US style verandah build - advice please.
Discussion
I'm having a US style verandah being built, nothing outrageous - 14' x 8', decked, cedar shingles.. something a bit like this but without the steps.
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I want the floor to feel solid and not springy so should I use oak (which is what the frame will be) for the boards or is there an alternative solution - white pine maybe? Also, I would like to present the plans to my local merchant for a supply price, is there a cheap (free!) online CAD service that someone could recommend that I use, or is there someone lurking here who can generate them for a fair rate?
Finally, any general steers or things I should take into account?
Thanks.
.
I want the floor to feel solid and not springy so should I use oak (which is what the frame will be) for the boards or is there an alternative solution - white pine maybe? Also, I would like to present the plans to my local merchant for a supply price, is there a cheap (free!) online CAD service that someone could recommend that I use, or is there someone lurking here who can generate them for a fair rate?
Finally, any general steers or things I should take into account?
Thanks.
Thanks, I'm assuming that spacers with noggins set 18" apart would be ok? If so, what type of thickness should I be considering as a bare minimum? Will I still need the floor to slope away from the house slightly and have the lie of the timber to set at right angles away from the house, if it's under a roof like that?
Update.
Built it, and what a success. 8 feet deep and 15 feet long, a sofa to snooze on in the sun and an underslung hammock. It has been, unquestionably, the most used area of the cottage this summer. So successful, that I'm going to extend it. I didn't opt for cedar shingles though, I found some clay ones in a reclaimers yard that fit the rest of the cottage perfectly.
I wasn't sure about the final fix though, did nothing until I had lived with it for a bit. In particular, I've been chewing over what to do with the ceiling. Would the logical and sensible choice be to use decent marine ply? Any other (more left field?) suggestions would be welcome. I'd like to install low voltage downlighters too.
The oak has weathered beautifully, I had plans to scrub it with acid but decided against that. It is what it is, it wears its scars with pride - I don't want some artificial result. The oak hand rail must have had different water content, it has moved at a different rate and one fixing has failed as a result. Any suggestions about what to do with that? As ever, thank you.
Built it, and what a success. 8 feet deep and 15 feet long, a sofa to snooze on in the sun and an underslung hammock. It has been, unquestionably, the most used area of the cottage this summer. So successful, that I'm going to extend it. I didn't opt for cedar shingles though, I found some clay ones in a reclaimers yard that fit the rest of the cottage perfectly.
I wasn't sure about the final fix though, did nothing until I had lived with it for a bit. In particular, I've been chewing over what to do with the ceiling. Would the logical and sensible choice be to use decent marine ply? Any other (more left field?) suggestions would be welcome. I'd like to install low voltage downlighters too.
The oak has weathered beautifully, I had plans to scrub it with acid but decided against that. It is what it is, it wears its scars with pride - I don't want some artificial result. The oak hand rail must have had different water content, it has moved at a different rate and one fixing has failed as a result. Any suggestions about what to do with that? As ever, thank you.
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