SkyLift Patio Roof Riser Solutions: Improving Comfort, Stability, and Waterproofing of Existing Outdoor Spaces

When these homeowners bought their single-story ranch, it had a framed patio cover with light-weight translucent panels.

Patio Hothouse: The translucent panels on this patio cover created a sunlit patio, but having the cover attached to the house roof let heat build up making the patio uncomfortably warm.

The cover kept the patio sunlit and dry, but under the cover, the space was unbearably hot on sunny summer days. To make matters worse, the frame for the patio cover sat directly on top of the house roof.

Precipitation would travel down the roof until it hit the framing for the patio cover. Flashing along the intersection between the patio cover and the house roof wasn’t up to the task of keeping moisture at bay, and this configuration allowed debris to accumulate that required someone to climb onto the roof to do periodic cleaning.

Trap for Moisture and Debris: With the patio cover attached directly to the roof of the house, precipitation running down the roof collected in the intersection between the two. It was also a place where debris accumulated, which required regular cleaning.

In addition this arrangement led to the upper framing members of the patio cover starting to deteriorate, as well as shortening the life of the asphalt roof shingles.

The SkyLift Solution

When the owners brought in a roofing contractor to reshingle the roof, they opted to remedy the situation by installing professionally-engineered SkyLift roof risers to raise the patio cover safely above the house roof.

Through careful planning, the contractor was able to temporarily support the outboard post and beam structure and then detach the patio cover from it as well as from the roof of the house. After raising the roof hinge style, the crew next installed four heavy-duty SkyLift roof risers that supported a continuous 4X8 beam.

They then reinstalled the cover on top of the continuous beam supported by the SkyLift roof risers, and reconnected the cover to the original outboard support structure. To finish around the SkyLift roof risers, the owners opted for standard roof-vent flashing for a low unobtrusive profile.

Patio Cover Gets a Lift: Setting the patio cover on SkyLift roof risers separates the two roof structures, extending the life-span of both. The separation allows precipitation to flow down the shingles to the gutter while allowing warm air to be vented up through the space between the roof and the patio cover.

The contractor’s approach of reusing the existing patio cover resulted in a substantial saving of both the framing and translucent polycarbonate cover, and the change in the patio was noticeable immediately.

The Results

Raising the patio cover halted the deterioration of the framing, and with the roof plane clear, any precipitation could now run down the roof and be channeled away safely via the gutter along the eaves of the house. The space created between the roof and the patio cover meant that debris could no longer accumulate, eliminating the need for dangerous trips onto the roof for cleaning.

The space between the roof and patio cover also allowed air to circulate, in effect creating a large continuous vent for warm air under the cover to escape. Thanks to the innovative SkyLift roof risers and hardware, the homeowners now had an outdoor space that they could use comfortably—even on the hottest of days!