The materials you use play an equal role to the workmanship in terms of how long something will last.  Or, to be blunt, cut corners anywhere and you’ll live to regret it.

You can see the integrity of the structural framework in the previous Project #8 post.  Every component in this pavilion’s construction is top-notch.  Anthony Power Beams span & connect to the steel columns.  The decorative round columns are fiber-reinforced composite and all the architectural trim is engineered resin & polyurethane materials by Azek.

The roof rafters arrived as preassembled sections that fit together nicely.  I also liked the way the upper construction tied into the steel columns.

The town building dept. required the plans be certified by a licensed structural engineer, which was not a problem albeit the added expense.  (Towns are becoming more & more stringent so triple-check what they require.)  I was there for the inspections during construction and could see the inspector was impressed with “the build”.

Coordinating Inspections

It’s always a challenge to schedule the various inspections so that the project can move along smoothly.  This pavilion had its own unique inspection issues with the upper framing and electric for the paddle fan/light.  Normally, both the building inspector and electrical inspector want to see framing and wiring before the walls and ceilings cover things up.  The problem was the crew wanted to complete the pavilion in 1 day. They traveled from out-of-state and planned on just the one day to finish.

This is where good relations with town offices can help.  If all your previous dealings have been upfront and inline with codes & ordinances, then there’s a good chance they’ll work with you.  After explaining the “1 day build” situation to the construction office, they were willing to make the extra inspections during the day.  The crew was then able to install the cedar ceiling, finish up the soffits and add the trim.

The paddle fan was re-purposed from a porch on the house which was being renovated.  It is rated for a wet location and outdoor use.  We did, however, discover the mounting stem was too short and had to order a longer one from the manufacturer “Fanimation“. The fan actually fits very nicely and the family likes it better in the pavilion than they did in the porch.

All of the electronics in the home including on the outside are tied into a central control. Modules located throughout the home allow you to control everything.  Using a handheld remote the homeowner was able to activate all the outside lights and audio.  A nice, convenient feature.

Sometimes Prefab Is The Way To Go

Although we could have had an architect design a similar structure and then contract to have it built, using Dalton Pavilion and their turn-key approach proved the better way to go.  The architectural detail, quality of materials and workmanship are incomparable.  The fact that this pavilion and Dalton’s similar outdoor garden structures are their area of expertise helped assure us of a professional outcome.  Also, because these structures are prefabricated, it makes them very cost effective.

Have you used prefabricated structures on your property?  If so let us know your experience (good or bad) by commenting below.

Here’s the next post for this project.

These bluestone walls are being built by Lester Szajna (LA Contributor) and his crew.  If you stood there and watched for awhile, you would admire the skill and patience these stone masons have. Each piece of stone must be hand-tooled to achieve the fit and finish a styled wall like this requires. In addition to building for structural integrity, there’s a constant attention to appearance.  We wanted a generous mix of larger stones in the wall.  This would give an appropriate look of scale and proportion considering the height and length of the wall.

Notice how the filter fabric and gravel is following up the backside of the wall as it’s being built. At the base of the wall and surrounded by gravel is a perforated drain pipe that will carry away any water that might collect behind the wall.  This is certainly one of the key ingredients to long-lasting wall construction.  If you’re a homeowner and the contractor is not providing this in their construction, call your town’s buiding dept. If you’re a contractor and you’re not providing this in your construction the odds are very good your wall will fail in time, your customer will be upset and your reputation will take a major hit.

In my last post on this project we saw the block work being done for the masonry steps.  Below we see the integration of the dry-set stone wall work with the masonry steps.  The bluestone on the face of each step riser is cut as a veneer. The pattern appears as a seamless connection to the wall. Bluestone step treads will soon be added.

Next we’ll take a look at the start of the other features on this project.  We’re already installing conduits, utilities and other provisions to support them.

Here’s the previous post on this project. And here’s the next.