded within the concrete floor. It is located parallel to the Left Hand lateral wall (the one that is continuous, without the clay bricks). It needs to be cleaned. Here a couple of pics of this open-end drain channel.





Pepetj
Santo Domingo

[Pardal]

Where are the columns going??

He's got SIX feet to work with. The width of six feet alone is restricting and yet at the same time actually helps out in getting away with a simple roofing solution.

This is a very simple project. A tin roof with some metal rafters firmly secured unto the supporting structure is all that would be needed. Unless a tornado or 80 mph burst of wind struck directly into this small enclosure - I don't see any force that would damage or blow the roof off.

Could just go with some flat sheets of tin right unto the rafters. You could always layer over the tin with something more aesthetic.

Needless to say this is a simple project with a simple solution.

The columns could go touching the wall, or level with the wall its or inside the wall is a simple masonary procedure.
And 80mph lmo
A category 1 huricane is between 64-82 kts this is knots nautical miles per hour which is equal to 74-95 mph. category this consider the sustain winds only. when the winds get in this narrow space will create a funnel effect.
CAT 2 83- 95 knots or 96-110 mph.
CAT 3- 96- 113 knots or 111- 130 mph.
These categories keep going up but the first three are the most comon.
IME a tin roof will fly with the first storm , will be hot as an oven. easier for leaks and break in (this is third world country), and the6 feet width is irrelevant to the roof type.since the columns can go even with the wall.
just my two cents being cheap now, will become expensive in the long run.

[pepetj]

The columns could go touching the wall, or level with the wall its or inside the wall is a simple masonary procedure.
And 80mph lmo
A category 1 huricane is between 64-82 kts this is knots nautical miles per hour which is equal to 74-95 mph. category this consider the sustain winds only. when the winds get in this narrow space will create a funnel effect.
CAT 2 83- 95 knots or 96-110 mph.
CAT 3- 96- 113 knots or 111- 130 mph.
These categories keep going up but the first three are the most comon.
IME a tin roof will fly with the first storm , will be hot as an oven. easier for leaks and break in (this is third world country), and the6 feet width is irrelevant to the roof type.since the columns can go even with the wall.
just my two cents being cheap now, will become expensive in the long run.

I do live in a third world Country but I do have access to some pretty good construction materials. I've seen my share of tin roofs flying during hurricanes as well as some torn apart by tropical storms.

I have experienced the "Hot oven" effect of closed structures with tin roofs in the Caribbean so I know what you mean. Tin seems easy to handle for DIY, I will explore other options. Using columns to lay down a structural concrete roof is an idea I'm considering too. It can cost more than going with 2x4's wooden structure and whatever material in sheets I could place on it.

Hurricanes category IV and V are not that common but I do live in the middle of a "Hurricane Alley" and have experienced a couple of them. Somehow we've been spared from last decade's tougher ones.

Maybe turning the Fishroom Project Roof into a Green Roof will help with heat exchange (keeping room temp warm the rare not so hot days -temps falling to the lower 70s- and keeping it somewhat fresh during the hottest days when it reaches the upper 90s) complicating even more our solution options.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo