I am assuming that if you are reading this you actually have thought about adding a usable outdoor space to your home, or know someone who would like to do so. You’ve come to the right place as I have done lots of this type of planning, design and building of such. There are a number of questions to ask up front and you are wise to write the answers down to formulate your plan.
The absolutely very first thing you have to establish is that it is legal to add the space you are thinking of. What are the city or county rules, setbacks (non building areas from property lines), easements (non building zones usually for utilities or drainage conditions), deed restrictions, Homeowner Association (or CCR…covenants, conditions and restrictions) which might prohibit the type of structure you want to build? Do not proceed with any effort on the plan until you know it is allowed by right to build or add on to your home where you are thinking of putting it.
Once that is established, the next item is to define what you want to do in the space. Write down the activities you want to do in your outdoor area. Is it for Dining? Dinner? Lunch? Breakfast? Is it a place to sit with the family and play games, cards and general interaction with friends and family? Is it a place to “stick the kids” when you want them out from underfoot?
Imagine the activities you see taking place in the addition and write down what else goes with them: table and chairs, what size, side table or buffet layout, plants, toy box, barbecue, etc. This will help determine the amount of space you need. The concern isn’t that it might be too big, it is knowing that it will be big enough to comfortably conduct the activities you want to accomplish in this space. If you are tight for room to build the space, you may want to actually pick out the furnishings at least by size, and plan them out on paper to see what it will take to fit them in, again comfortably.
The next item might be of the activities you want to use the space for, are they daytime, night-time, summer only or year round activities. This will make a difference in the type of structure you use and how “substantial” of a space you want to build. It can range from a concrete slab on the ground (or deck) with a trellis or lean-to type of cover to a fully built “pavilion” with solid roof, fireplace, kitchen facility, glass and doors or screened in porch effect.
How does the sun hit the area? Take into account wind and water drainage considerations, the way the ground is already in the area you want to build, and proximity to other features like neighbors, trees, pools, etc? The ground condition where you want to build is a big consideration and will define whether you are building a patio on the ground, or a deck or platform in the air. If you are not hiring a professional to help figure all of this out for you, you will have to
With the ideas so far, determine the outline size of the space you want to create and get some wooden (or metal) stakes to drive in at the corner points of the area you have measured out on the ground. 10′ x 12′, 12′ x 16′…whatever size you have come up with as a starter at least. You are not limited to a rectangle either if you want to add some angles, hexagon, octagon, but when you venture into other than right angled shapes, you need to consider the covering (roof) right away. An unusual shape will do you no good if it is too hard to put a cover over it (if your intent is to have a covered space).
With the corner stakes in the ground, get some masonry twine (string) and run it around the perimeter to define the space on the ground. A note of interest here is that the space will likely look “small” strung out on the ground. The actual space or area built in that outline will feel or seem bigger when completed. So if it works on paper, it will usually work “for real” the way you have planned it.
In the process of setting your stakes, you will also get the reality of what the ground does in that space. Is it “flat?” Or does it slope? In that case how much and in what direction does it slope? If the ground is flat, how far down from your house floor is it (how big of a step?). If it is within 12" of the floor, a concrete slab or a version of interlocking pavers would be your best choice. You will likely need a “footing” around the perimeter or as part of the slab to build your supporting structure on.
There are a variety of construction techniques to “come out of the ground” with. The footing and slab mentioned above provides full support for any type of structure you want to build (must meet code conditions) for walls and a roof as desired. If the step out of the home is more than 12", you again have a variety of choices from building a concrete (or other retaining system) perimeter that you can fill with gravel and put a slab on top of that. Or if the property drops and slopes more than 24" you may want to consider a raised deck or floor system instead, steps down from the house to a terrace below. This would not require a perimeter footing where instead you would have “piers” of concrete to hold up posts which you frame your floor system from. This facilitates a roof as well as the posts can extend up to the framing required to support a roof.
The roof or cover can be built like the home roof and tied in material wise to be an integral part of the house. Or the frame can be self standing and have a different material than the house roof including trellis slats, or canvas/awning type of material you could take off and store in the winter. Another simpler version is a table and chairs with provisions for an umbrella in the middle. There are many of these available and in a tight configuration it can seem like a space of it’s own. In my own case I have a small deck area off the kitchen with a table and umbrella that seems like a room out there with the umbrella up. It is an 11′ wide umbrella so it covers almost the whole deck. The weather permits it here that I can use the deck for dining and socializing all summer long.
