I Built a ROOFTOP DECK that feels like an Actual Yard.... 

The new Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus is available from June 19th! Enjoy the special discount, save up to US$450, check out Jackery Official:bit.ly/3IUqIqa Jackery Amazon: amzn.to/3PfbjEG

if you're going to let the dog pee up there it'll end up smelling like a gas station bathroom. If you want to do that you should designate one spot that's near a roof drain, and make a habit of rinsing that area daily, or setup a sprinkler timer to do it daily automatically

what an outrageous amount of work added to any dwelling/building project to avoid water damage. fantastic job!

Heres a tip from someone who has turf in their backyard with animals, use Simple Green turf cleaner to clean the grass when it starts to smell from being in the sun and having animals use it to go to the bathroom. Also sometimes wet it before use in summer heats, can get a little too hot to walk on. Idk if the heat is as bad for you as it is for me in Arizona lol.

I'm not a fan of artificial grass, but that looks great! That shot of tex running out melted my heart

The amount of time and effort you put into these videos is insane, awesome work!!!

Looks amazing already, nice planters and some colour on the walls, its a yes from me! Cant wait to see Tex doghouse😉 Also agree with comments, teach Tex to use a certain area for doin his business😃 xx

Might be too late now, but I am surprised with all the work that you have done on the roof that you never considered installing a hoist of some kind. One that rotates over the edge, telescopes out, and than hauls material up. In the end... the deck still looks great!

On the side that just drops down to the neighbors roof you should put a classic suburban wood yard fence, to really seal in that suburban yard feel - and to also keep the dog from deciding its not that high and they should go exploring.

It looks awesome! It makes a huge difference to have some green space around, it makes the roof so much more usable. My only concern is that the plywood will start to rot and stink fast if you little four legged companion is supposed to do his business there

I know artificial is easier to do and possibly cheaper as well but I honestly think this would've been way cooler if you had gone with a real grass roof

It is such a joy following this journey. So impressive and beautiful, what you are able to accomplish with this building over the years ❤

Great job. Looks fantastic. Love Tex's reaction to it. Looking forward to see what amazing house you'll end up building for him.

Once again your standard of excellence is reached! Just beautiful, just needs some vertical interest and you have a perfect yard!

Your roof deck/yard is amazing!!!! Your place has come such a loooong way. You should be proud.👍🏻❤️

I love it! An added bonus is that it shades the roof so less solar heat gain below in the living space of the home.

I think your house project is so beautiful. The idea of turning an old commercial building into a residential building. Super nice terrace. ❤🙋🏻‍♂️

It looks amazing, to be sure, but I have some concerns. First, please tell me your roof drains directly to the sewer, and not to a downspout out onto the sidewalk below. Otherwise, every time you hose off the roof - yeah, you’re definitely going to a need a hose - to clean up after Tex, you’ll be flushing pet urine and fecal residue out onto the concrete for passers-by to walk through. 🤮 Also, even if the runoff does drain to the sewer, I strongly recommend you restrict Tex’s bathroom area to only a small section of the grass, in a spot that’s closest to that drain and that you start buying Petzyme, so you can immediately treat any areas where he relieves himself. We use Petzyme around our property in areas where neighborhood cats come through and mark their territory. It’s non-toxic and very effective at eliminating any evidence of marauding felines. And since you opted to use a raised, PLYWOOD base 😱,I can promise you, regardless of how many holes you drilled into it, it’s definitely going to start absorbing Tex’s “runoff”. Petzyme will, at the very least, cut down on how much bacteria - and accompanying smell - take hold. Lastly, remember that artificial grass, no matter what anyone tells you, needs to be cleaned periodically. Wait a month or so, and then walk on it barefoot - but absolutely NOT on a hot, sunny day - and you’ll see how black your feet are on the bottoms. Seriously, man, faux turf can get hot as hell. Your pooch’s bare paws can get very uncomfortable, if not outright burned…and so can yours, especially on a hot summer day in Chicago. Be careful.

Mike this while journey of yours is simply inspirational and amazing! I've been following along for years and I'm so happy for you man! You’ve been pivoting and busting ass and your hard work has been paying off! I wish nothing but huge success and cannot wait to see what you do next!

Absolutely amazing view. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Keep making. God bless.

As always great video Mike, this urban rooftop yard/deck looks fantastic. Looking forward to seeing it when all are finished with plants and all.

Just FYI you will be replacing the boards with the roundovers. The composite on the underside is not meant to be exposed to moisture which is why the top is covered in a PVC material. It will swell.

Great job. Heart warming to see a nice yard on the roof in a big city. So wholesome ☺️

Thank you for the detailed video. Your rooftop yard looks amazing, great job!

One of the best roof decking installments I have seen. So impressed with the quality of finish and use of quality products. I have been involved with so many decking installations as a project manager and this is a text book project from start to finis. Great work. Stay safe J.

It is just so remarkable and impressive how thorough you are! How many hours did that take including the video editing? So nice!!!

That’s a sweet front yard you have there. Can’t wait to see what you do with the backyard on the other 1/2 of the building. 😉👍👍

That yard looks so nice, and the best part was seeing how happy Tex was. Your next project should be a crane for the roof.

Love the build!! Will the plywood not absorb Tex's business and start to smell over time? Either way, incredible work. Can't wait for the dog house video

Mike, as always, great video! One small suggestion... Maybe you should consider covering up the gap between the deck and the parapet wall. What's the plan if something falls in there?

Seeing this incredible work and Tex's joy made my day! Thanks Mike, amazing content as always!

I swear, I saw how Tax's eyes got watered! These were truly the eyes of gratitude and love! Such an amazing job!

Man, what an amazing work! Really well done!!! 😃 The drone footage was great! Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

Mike, your videos never disappoint! I’m in awe of your editing and humor inserts! Good thing I follow you on IG also, otherwise it would be hard to wait for the next video. 😅Cam is much more than a cameraman. Nice to see you working so well together!

Looks amazing! So impressive to see how much work goes into such a project

It looks amazing some planter boxes with fake flower and maybe a few fake trees would make it perfect

Man this looks awesome! Can't wait to see the whole place all done. It's been an awesome journey with you.

I hope you give Tex a dog door so he can go lay in the sun whenever he wants. Lulu loves having the freedom of getting to come and go as she pleases. A dog door also means you never have to get out of bed to let him out if you feel like sleeping in or have to stop working if you’re in the middle of a big project downstairs.

Amazing transformation. He looks very happy with his new playground! Great job keep it up love the videos.

Looks great! Thanks for letting us go along for this build.

Beautiful job, it's been a helluva ride! I imagine you'll slap a couple small trees in large containers up there? I spy a lady next to you at the end, the private rooftop club is already working haha. Also noticed a for sale sign, you're not selling the building are you?!

The new yard looks fabulous! Tex is a very loved pooch. You definitely achieved your goal. Congratulations!

I am always excited when you post a video of this incredible reno. This Deck is incredible. How kewl to be able to do this

Looks fantastic! Get some potted plants of the tall variety for vertical space. Maybe even a dogwood tree, or redbud tree, something that stays relatively small.

That looks awesome! Incredible use of usually wasted space! Now, add some solar panels and you have the ultimate use of a roof! Great, job, Michael!

A couple plants would complement the yard nicely and give it even more of that suburban feel.

Very impressive. It looks great ! Well done. Puppy certainly looks happy. Some potted shrubs and plants around the perimeter would be like icing on a cake.

Great channel glad i stumbled across it. Your dog is so happy with the grass. Great rooftop yard. Awesome job 💯

Now this project is over the top🎉🎉congratulations this is awesome 🎉🎉🎉

going from art work coffetables to building one of the most ambitious and unique decks on RU-vid is absolutely incredible and the regard for engineering plus longevity for it is just perfection and a test to ur craftsmanship. Ik I'm.just a viewer and long time subscriber but I'm just straight up proud of ur journey and the feat ur pulling off. Ps are you in debt cuz none of this was cheap.

The deck and yard look great. They will give you pleasure long after the trouble of building is a distant memory.

That looks awesome! And so different than the other roofs around it.

looks amazing! looking forward to the complete building

I have two questions: 1. How soft is the "grass"? It seems like with that drainage grid under it there would be a lot of thin pressure areas that would be uncomfortable to walk or sit or kneel on. 2. Any plans for the other half of the roof?

Great job!! Curious to hear what you have planned for the other half of the roof space? 😊

Mike as usual it looks fantastic. Only thing i would have done differently would be when you put in the brace pieces in the deck, I'd have staggered them (put all the braces in one channel and then in the next one you put them in-between, next channel they go in the same place as the first etc etc (if that makes sense)) more to just help with a bit on the weight distribution and prevent the boards from possibly sagging.

Hope you fill in the gaps at the edges (maybe with plants?) otherwise I can foresee a million balls making their way under that deck :D Looks great, can't wait to see what you do with the rest of the roof. Cheers mate.

This seems like it is going to be a fantastic shaded spot for mould to grow, birds to nest and bees/wasps to hive 😅. But looks fricken awesome.

Beautiful attention to detail as always. It looks brilliant.

Your deck and yard is absolutely stunning. What a great outdoor space you have created for you and Tex.

I'm confused... I thought you had already built something up on the roof a few months ago? Like a dog run and outdoor firepit or something? Regardless, this setup looks great.

Sedum would have kept it cooler indoors, and would've allowed bees and such.

To help with the sunburn issue, drape a bandanna down the back of your neck from the band of your hat. You can also wet it to help you keep cool!

Loving it; now we need a furniture build using the off cuts!!!

Amazing.. I would have loved to see real grass but I know that's a whole different kind of install. LOL.

I think the "doggie business" area is going to smell pretty rough after a while. Real grass with a filtered drainage might have been a better choice. But it looks great!

gods this whole project is so up my alley. great stuff. I appreciate all your work in doing this, all the effort filming and sharing it with us all.

WOW! Job done I think! It looks absolutely fabulous!

This is an absolutely insane thing to do. That roof will leak or need to be replaced at some point, and this whole thing will need to be ripped out to repair or replace it.

would love to see you extend the deck upwards to the second part of the roof, you could do so much with it! add a mini bar and seating area, a place for yard games and bbqs etc!

Looks awesome. That fence on the side will feel good to get installed, making it all a safer enviroment for all of you. Now all that is needed is a proper outdoor kitchen. ;)

What a wonderful place you have made of that old, nearly wrecked commercial building! Were a few years along, a ton of work and expense and you are still happy about it. Long Life!

It looks really good & also peaceful. That’s one happy and loved dog! Luv it! ✊🏾

I’m already imagining the look of the deck throughout the seasons. Are planters and furniture next? Tex needs a comfy hangout. 😉

Great video Thanks for sharing Your passion and adventures from Toronto Ontario Canada 😀 👍 ❤️ 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 ♥️ 💯💯

great video! btw, big fan of the long form videos. very informative and awesome to see the continued progress!

You should build a timber sort of canopy on the big deck section so you can have shade, maybe put solar on top and on the stair room roof? It'd be a cool addition

Yup, what a great idea. Love watching the progress

That is awesome!! Tex is going to have a ball up there. Loved the little clip of The Monkees you threw in, lol.

That deck is really friggin' awesome - well done!!

Pretty dog. Great job. Looks good. That's a lot of hard work. Be kind to each other. Stay safe. Love to all

Hi MM, your yard is absolutely awesome, l know you will have great times entertaining your family and friends, take care and enjoy your summer.❤️🇨🇦👍

Absolutely awesome. Your plan was excellent.

Top level ad plugs, knowing it will be skipped. Bro. I've been trying to tell people to do the same thing for soooo long. You nailed it. Kuddos

Tex loves it and I love it that Tex loves it 🥰🥰🥰

As always, the attention to detail shines through. Sure, you couldve hired a contractor to build this and likely much faster, but the quality wouldn't be as great and cost would be substantial. Love how you always go that extra step to do what the contractors won't as far as the details go.

Loved the drone shots and the overall look of the deck

I'm only about 7 minutes into the video, but this looks like a perfect place to put in a golf hole for some putt-putt with friends.

Definitely an awesome transition, so glad I was able to lend a hand!

Man you are amazing. That yard looks awesome. well done sir. Love your channel, I never miss an episode, been watching for awhile now... Thank you fro all the work you do, and letting us be aprt of it.

tex looks so happy 🥺 he's so cute and it looks so good!!

Seriously. The happiness of this dog is just worth EVERYTHING!!!! It looks fantastic!!!! GOOD JOB!!!!

Very cool! Turned out beautifully!

Awesome job there mate, just need a mural of a forest or beach or something there now to make it extra fancy.

Amazing. Looks fantastic!!! Enjoy.

Is it affixed to the roof at all? Maybe I missed it but if it's just sitting on pedestals without being physically attached to the roof a good windstorm can get under it and turn it into a sail causing untold damage. Huge, HUGE liability.

awesome job! have been following all the journey and it's awesome to see it finally take shape

So Matt is doing this huge renovation ranch thing... It would be cool to see a collaboration. :)

That looks amazing. Nice job.

You took the spot next level. Awesome work.