Pop-Top Pool House

From sister publication Professional Deck Builder, watch as an old pool house transforms, step by step, into a more versatile backyard retreat.

My client–who is also an architect–had big plans for his small, single-story pool house. It was in decent-enough shape with a workable bathroom and kitchen, but it mostly served as a utility room to store pool furniture and supplies. To provide an informal area to relax and enjoy this backyard retreat, he wanted to add a second floor with an attached deck.

After I finalized the plans with my client, the first step was to remove the existing cupola, which would be saved and reinstalled later. We set up a pair of 24-foot aluminum scaffolding planks covered with plywood and used a combination of ropes and muscle power to slide the cupola safely off the roof and down to the ground. Then we stripped off the old shingles and disassembled the roof framing down to the top plates.