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Texas Gardening

Economical Source for Cedar for Arbors/Pergolas?

15 years ago

Hi everyone,

I was going to address this to BossJim only since he seems to be a construction guru, but will open this to anyone who might have suggestions.

I want to have a rather large arbor built behind our new pool. I'm thinking I'll need 3 -12 foot 8"X8" posts as my anchors as well as some 2"X10' beams/trusses to connect the posts, some 2X6 joists, and some 2X2 slats.

I've got limestone to surround each post up 2-3'.

I had one quote of $6000! Yikes! Too rich for my blood. So, now I'm looking for cheaper quotes and a good price on materials or will get the materials and have my husband and father put it up when my father comes to visit.

Do any of you know a good source for cedar? (I know pine is cheaper, but given the scale of my project, I need something to hold up.) Or, how about good contractors in the NW Houston/Cypress area?

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Comments (4)

prairielaura
15 years ago
I live on a "retired" farm about 45 minutes west of you. Think Blue Bell Ice Cream. If you have a chain saw and a willing worker, you can come to my place and cut your own for free with my blessings. Do you have a trailer and a can of bug repellent? Email me privately: lfisherthirtyatjuno.com....substitute the number for thirty and the symbol for "at".
bossjim1
15 years ago
Bobbi, buying cedar is like buying gold. Unless you just happen onto a deal, it's going to be expensive. I found a real good deal on craigslist last fall, and bought 675 ft. of 2x12 cedar for $300. To make timbers, I plain it smooth and laminate several together, and to make 1" boards, I have to re-saw it then plain it. It takes me longer to make the size boards that I need, than it does to build a project, but I'm retired and have more time than money. A cheaper option might be to use treated pine and put a cedar stain on it.
Jim
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mikeandbarb
15 years ago
Craigslist's is the way to find lumber. I was looking through it not long ago and someone had a green house on the farm and garden but was not asking for money. It said that if you torn it down you could have it. Look like it was made from Redwood.
If I was young and strong I'd been out there in a heart beat.
bobbi_p
Original Author
15 years ago
Laura, Thanks so much for the offer. I'm afraid that cutting my own would entail the need for a portable sawmill too! I was just up your way last week: couldn't face doing housework last Thursday when the weather was so nice, so I went up to the Antique Rose Emporium and circled back through Navasota and Martha's Bloomers.

I'm awaiting a quote from another contractor. Hopefully, he'll be under my husband's threshold and we'll just hire him! If not, I'll certainly start combing Craigslist.

Thanks for the info everyone!

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