Sauders New Timber Frame Storefront in Blue Ball, PA

In 2016, Sauders Hardscapes located in Blue Ball PA, contacted us, at Lancaster County Backyard, about building a timber frame storefront for their showroom. Sauders has been working on improving their hardscape paver outlet center over the last few years. This January 2017 mortise and tenon project is a great addition to this endeavor. It had been very needful to give their reputable showroom a facelift. Now with a brand new front, Sauders’ customers are greeted by this stunning piece of artwork and introduced to a great experience into Sauders’ store and showroom.

Features

Materials:

• douglas fir wood (#1 grade or higher)
• provide stone pillars with stone cap (sold by Premier in Intercourse, Pa)
• standing seam metal roofing
• powder-coated stainless steel straps and brackets
• timber oil (tobacco-colored) and clear coat mixture (from Heritage Natural Finishes in Utah) for the finish

Quality Specs:

• wood material #1 grade or higher (douglas fir)
• rust-resistant straps and brackets (powder-coated stainless steel)
• strongly braced posts and beams (keeps structure solid and in place)
• well designed hammer truss (can span 10s of feet without sagging)

Noteworthy Details:

• classical mortise and tenon design (also known as post and beam)
• inspiring hammer truss
• sharp-looking 10/12 roof pitch
• custom length 3/16″ metal straps (to fit perfectly with custom roof slope)
• hefty 4×8 rafters
• robust 6×10 hip rafters
• sturdy 8×8 posts
• beefy 8×12 beams
• solid 2×8 roof decking
• stylish curved knee braces
• beautiful douglas fir wood
• custom stain and finish color (500ml stain to 3-4 gallons clear coat)
• custom design on rafter tail ends
• beautiful spearhead design on bracket and strap ends

A Significant Change

Before

A Lasting Timber Frame Storefront

Under normal circumstances, this timber frame storefront will last a long time.

Firstly the wood materials are significantly sized. Rather than the usual 6×6 posts, as on our other structures, this beast has 8×8 posts. This is about twice the load-bearing capacity. Instead of a 4×10 beam, it has 8×12 beams. This is more than twice the weight-bearing capability. The rafters are 4×8 instead of 2×6. This keeps the roof from sagging for a long time.

Secondly, the materials are of high quality and well-chosen. Rather than using cheaper pine materials, we used douglas fir. This wood is both stronger and less prone to crack and warp. It will also resist rotting for a long time. Besides the wood quality, the straps and brackets are also high quality. They are both stainless steel and powder-coated. The rust bugs will stay far away.

Thirdly the design is noteworthy. The hammer truss is designed to span long distances without sagging. Braces and cross members keep it from shifting. The post and beam pins keep all the parts snuggly in place. It is designed to keep its form and strength for years.

Overall this timber frame is assembled well and designed impressively. The intent is to “WOW” the visitor and encourages them to come back over the course of many years.

Custom Design: The Outstanding Feature

This timber frame storefront has many unique attributes. It has special lights. It has a special design. It has a stain color made just for this job. It is a building like no other. It is an eye-catching building with many unique features. It is best called, a custom-designed building.

Here at Lancaster County Backyard, custom designs are what we are passionate about. It is our pleasure to change the blueprint to match the customer’s needs.

What we did, in this case, is we drew from our designs and experience in timber frame pavilions. Then we changed and fitted the design to fit the needs of Sauders.

An example of our custom structures, besides this one, is the custom gazebo at the Creation Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio. A lot about that gazebo was a normal procedure. Nonetheless, a significant amount of work was customized to fit the situation. The oval ends were built just for that situation. The size was unique. It was a gazebo built for the situation.

Custom features and custom design was what Sauders Hardscapes wanted. In fact, they brought us architectural drawings that we changed to better suit their needs. The end result was a remarkable building and happy customers. They exclaimed, “We got more than we were expecting!”