Search Results - column cap

Arbors over Gates Turn Backyards into Hidden Sanctuaries

Arbors over gates separate your home sanctuary from the busy modern world. When I was in the Marines, a crimson signpost of two upright columns topped with a crossbar was a frequent sight. Usually, the unit’s sign and the names of its officers and senior non-commissioned officers swung from chains below the crossbar. It wasn’t until I was stationed in Okinawa that I learned where this came from. It’s called a torii, and it’s a type of gate used to mark the entrance to Shinto shrines in Japan. The military had taken a liking to the look of these and had...

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Garden Arbors with Trellises Provide Shade, Privacy, and a Focal Point

Garden arbors with trellises can define areas in a yard as well as provide privacy. One of the best features a house can have is a stately old tree in the yard. Trees provide shade for a home, but more importantly, they shade the yard on a hot summer day and make it a joy to be outside. However, many of my friends have seen their stately old oaks, maples, and other trees get struck by lightning, contract diseases from unhygienic tree cutters, or just expire from any number of the factors that affect centenarians. My friends, of course, plant new trees...

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Screws, Nuts, and Bolts That Won’t Rust Are Easy to Use and Remove

Powder-coated fasteners stay rust-free, making them attractive and easy to remove, if necessary. I grew up in one of the most hurricane-prone states. What that means is that I consider storms that are Category 3 and below to be the prime sleeping-in weather. They’re the Florida equivalent of a snow day. Living in this state has also created in me a deep appreciation for quality fasteners. The reason is the 2004 hurricane season, where four hurricanes struck Florida in the span of six weeks. Even the sturdiest structures sustained damage. I spent eighteen months after the storms doing demolition and repair work...

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Bolts with Sleeves Don’t Require Cutting Bolt Ends

Bolts with sleeves create a cleaner, ornamental look when joining two timbers. I’ve built many boardwalks, decks, arbors, pergolas, and pavilions over the years. Usually, they’re made from four-by-four posts with beams made from two two-by-sixes held on by bolts and nuts sandwiching the boards to the post. The bolts are usually bought in bulk, and are extra long so they’ll be able to reach through any number of boards. This leaves an unsightly three or four inches of threads clearly visible beyond the face of the board. If the bolt is any lower than about seven feet above ground, this...

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International Builders’ Show (IBS) 2018

Team OZCO Come by The International Builders’ Show (IBS) 2018 Booth W7355 Meet the OZCO Team: Ian Hill, Tony Radilla, Jesse Gomez, Jerry Trehan and JR Craven. Stick around take some time to see many of the 2018 products like the Rafter Seam, OWT-Lite, Post Band and Cool Accessories up close! Oh and don’t forget to pick up your copy of the 2018 OZCO Catalog packed full of all the new products including new product levels like the 2 packs of rafter clips and 4 packs of the Hex Cap Nuts.OZCO Building Products is known for disruptive innovations and product design...

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Updating a Ranch Style House Exterior with a Front Yard Pergola

Updating a ranch style house exterior with a front yard pergola gives the home an entirely new aspect. Ranch style houses are the homes of the American Dream. Also known as ramblers and California ranchers, these are houses that were developed in the 1920s, built during the 1950s and into the 1980s, and, because familiarity breeds contempt, abandoned in the 1990s for a variety of revival homes that have collectively and contemptuously become known as McMansions. But the humble rancher endures, and was actually the first home designed for the modern lifestyle. They’ve been built and refined for over a century, and...

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Why Update Your Wooden Fence with Metal Posts

Wooden fences are a standard for privacy, but a wooden fence with metal posts will last much longer than one built with the usual wood posts. When making the rounds visiting friends and family at their homes this Thanksgiving, I noticed something odd. Everyone’s rear fences had doubled posts with a pale brand new wood posts planted next to an old weathered post. Closer inspection revealed that the old, gray, mildewed posts were nailed to their new neighbors, and these new posts were what was holding the fence up. They were also making it abundantly clear that the fences were old...

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Front Porch Renovation Ideas to Add Storage and Space for Entertaining

A front porch doesn’t always need a complete overhaul to give it new life. Sometimes simple front porch projects are enough to bring a new look to a home. Not long after my friend married and bought his first home, his wife headed out of town for a cruise with her mother and sister. While they were gone, my friend planned to host a series of low-key boys nights at his house. But when we arrived with my friend at the new house, we found that the battery in his garage door opener was dead, and because he never used his...

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Pergola Swing Ideas for an Easy DIY Project

A pergola with a swing can be a fun, functional addition to a yard or patio. My aunt–the same one who recently put in a raised garden bed–has a small patio which has been sitting mostly empty for some time now. She doesn’t have room for a big structure, but her patio definitely needs something that will make it an attractive place to relax and socialize. After talking about the options with me, she’s decided to go with a pergola swing. This is a great project for her, as she’s a relative DIY beginner. After brainstorming more than a few pergola...

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