The Atrium Recipe

How to make it

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• Design it in your head
• Make post supports that descend 3 feet into the hole and 3 feet above. Take post supports to have them galvanized to prevent rust.
• Build super structure pre-drilling all holes, no nails used, only screws.
• Rip 2x6’s into 2x2’s on a band saw.
• Use a router to round all squared edges of 2x2’s ripped. Inner cuts of the 2x6 in to 2x2's, now 2x2's have square edges, not tolerated. Total length of routing 2x2's - ½ mile. Time to rout edges 1.5 hours. That was interesting routing.
• Pre-drill holes before screwing 2x2’s to rafters.
• Weld flat brackets to 3 inch square tubing and attach to beams for support.
• Make corbels using a garbage can lid for the curves.
• Install special flat Filon using 1200 screws with rubber washers.
• Paint all bolt heads, washers and nuts Hunter Green to match door ( yes the dictionary word applies, but it is the detail that makes this a piece of art).
• Find wonderful plants.
• Pour exposed aggregrate concrete.
• Find decorations, an on going project. I try to find things that have a natural look, very hard as some are goofy looking. Send pics of anything that you might come across that would look good, I would pay for it and the shipping.
• Time to build 3 months. Because it all had to be perfect of course.
• Sit out on a Saturday morning with a warm drink, all the kids love to visit (my kitties) and rub along the leg. Some even lay down and roll around.
• Hope a humming bird visits, they make nests in my trees, very little nests with very little eggs.
• Swallowtails occasionaly visit.
• It is good.