This is located in Auckland, New Zealand. We don't get snow here, but we do get fairly strong winds. I'm looking for some conceptual design advice...
I'm looking to build a deck measuring 8 meters wide, about 4 meters deep (off the face of the house). Now the main complication is where the deck and the house join, will be half house, half conservatory, which is glass and aluminum.
I will also have a roof on the deck. Sloped, maybe 2.5m high on the high end. The deck is also going to be very very low on the ground, which is a totally flat site.
Trying to "attach" the deck to the house looks very very difficult. Am I being naïve thinking it could be free standing?
EDIT: OK, I've added a privative picture.
The deck is only maybe 200mm high? It's not the stability of the deck floor that I'm worried about.. it's the roof line.
For simplicity I want a mono pitch roof of UV resistant poly carbonate sheeting - the sun is brutal here.
The new Zealand Building standard for this is NZS3604, which really doesn't have much to say on the matter of decks on the ground. When decks get over a meter in height, it's a whole different ballgame. As per the standard: "Wind Bracing demand for decks may be ignored.
So really ... it's the roof.
If the roof is free standing, and winds are high, there could be some lateral movement which is a problem. But to secure the deck roof to the house structure is complicated by the conservatory.
Thoughts?