Rafter & Beam Decorative Profiles
The standard profile is the Axis profile and 50% of clients select this option. Any other profile, including the ones above, can be done at a slight increase in cost
Polycarbonate Roofing
This is a perfect option for your pergola if you want the open air feel and are sick of your furniture cushions getting wet during rain. It is also a great application for pergolas over hot tubs, as it saves you hot tub cover from having to be replace every few years. Polycarbonate requires and minimum slope (.5”/12”) so you can maintain an almost flat roof. You can choose various tint and color options to meet your desired light transmission and aesthetic taste. We offer both aluminum and wood trim options to give the roof a more finished look. 23% of our pergola clients select this option.
Metal Roofing
For our pavilions we most often use premium snap together standing seam metal roofing. This system looks and performs at the highest level, while having minimal exposed fasteners. For more budget conscious clients, we also offer exposed fastener metal panels. Minimum slope requirement is 3”/12”. Metal roofing can also be used for our pergolas if we meet the minimum slope requirement.
Post Notches
We notch out wood from the post where the beam(s) will sit. This provides an elegant look and shows that proper timber frame carpenters built your project. 96% of clients choose this option.
8”x8” Posts
On all projects larger than an overall footprint of 16’x16’ or 192 SF, we recommend that you consider upgrading to an 8” x 8” posts. This greatly enhances the proportional balance of the structure, and therefore it’s “curb appeal”. Depending on the wood species selected this can be a minor or major increase in cost. This is never necessary for structural requirements. Pound for pound, wood is stronger than steel in compression strength on its end grain.
Thick Beam
This option is for all the therefore mentioned wood species expect for pressure treated southern yellow pine. This option is a personal preference but we, and 99% of our customers prefer the thicker beams. This would be any beam at or above 4” in thickness. The price is typically negligible in comparison to one thick beam vs two thin beam pieces.
Thick Rafter
This option is a personal preference but we, and 100% of our pavilion clients & 19% of our pergola clients prefer the thicker rafters. This would be any rafter above 2” in thickness. This price increase is negligible on pavilions and modest on pergolas.
Beam & Rafter Notches
97% of our clients elect for us to notch the top of the beams and bottom of the rafters so that they flow partially though each other. Note that we will only cut away/notch the maximum amount of wood, in which we can still maintain our engineering structural load requirements.
Knee Brace Decorative Curve – Triangulation Braces
Knee braces are wind shear compression braces that triangulate the post and beam or rafter, creating a completely rigid structure, as seen in the diagram at the top of the previous page. From an aesthetic point a view, knees are one of the more beautiful components of the structure. 99% of our clients elect for the Slight Curve Cut brace as seen in the examples above. The other options are no decorative cut, or anything you can dream up or find.
Purlin
Pergola purlins are used to add more shade from the structure. We typically use 1×4 or 2×4 purlins. We set their spacing to the desired level of shade you would like to achieve. These are also used in place of roof sheathing under metal roofing if you don’t select the roof sheathing option.
Sanding Process
98% of our clients select this option, in which we remove all UV damage, shipping and handling stains (“sticker stains”). The sanding and brushing process brings the wood back to a fresh pre-weathered state. Not only does this greatly improve the appearance of the wood (see photos below), but also has the positive side effect of lengthening the lifespan of oils, paints and stains applied. In summary, every 4 days wood sits outside exposed to the sun’s UV damage it loses 1 year off the lifespan of the oil, paint or stain.
Plugging Screw Holes
99% of our clients elect for us to plug all the visible screw holes. This creates a much more finished look to the project. The most basic project has at least 88 drilled holes with screws in them that need plugged. These plugs can be removed, as to access the screw, if any component needs replaced in the future.
Outlast Q8 Log Oil Wood Preservative
If you like the look of the natural wood this is the only exterior product we use. This is the best product available on the market today, and it is an EPA approved. The oil is applied in the shop, prior to UV and weather exposure.
Semi-Transparent Stain
We are open to any brand of stain. We typically use Sherwin William Superdeck or Benjamin More Arborscapes water-based stain, but we can use any brand or type you prefer. Assuming sanding is done, scientific research says that the stain will last 7-8 years on vertical surfaces and 5-6 years on horizontal surfaces. Though we find most of our semi-transparent structures need recoated every 8-10 years. (See Shou-Sugi-Ban below on how we can treat the horizontal surface to last forever.) One coat of the stain is applied in the shop, prior to UV and weather exposure, then a second coat after the installation.
Solid Stain
We are open to any brand of stain. We typically use Sherwin William Superdeck or Benjamin More Arborscapes water-based stain, but we can use any brand or type you prefer. Assuming sanding is done, scientific research says that the stain will last 10-15 years on vertical surfaces and 9-12 years on horizontal surfaces. Though we find most of our solid structures need recoated every 10-16 years. (See Shou-Sugi-Ban below on how we can treat the horizontal surface to last forever.) One coat of the stain is applied in the shop, prior to UV and weather exposure, then a second coat after the installation.
Shou-Sugi-Ban (Burn Treatment)
This is an ancient technique used to permanently protect wood from all decay. Traditionally it is then coated with an oil such as boiled linseed oil. We typically apply the Outlast Q8 Log Oil, or the stain selected. This wood will outlast your house with minimal maintenance! 65% of clients have us do the horizontal top surfaces. If you like the appearance, as 13% of our clients do, we can do the entire project as well.
Foundation Piers
Skip if you have an existing concrete slab that we are mounting to, and you are not doing a roofed structure. First off, we cannot mount to paver patios, but we have a solution for this. We are required to bolt the structure to a concrete slab/patio or concrete pier, with code approved hardware which meets or exceeds our local uplift requirements (windage during storms). If you have bare land, we will excavate and remove the earth and pour the proper size concrete pier for your project (typically 16”x36”). If you have a paver patio, we can pull up the minimum pavers needed, excavate, pour and reinstall the pavers cut to fit around the post. Another noninvasive option is a diamond pier, which is stronger than a cement pier in some applications. See foundation examples below.
Privacy Walls
We offer both wood and fabric (motorized and manual) to our clients. We have many examples to choose from and anything is possible. We often route channels into the surrounding wood members so that the panels go inside the pieces. This way there are no small trim pieces that tend to warp and detach in time. This also provides a seamless look and shows off the true craftsmanship of our carpenters.
Custom Woodworking
Is just that… custom. Anything that you can dream up, our expert timber frame carpenters can make it a reality. Anything from bedswings, furniture, build in shelving and storage components have been done. If it can be made from wood, we can make it.
Timber Framing – Mortise & Tenon Joinery
Truss Options – Pavilion Only
Yes, we still do it the old way… The way it was always done until steel fasteners became affordable. Nothing, I mean nothing beats a full mortise & tenon timber frame structure. You will be the envy of your friends, family and neighborhood with one of our timber frame pavilion or pergolas. If you are interested in this option, we suggest you schedule a time to visit our shop and see the joinery in action to fully appreciate it.
We offer a variety of truss style options for our pavilion customers. This is mostly chosen on personal preference. If there are specific engineering requirements that dictate only some of the options, we will let you know beforehand. See the examples below. Most of our clients select the King Post with Struts option bottom right. We also inlay walls into the trusses for extra weather protection as seen in the King Post option bottom left.
Electrical
This package is involves hiding electrical conduit inside the structure to that it cannot be seen. We do this by notching out channels in the timbers, inserting the conduit and gluing in filler pieces of matching wood. Once complete, you would never know there is electrical wiring in the post, beam, ridge or rafter. We also notch out mortise pockets for outlets and receptacles so that the plate is flush with the post. We are not electricians! We work closely with a licensed electrician to complete whatever electrical items you need: outdoor heaters, fans, television, speaker, lighting and more.
