Best gusset material for post & beam construction

[Ted (not really ted) Perkins]

I'm building a covered deck off my upstairs bedroom. The design will use 4x6 posts and a 4x10 beam for the base support and 4x4 posts and a 4X8 beam for the roof. According to the carpenter, I need gussets to tie the posts to the beams. Since the gussets will show, I'd like the to be as decorative as possible. Two questions:

What is the best metal to use for gussets (something non-corrosive, with adequate flexibility but high yield strength)?

Can you recommend any companies that sell decorative metal works made from this material?

Tim Robinson

[marson]

I would use steel connectors from simpson strong tie (http://

and figure out a way to disguise them. Alternatively, you could have a metal fabrication shop make some for you which could be somewhat decorative. Haven't seen decorative ones you can buy off of the shelf. It may be too late now, but seems like this issue could have been addressed during the design of the project. For example, if you increased your post size to 6x6, you could let in the header which generally looks better. Good luck.

[Matt Whiting]

For my log house, I designed and had fabricated 1/4" steel glulam hangares and gusset plates. I then had them powder coated black and they look sharp. You could use SS, but that is expensive. Galvanized is much cheaper, but looks cheap also. I'd use steel and have it powder coated. It'll likely outlast the wood to which it is attached.

Matt

[Robert Allison]

Here is one type that is more funtional than decorative:

Simpson has some other types of post to beam connectors that I have used that are pretty rustic looking.

I fabricate my own gusset plates with 1/4" steel and then have them powdercoated. You can get any design you want that way.

[Dave]

"Ted (not really ted) Perkins" wrote in message news:lf%3i.8439$ [e-mail]...

Half cut the corners. Both the beams and the posts. Use galvanized 3/8" X

6" lag bolts with washers. Predrill the hole into the material that takes the threads for securing. Use a countersink hole to make head of bolt flush with surface. Countersink hole will be just 1/8" than the washer. 3 for the X8 beam, 4 for the X10 beam where the post attaches. Beam and post must be temporarily secured square etc during the drilling and bolting process.

The carpenter probably said "gusset brace", or "gusset plate". Plain old "gusset" means something else entirely. Dave

[Matt Whiting]

I'd want to see the loading of this beam/post combination before recommending that you give up half the shear strength with a 50% section reduction for a lap joint.

Matt

[RicodJour]

That will tie the structure together, but will do very little for lateral load resistance. Wind loading on a covered porch is probably the critical load.

There is no need to refine the definition of the word gusset. In pretty much all circumstances, regardless of the material, gusset refers to a reinforcing piece of material, generally triangular in shape. If you are talking about structural framing concerns there is really no way to misinterpret the word gusset.

R