Altona Verandah Replacement: Step-Free Deck & 2.7m Height

Altona Verandah Replacement: A Step-Free Deck and 2.7 Metres of Headroom

October 2, 2026

For a young family in Altona, the back door was the problem. A set of concrete steps led down from the rear entrance to an aging timber verandah, which made the outdoor area awkward for small children and for the homeowner’s parents when they visited.

The brief was simple to say and harder to build: replace the old verandah with a new steel-framed one, and add a deck that sits flush with the floor of the house so nobody has to step down to get outside.

Project snapshot

Location: Altona, Victoria
Project: Replacement verandah with a new deck
Size: Approximately 11m x 3m
Frame: Steel
Roof: Colorbond 5-rib profile
Attachment: MKII Roof Extenda brackets through the existing tiled roof
Result: Approximately 2.7m of clearance above the new deck

Raising the Deck Meant Raising the Roof

Bringing the deck up to floor level removed the steps, but it created a new problem. Every centimetre the deck went up came straight off the headroom under the verandah.

Rebuilt at the old height, the new covered area would have felt low and closed in. To keep it comfortable, the roof had to go up too.

Why the Fascia Wasn't an Option

Most verandahs attach at the fascia, the edge of the roof directly behind the gutter. When extra height is needed, riser brackets fixed at the fascia can lift the new roof above the gutter line. You can read more about the different verandah attachment options we use.

This house was different. It had a fascia gutter running around its whole perimeter, where the gutter itself forms the roof edge. That meant an attachment at fascia level wasn’t possible, with or without riser brackets.

Before Renovation

The Solution: A Flyover Roof on Roof Extenda Brackets

We attached the new verandah using MKII Roof Extenda brackets with a weather seal made for tiled roofs. Instead of fixing to the roof edge, these brackets pass through the existing roof and connect onto the house frame. The new verandah beam then sits on top of them, above the existing gutter line.

This is known as a flyover roof. For this home, Roof Extenda brackets were the only available option that gave us a solid connection to the house and the extra height at the same time.

The brackets are also height-adjustable, from 250mm to 310mm. That let us fine-tune the beam height on site and optimise the run-off angle of the new roof.

“The MKII bracket is the smallest size available from Roof Extenda. Available in Mild Steel and 316 Marine Grade Stainless Steel; ideal for highly corrosive environments. Their size and design blends seamlessly into rooflines, paired with a corresponding coloured weather seal. Ideal for any flyover roof project.” – Roof Extenda

The Result: 2.7 Metres of Clearance Over a Flush Deck

The finished verandah gives approximately 2.7 metres of clearance, even with the new deck raised to match the floor level of the house.

The concrete steps outside the back door are gone. Stepping outside is now level, which makes the space safer and easier to use for small children and older family members alike. The covered area feels like part of the house rather than a step down from it.

A flyover verandah is worth considering if:

your home has a fascia gutter rather than a separate fascia
your eaves are low and a standard verandah would feel cramped
you want to raise a deck or patio closer to your floor level
you simply want more height under the roof

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a verandah be attached to a fascia gutter?

Not usually. With a fascia gutter, the gutter itself forms the edge of the roof, so there’s no separate fascia board to fix to. We look at other ways to connect to your home, like the through-roof brackets we used in Altona, or a wall attachment where the eaves are high enough.

What is a flyover verandah?

It’s a verandah whose roof sits above your existing gutter line rather than below it. Brackets pass through the roof and fix to the house frame, which adds height, keeps the new roof clear of the old gutter and helps air move between the two rooflines.

How much extra height can I get?

It depends on the brackets and your design. Roof Extenda brackets range from 250mm to 680mm in height, and each one adjusts within its range. We work out the right height for your deck, headroom and roof fall as part of the design.

Every home is different, and the right attachment depends on your roof, gutter, framing and the height you’re after. We design and build to fit the site, not the other way round, and we handle the plans, permits and construction ourselves. All our work is backed by a 10-year workmanship warranty. Get in touch to talk about your verandah.

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