I have to dig up around my house to repair a leakey basement so I have to remove a wooden deck 15x25 and I plan to replace it with a pad of cement that I would like to close in. At the roof I plan to tie into the roof rafters and extend out from the house plywood shingles and a couple of sky lights but, I need help in attaching to the pad. Should I cement 4x4 post into the ground before I pour the pad or can I float a pad and attach the roof by the posts directly to the pad. I'm worried about how muck weight there will be. The walls will be screened on three sides with one end wall being closed in.
Answer:
If there is a concern for weight on the concrete pad it may have to do with the integrity of he pad itself but that can be changed at this point. I'd up-grade it now and then leave it flat so 4X4 metal saddles can be attached once its dried. Sinking footings at the corners or edges of the pad may prove to be a headache because unless they're very well below the frost line, they can heave in winter and that will surely break up the pad.
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