The final touches

This is a long overdue post on one of my favorite projects to date. A pavilion and roofed pergola built for Mr. and Mrs. Hukins complete with landscaping and pool.

Copper gutters and rain chains with scroll brackets

The custom cypress gate made with 3" thick slabs feels like a castle door when you open it. Gas lanterns light the entryway at night

Water fountains with fire in the middle really add to the pool.

This corner turned into one of my favorite spots as the project took shape.

A river rock drainage trench catches water from the rain chains and diverts it to the landscape.

We used a white tadelakt plaster to make a transition from new brick to old brick.

A big thanks goes out to all those that helped make this project so amazing.

life outside

It's the perfect time of year to enjoy outdoor living and what better way than from the comfort of your own backyard.  Invite yourself to relax with your very own handcrafted pergola.

work in progress

a sincere thanks to TJ Gray of Southern Living Solutions and crew

for making it all come together

part 1of the Hukin's project is nearly complete

refer to this post for a peek into the design process of this pergola

on the drafting table

Roundabout Tavern pergola installation

THE ROUNDABOUT TAVERN good food, good music, good times

We stood the girts up the first thing in the morning.

Everything fit together perfectly.

Next we lay the headers out and lift them up one by one. VERY SLOWLY!

The knee braces for the 6x10 cypress header were just a little tight because of the fog that had rolled in that morning.

Nothing a little shave with rabbet plane can't fix.

A quick adjustment here and there and the puzzle pieces fit together.

Long lap joints join the three headers into one 32' long beam.

The beam ends have an elongated classical profile

cut with our new oliver beam bandsaw.

4x6 knee braces with tenons on center support the long header spans.

Izzy the Roundabout's owner gave us a hand when he wasn't too busy in the kitchen.

Tight joints just need a little persuasion.

A beautiful job makes it all worthwhile.

There is nothing quite like a cold beer after a long hot day. Izzy has a great selection of local and imported beers.

T. J. and Lenny got the rest of the headers up and pinned in a couple of hours.

The pins are hammered in with a wooden mallet after the joints are tightened up and drilled.

We make all of our pins from hardwoods in our shop 1/32" larger than the 3/4" holes we drill for them. The tight fit ensures they will not come out as the wood dries and moves.

The pins are then cut leaving 1/4" for expansion and contraction.

Lenny fearlessly walks the newly installed rafters.

A quick layout and a few lag bolts and rafters are wrapped up.

NEW pergola postcards

These are our new postcards to market the selection of pergolas we are offering. As always we also offer the option to custom design something that fits your specific needs.

Coming soon to a backyard near you.

cypress pergola no.1

I am excited to be working on this great project for great people. David and Jessica commissioned this 8' x 30' pergola several weeks ago. After a couple of meetings and revisions we settled on this American Revival design perfect for covering with canvas or growing your favorite variety of grape. This week I picked up all the wood at our local cypress supplier. We picked the rafters first because the 16' foot headers were a load by themselves. My first day in the shop I cut all the rafters and knee braces, now the easy part is done. I am definitely going to need a hand cutting, loading, delivering and installing these beautiful 6'x 8' headers.

a pergola is your perfect invitation to relax

Here is a look at our 'rough draft' of marketing designs for our new selection of pergolas we would like to offer.