Alexander Layne

The finished product.

more pics

I finally finished this thing (more or less, ha), and thought I would post some pics.

As I look back I want to emphasize how nice it was for Jay C. Whitecloud and others to read my early posts before I started and spend time writing encouraging and enthusiastic responses. There was good information there. And never having done any sort of timber framing, what I really needed at that point was encouragement and the sense that it was doable for a novice. So thanks much.

If I had it to do over again I would do a million things differently, but whatever, I muddled through, and it was the most challenging and rewarding thing I've built (simple as it is!), so no need to dwell on the many mistakes.

Here are some pics:

Does anyone out there have any ideas about what to do where the new roof -- which will be transparent plastic -- meets the existing roof? That's the shingle roof on the porch. I hope it's clear from the pictures, but the situation is that both will be in more or less the same plane, and at the same pitch. I'm not sure how to handle the transition between them -- that is, what sort of flashing or other transition pieces to use to provide a watertight, seamless joint.

Any suggestions would be great.

Jay C.,

Somehow I missed your recent comment until now, but thanks much. I decided to pull a permit for the project, just to avoid the possibility of having to tear it down later, and to do the right thing generally -- which meant I had to dig four feet down and pour concrete. So, considering that I had to do that anyway, I decided to forget about the stone plinths on this one. That avoided fussing with scribing and so forth as well. I figured I have enough to learn on this project without complicating things further. I did make a square form on top of the Sonotubes to make it a tad less ugly. I got Simpson concealed post ties (CPT88Z), and set the j-bolts in there for those.

Next project, I'll do stone plinths. By the way I learned after the fact that a company called Chester Granite in Blandford, MA, makes granite plinths for not too much money, and they are cut so they don't require scribing.

Anywho...I will keep reporting on this canopy project as I make progress if there's interest here on the forum.

Thank you Terry as well for your advice.

After quite a bit of research I think I'm ready to give up on avoiding concrete for the footings. Everywhere I read says you need concrete down to below the frost line to avoid heaving in the winter. Jay C., I'm guessing the gravel footings at your Sharon Elementary project will work perhaps because the frame will be able to tolerate heaving? I don't know, but I can't seem to find really good specific information about how to do footings without concrete. Scribing to plinth stones seems totally manageable, and there are several great posts on that, but it's all the other details -- how deep do you dig the footings, how exactly do they prevent frost heave, how do the posts attach to the stones, etc. -- that I can't seem to track down.

Hi Jay C.,

Yes, I will try to get those measurements tomorrow. I hope it does add value to the house, but who knows -- future buyers might think it's odd, if they don't know any better. Anyway, I'm really building it because I will enjoy doing so, and we'll enjoy living with it as long as we're here which will be a good while, we hope.

I may be able to create a shared file -- someone else drafted that model for me on Sketchup, so I will have to try to get that first.

Thanks for all the feedback and information, please keep it coming.

Alex

Got it. Thanks much Will.

Thanks Jay C., I will keep an eye on that other post!

Will,

Let me just clarify that this structure has no walls or windows; it's just a canopy -- a shed roof to protect the two doors. I have attached a side view that may make that clearer.

There will be clear roofing, so as not to block light coming into that window, which is our kitchen.