Many of the patios we look at are not new jobs at all. An existing patio is too small for the family, or it was built decades ago and the roof is low, hot and loud. Some have rusted gutters or sagging beams. The question is whether to add to what is there or take it down and start again.
There is no single answer, but there is a clear order to work it out in.
Is the old patio approved?
Before adding to an old patio, find out whether it was approved. A council property search or a building records search shows what is on record for your address. If the existing patio was never approved, extending it adds new work to an unapproved structure, and the certifier for the extension will look at the whole thing. Sorting that out first, or replacing the old patio, is usually cleaner. Our post on selling with an unapproved patio explains why it matters later too.
Can the old frame carry more?
- Posts and footings: older patios often have small footings that would not meet today’s wind engineering.
- Beams: an extension often hangs off the existing beam, which then carries more load than it was designed for.
- Fixing to the house: an old patio may be fixed to a fascia or rafters that were never meant to carry a roof.
- Rust: check the bottom of the posts, the gutters and the beam ends. Rust there is a sign the frame is near the end of its life.
An engineer checks the existing frame before we connect to it. If it does not stack up, the extension is designed to stand on its own, or the old patio is replaced.
Joining two roofs
The hardest part of an extension is where the new roof meets the old one. The options are to continue the same roof line, to step the new roof up and fly it over the old one, or to join them with a gutter between. Each needs enough fall for water to run off. A join that holds water leaks, and an old roof sheet that has to be cut back can be hard to match. Sometimes the neatest result is to replace the old roof sheets with the extension, so the whole roof is new and matching.
Matching colours
Pre-painted steel fades over the years, and some colours have changed or been replaced since the 1980s. New COLORBOND® steel sheets next to old ones will rarely be an exact match. If the old roof shows from the house or the street, choose a contrasting colour on purpose or replace the old sheets so it all matches. We bring real colour samples to compare against what is there.
Old awnings and asbestos
Houses built before about 1990 can have asbestos cement sheeting in eaves, old patio roofs and walls. Never cut, drill or break it. In Queensland, removing more than 10 m² of bonded asbestos needs a licensed removalist, and even small amounts must be handled and disposed of properly. If we suspect asbestos on your old patio, we will say so at the quote and allow for it to be tested and removed by a licensed contractor before we start.
Approval for the new work
An extension or a replacement is new building work, and it needs a building approval like a new patio. The new size counts towards your site cover, along with the house and everything else under a roof. A larger patio can also get closer to a side boundary, so we check the setbacks again for the new footprint.
When replacing makes more sense
- The old patio is low and hot, and you want an insulated roof or more height.
- The frame is rusted, undersized or fixed to the house in a way that would not be approved today.
- The old patio has no approval on record.
- The extension would be as big as, or bigger than, what is there.
- You want a different style, such as a flyover off a low house or a gable to match the roof.
Reusing what is good
Replacing the patio does not mean losing everything. A good slab can stay, and posts can often bolt to it if it is thick enough. The existing stormwater connection can usually be reused. Lights and fans can come down and go back up in the new insulated ceiling, if they are in good order, by your electrician.
What we do at the quote
We look at the old frame, the fixings and the footings, check the records and the site cover, and give you a clear view of both options: extend or replace. If the old patio has to come down, we include the removal in the price, so there are no surprises on the day.
