[fakie99]

OK, it's been mighty hard for me to get consensus from other contractors AND the manufacturers on how to handle this situation....



in the picture here, we are building a raised patio up against a house so there is only one step from the sliding door. so, some gravel, sand and brick will be in contact w/the house. i generally install flashing against whatever is there (unless it is brick/block which I just go right up against), and install the gravel against the flashing. i know some people will install additional SRW close to the house - in effect creating a free-standing patio - so that the patio does not actually touch the house. how do you guys handle this situation - good, solid answers are very tough to come by in this neck of the woods, even from the manufacturers...



thanks,

[ianc]

Yikees thats a tough one, any threat of frost will grab and heave that jutted out vinal sided area. can you put a strip footing and block wall just out from the masonry wall and juted out wall, them pour a slab for the landing. (I guess a wood deck is out of the question?)

I attached a pic I have a project where the brick lip projects out, it is new construction so I poured full footings against the house and stip footings for the accent walls to aleviate the threat of frost heave

~ian

[Pelican]

In your case I'd remove the bottom piece of siding, add flashing to the sheathing, build the patio and then trim out the patio with the siding you removed. This way if repairs to the siding are necessary they can be done.

The alternative would be to add the retaining wall to the house side of the patio as you suggested.

[Bill Schwab]

We always used to box off the back of the house first. One to take the stress off the foundation, two, to keep the gravel from potentially rotting the siding.

Build the back wall first, then bend it toward the spaces you want to raise. Cap it with what ever cap material the wall manufacturer uses, or you could bond pavers as the cap.

[Pelican]

I really don't like either solution, I usually try to talk the customer into wooden steps down onto the landing which would be below the sill plate. If the customer insists, any of these solutions would work.

[fakie99]

thanks for the ideas - by building right up to the house, do i have any potential trouble from the uderside of the overhang and/or siding not being able to breathe? i wouldn't think so, becuase by building a patio right up to it, i am in essence sealing out the potential of water infiltration.

[chesie]

Why not build your patio height slightly lower (as in below the kick out on the house) and then build a set of free standing steps in a manner similar to what Bill said to reach the door.

This would also help lower what appears to be a pretty high retaining wall.