Month: February 2021

A pergola can be a lovely enhancement to your home and garden. It is an outdoor upright structure with pillars and crossbeams but without a roof designed for climbing vines. It provides shade from the sunlight and a place for homeowners to stay and relax. But recently, pergola’s with a roof has also been available. 

Pergolas usually have pillars or vertical posts that support several cross beams and an open lattice on top of the structure. Wood vines are then placed and cover the pergola’s top portion. This makes the pergola an ideal shaded passageway, walkway, or sitting or relaxing area. 

A pergola can be attached to the house’s main structure and extended near the door or opening. It can also be a free-standing structure on the garden, pool, or a separate terrace. 

Types of Pergolas

A traditional pergola is made of wood, but modern ones are made from other materials. Some of them have roofs made of polycarbonate materials protected from the is protected from rain but still allow sunlight into the structure. It has become a trendy choice since it will enable the homeowner to leave outdoor furniture and protects it from the elements. 

Metal pergolas are also available in the market in a kit form. Owners can do a DIY assembly or hire contractors to assemble them. Owners can choose between using a metal or wood pergola. 

A wooden pergola’s advantage is its natural look and is a perfect match in the yard and garden. Although it is made of wood, it requires more maintenance, such as sealing the raw timber to protect it from moisture. 

On the other hand, the metal pergola has a powder-coated finish, which protects it from moisture. Since it is made from metal, fewer posts or pillars allow for a more extended and more open area. 

Other materials such as fibreglass, vinyl, CPVC, and aluminium can be used to construct pergolas. These materials are increasing in popularity since they are cheaper than wood. These materials also do not need much maintenance, like yearly painting and sealing. 

How Much Does a Pergola Cost?

The cost will depend on the type of materials used and the size of the pergola. An average 5 m x 3 m hardwood pergola without a roof may cost between $2250 to $2580. On the other hand, a pergola with a roof may cost between $2550 to $3750, depending on the roofing materials. 

A metal pergola can cost $2775 for a flat roof pergola up to $10,500 for intricate and customized designs. Pergolas are usually are not stand-alone structures and usually has a deck or pavers for their floor. In other words, you still have to spend on other systems such as deck or pavers. Pavers cost between $20 – $50 per square metre. On the other hand, decking will cost between $200-$350 per square metre depending on the material used. Treated pine is the cheapest followed by hardwood decking, and composite decking is the most expensive. Composite deckings are more expensive, but they require less maintenance and does not fade.

The art of woodworking has been around for centuries and helped build human civilizations. Humans have used wood to create useful objects such as tools, homes, pieces of furniture, and decorative items throughout ancient civilization until the modern era.  

We can see woodworking creations from the ancient Egyptians, Romans, Chinese, Incas, Indians, and many other civilizations. Each culture used its unique design, technique, and styles. Many came up with masterfully crafted and well-designed woodworking masterpieces. 

People even used their woodworking skills to built significant structures, ships, temples, furniture, tools for framing, and even weapons for defence & hunting. Archeologists had discovered many of these objects when they were digging ancient sites. 

The art of woodworking and carpentry had developed significantly from its beginnings when it was first use to build rudimentary tools and structures. For thousands of years, people have produced and mastered their skills. Now, we have carpenters, joiners, and cabinet makers who specialized in specific skills of woodworking. What is the difference between a cabinet maker and a joiner? 

What is a joiner?

A joiner is a skilled artisan who creates different wood fixtures, fittings, and wood construction joints. They are essential in the construction industry since many of the things they make, such as doors and window frames, are used in building homes. 

Joiners are similar to carpenters, but joiners have a more specific job and usually work more time in the workshop than the actual construction site. Joiners specialized in connecting wood together to form stairs, window frames, door frames, trusses, and other joints. They do this with greater detail and accuracy compared to a carpenter. Joiners need to make exact measurements to have minimal gaps between the pieces of wood they are connecting. 

Joiners usually do their work off-site in a workshop to construct joineries such as door windows and doors. The finished piece will be sent to the construction site and will be installed by the carpenter. 

Joiners can also sometimes work on furniture, ships, and other house fittings where precise joints are required. 

What is a cabinet maker?

Cabinet makers are artisans or skilled experts in building handmade furniture pieces and creating customize cabinets for the kitchen, rooms, or bathrooms. 

Traditionally, cabinet makers can create pieces of furniture from concept, shape, design, and construction. They sometimes share the same work as joiners, but cabinet makers have a more specialized skill for making cabinets. They can create drawings for the client on what the finished cabinet will look like and make sure of the precise measurements. They have to produce cabinets that will fit perfectly, for example, a kitchen cabinet. 

Cabinet makers a wide array of tools such as a mitre saw, panel saw, sanders, band saw, dust extraction system, jigsaw, drills, and other equipment use. They also have to make sure that the internal fittings of bookcases, tables, cabinets are precise, including their internal compartments. These exact measurements are necessary since cabinets are usually designed to have multiple rooms and numerous drawers. 

If you are looking for skilled experts in creating your cabinets and fixing furniture pieces, it’s better to look for cabinet makers since they have more expertise.