Pergola design

[Kyle Murphy]

Does anyone have a pergola layout that I could get ideas from?

With this being an exterior structure what is the best wood to use and what kind of treatment would be the best if any to make it stand up to the weather.

Kyle

[laffs]

google the timber frame shop

its in vt ive been by there several times i like most of their stuff

[Kyle Murphy]

Thanks Laffs.

[scrout]

The coolest one I have see is the Sonoma pergola design.
Curved arches, etc.  Should pop up on a google search.

[Kyle Murphy]

Here is the design that I have drawn in sketchup it's 20' x 12'
Any suggestions for wood specie or type of weather proofing treatment?

[beenthere]

Weather proofing?  Put a roof over it.

;)

But cedar, redwood, black locust, white oak, Alaska yellow cedar are a few that will stand up for awhile. The joints exposed to weather are about as tough an environment that you can have for wood. Some tropical imported species, but availability is tough.

[ljmathias]

Kyle- any common wood will turn gray and degrade gradually in full sunlight- fact of nature that light plus oxygen plus water break wood down.  There are many who just accept that and let the wood do its thing- problem is on flat surfaces you get much faster degradation with crumbling, splinters and really sorry looking surfaces.  You can use stains and coatings, the best having pigments that actually block the sun's rays from getting to the wood- but then you have to re-treat the surface every year or two.  Paint with anti-mold is actually the best way to go, but then you're stuck with the color of paint you choose and still have to re-paint every few years.

One solution many people don't think of is to use nature to protect it: plant some vines at each post, let them grow up and over till they cover the whole structure.  I've seen this done with great effect in many places, most often in Europe where a slow-growing vine doesn't require much maintenance.  Worth the effort though, and if you pick grape, you can harvest; flowering vines and you get flowers...

As far as plans go, I've found lots online through one of the search engines, ranging from full timber framed structures to Popular Mechanics plan that is a weekend project.  You have to decide if time is money for you, and how long you want it to last vs look good.

Good luck and have fun- oh, and if and when you do make it happen, take pictures to show us; we like pictures.

Lj

[ljmathias]

Oh, and take a look at Jim Rogers' thread just below or nearby yours- his three-leaf table (picnic table) shows the changes that untreated wood undergoes...

Lj

[Kyle Murphy]

Here is what it looks like.
White Pine posts and beams with Red Oak braces
Thanks for everyones help.

[Dave Shepard]

Is the outside wall inside out, or did you layout the braces all towards the back of the building?

[Kyle Murphy]

The left, back and right walls the braces are on the exterior side of the frame all others are centered.