Backyard #8 - Patio Cover Posts

Today I worked on the wooden posts that sit on the stone bases for the patio cover. I wrapped the existing 4x4's to make them 8x8, which gives them the correct proportions...

I have tried to keep the "green" ethic through all of my remodeling. In this case it meant using up many of the left over 2x4's and 2x6 pieces to enlarge the post to accept the final exterior pieces.


The next few photos show how I'm protecting the posts from water damage over time. The wood here is kept about 1/2" off of the cap.


Here is the first piece of flashing between the masonry base and the wood post. The main function of this is as a capillary break, which stops water on the stone cap from wicking up into the exterior wood. Even though the wood is rated for ground contact, I think that water could still cause some damage over a number of years. Flashing 4 posts cost under $5 and took less than 30 minutes to install - a good investment (especially in western Oregon)


The corners have overlapping metal...


The posts sit tight to the flashing, so it's not very noticeable:


This picture shows the detail I decided on for the top of the posts. The beams and sides of the posts will get covered with Hardiplank.


I chose not to do the typical detail with a trim cap that sits under the beam, but rather run the boards all the way up to the top of the beam. This basically matches the detail on both the decks on either side of the porch.