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There is a guy on FB Marketplace near Buffalo advertising larch custom milled to your specs.
John
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(10-11-2019, 01:34 PM)hbmcc Wrote: I am confused. And, my math is not the best..... Doesn't 96" + (9.5" x 2) =115" = 9'-7"? Or, did you expand the base square to more than 8-feet?
Regardless, you can always stack short cross pieces, or use corbels, to carry a shorter beam. If you expanded the size of the screen you have changed the structural criteria. Wood needs to be upsized, as do the overhangs to also account for scale. I would move to smooth (above grade) treated wood. One hazard of home outdoor construction is the niggardly use of wood sizes. Example: a 4x4 supports my porch roof--niggardly--but the finished column is 9 - 10" square. Our brains like mass.
You want to paint cedar, or paper wasps will steal all of your wood; I lost 1/16th of some post surfaces over the coarse of about 4 years before breaking down and using latex paint. The original was stain, and I noticed other stains (colors) had been pilfered for nearby nests.
The drawing I posted is what I am using as a basis for my design not the actual size. The beams on the longer side will be ~17'1" and the narrow side about 10'-11'. I don't remember that dimension off the top of my head. My original thought was to run the paired, C in drawing, 2x6's on the long dimension and the 2x4's, F in drawing, on the top the short dimension. This way the the weight of the C and F beams are being carried by B which are on the short span. The long beams only have to carry themselves and the 2x4's. I don't have any problem rotating the design and putting the B beams on the long dimension and possibly increasing them to 2x8. I admit i am not a structural engineer. I would rather build this right the first time then have to rebuild it because it was built too light. Would it be a better idea to up size everything to 2x8 and 2x6? I have put this off to spring now so I have time to figure out the best plan.
It is interesting what you say about the paper wasps and cedar. I can easily define at least 4 different species of bees/wasps on our property. it is always an uphill battle with them. We do have a cedar play set that has been out back for about 12 years and I haven't noticed it getting thinner but then I have never measured the thickness of the boards. I have been debating what to use as a finish. I don't want it to go gray so I was thinking either a semi-opaque stain or a clear deep base paint. If the wasps like the cedar then maybe the clear paint would be the best option.
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The wasps really liked my prime grade cedar. I'm easy with wildlife as long at it doesn't cause hazards.
In the case of paint, the stain used originally was disappointing. We don't think much about finish but most wood working boats were and are painted solid colors on the water side and oiled inboard. Furniture is little different.
You should get someone with proper credentials to look at your changes and help size the structural parts. One thing you can do is put in two intermediate posts so the spans are manageable. And, it will look good too.
