D.I.Y: Patio Conversion

Our family was expanding! And with that came the need for more space. Our old two bedroom house was insufficient for our purposes. We had moved into a lovely little 3 bedroom house in around 2010. The house had great bones but the space wasn't used effectively. The garden was bisected by a patio, while quaint with Dragon's Breath, was only usable in perfect weather. 

We decided then to make better use of the road facing section by creating a BBQ (Braai) area and enclosed patio. 

We installed a 1,200mm built in BBQ/Braai with light and firebox. 

Due to the ongoing power problems in the area, we opted to install a generator housing underneath. This had a flexi-pipe and silencer installed with exhaust heading up to the roof. 

The existing Dragon's Breath had to go! It was a massive effort, with lots of pulling and cutting. We got rid of it eventually. 

The space was clear! We could start with the paving once the bulk of the existing arbour was removed.

The guys worked tirelessly to clear and level the space. The existing conduits and BBQ area were pre-leveled to the new flooring. 

We could then get started on stripping the original arbour and starting construction of the joists, uprights, and frame. 

The uprights were 150mm wide pipes, filled 300mm deep, with rebar reinforced, wet-cured concrete. Wet-curing concrete ensures the strongest possible set. This means a curing time of over 5 days with plastic covering and constant moistening. The braces were set into the concrete and supported while curing. 

We recessed the braces into laminated pine beams which were then screwed together. 

Wet-curing. The concrete was amazingly dark and hard when the 5 days had passed. 

Once the curing was complete, we could start with the uprights and leveling. All the beams had been pre-primed and painted with a water based enamel. 

We had already prepped the wall bracing, which we drove in with 150mm screw bits. That bracing wasn't going anywhere!

There were some challenges getting the leveling correct. We needed 30 degree slope in order to clear any rain. So I used some straight planks and trigonometry to get the measurements and angles. 

So.. much.. wood! We had also taken delivery of the tinted IBR sheeting at this point. 

Starting the priming of the horizontal struts, the lengths and angles had already been cut in. 

I managed to catch my foot on a piece of flashing... Why I wasn't working with shoes on, I have no idea...

The horizontal struts could then be installed, 500 screws later! I knew I would be doing a ton of screwing, so I went full mechanical and bought a Bosch GSR 18v driver. Best investment ever!

We opted for 45 degree semi-decorative bracing. This also prevented a slight wobble that the frame was experiencing. 

I could then start on the inter-strut bracing. This was offset at 600mm to ensure strength and also an attractive line. 

The BBQ space was still posing an issue, as the depth offset was really throwing off the calculations. It had to be done though!

The space was REALLY coming together. We had a few get togethers during the period, so we had installed a temporary shade-cloth to escape the sun. 

Time to start roofing!! We had our waterproof self-drilling screws and bolt-head driver on the drill. Isaac was an incredible assistant. He painted, and lifted, and cut, and climbed.

So.. many.. screws! I think the total for the project was around 1,600. We had to be careful not to overtighten here, as that would introduce leaks. 

We installed bitumen infused waterproofing foam at the top and bottom edges. It's specifically built for IBR and prevents birds and water ingress. 

I had finally solved the BBQ chimney bracing and strut work!

More than 50% covered! The momentum was good and excitement was mounting

Sorting out the waterproofing. You can see the generator exhaust output behind the chimney. We managed to break some flashing during install of the panels...

Installing the waterproofing foam with a cheeky face popping in!

Almost done! Needs guttering, flashing, and final water test.

What you don't see here is the passage of time. It took over 6 months from beginning the BBQ to getting the roof on. It was all done during downtime and weekends. 

We ordered string lighting from Aliexpress which created the most amazing atmosphere under the roofing. 

We then moved the table and chairs to a more "dining room" configuration with a new lounge-suite at the far end. We also rebuilt the garden and installed fireproof sound insulating doors on the generator. 

Overall an amazing experience and would happily do it again. The living space was expanded and the atmosphere was so chilled, we could sit and drink wine for hours.