Category: Homeowner Resources

Just like your home, it’s important to make sure your deck is built right. Most experts agree that the average life expectancy of a wood deck is 10 to 15 years. It is estimated that millions of decks in the United States are beyond their useful life and may be unsafe. The good news is deck collapses are preventable.

If you’re building a deck or have an existing deck, you should know how to evaluate its construction to make sure it’s structurally sound and safe. Using the proper structural connectors and fasteners (like nails and screws) as well as regular maintenance are the keys to a safe, strong deck. It’s a good idea to inspect your deck annually to make sure all your connections are strong. We invite you to learn more about how to make your deck safe.

Outdoor Accents® Decorative Post Base Covers Create Indoor Flair

Outdoor Accents is a line of decorative hardware featuring ornamental wood connectors and fasteners. These products bring both beauty and strength to outdoor living structures such as pergolas, pavilions, arbors, gazebos and patio covers. Learn how a New England custom home builder was introduced to Outdoor Accents by our Associate Territory Sales Manager Emily Holtshouser during a presentation about our decorative hardware solutions. This builder gave his personal home a unique twist by showcasing the Outdoor Accents products indoors rather than outdoors. He used our decorative hardware to add style and flair to the beam posts throughout his new house.  

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A Boy Scout Kiosk Build with Simpson Strong-Tie Outdoor Accents® Hardware

Literature Specialist Amy Mayne’s son, Trent, was quite busy last winter with his Boy Scout group building an outdoor kiosk with Simpson Strong-Tie products. 

Last winter, as part of his membership with Boy Scouts of America, my son Trent chose a project to give back to his school district, as well as help him earn his Boy Scouts Eagle Award. Trent rebuilt the kiosk at the Bloom Carroll High School Arboretum.  

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DIY: How to Build an Outdoor Accents® Arbor

Adorned by luscious vines, a garden arbor can add shade and style to any backyard garden. This latticed arbor helps nurture your climbing plants by giving them room to grow high where there’s plenty of sunlight and oxygen for the intake. Continue reading “DIY: How to Build an Outdoor Accents® Arbor”

Perfect Pergola Planned: Elements of an Achievable Pergola Plan

Lumber prices are continuing to return to Earth, making it possible to start dreaming once again about backyard projects. It’s the perfect time to take our new, easy-to-use Pergola Planner Software™ for a spin. Pergola Planner Software enables contractors or homeowners to design the perfect pergola in just a few minutes. Earlier this year we asked homeowners who might be considering a new backyard pergola to try out the software and send in their pergola designs.

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Building Safety Month 2021: Prevent, Prepare, Protect

What comes to mind when you think of May? May flowers (from April showers)? Horse racing (the Kentucky Derby and Preakness)? Car racing (the Indianapolis 500)? How about some special days, like Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Teacher Appreciation Day or Armed Forces Day?

Mothers, teachers, and members of the military definitely deserve all the recognition they can get. But what about your safety? There are two month-long observances in May that also deserve some attention: Building Safety Month and Deck Safety Month.

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How Pergola Planner Software™ Helped Turn My Parents’ Patio into an Oasis

This past summer, my parents and I were talking about some of the latest home improvement projects that they had going on, and the topic of providing more shade for their backyard patio came up. For the last couple of years, they’d been looking into different ideas of what to do with this space, including sketching out on notebook paper layouts and particulars that would be nice to have. They’d tried portable patio umbrellas and various other ways to shade this area and had come to a decision that it was time to add a permanent structure that would serve as both a backyard shelter and an aesthetic complement to their home.

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DIY: Nominal Lumber Size Versus Actual Lumber Size

Every so often a homeowner tackling a new project will reach out to ask why their lumber doesn’t fit the connector. We sympathize. Lumber size can be confusing, especially when someone is first getting started with DIY woodworking. Nearly every single time this question comes up, it comes down to “nominal” dimensions of the purchased lumber. 

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6 Free Pergola Plans (Plus: Pavilions, Patios and Arbors)

Free pergola plans by Simpson Strong-Tie will help beautify your backyard while providing your family and guests with shade to relax in.  

These pergola designs were developed by Simpson Strong-Tie engineers, so you can be confident that not only will they look great but they’ll be safe, strong structures. We’ve set out to create a diverse selection of architectural styles to make it easier for you to find the structure that best enhances your outdoor space. 

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Outdoor Accents: A Peek Behind the Scenes with Jen Woodhouse

When we started planning a high-quality video for our new Outdoor Accents® Avant Collection™ of decorative hardware, we knew we wanted a well-known and talented social media Influencer to help us show off the versatility of this new line. Our marketing team’s first choice was DIYer and brand ambassador Jen Woodhouse.

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Dream Deck Designed: Elements of an Achievable Deck Plan

It’s hard to build during the cold, wet season of winter — which makes it the perfect time to start laying plans for that new deck you’ve been dreaming about. That’s why this winter we unveiled our new, easy–to–use Deck Planner Software™. Deck Planner Software enables contractors or homeowners to design a dream deck in just a few minutes. To help roll it out, we asked homeowners who might be considering building a deck in 2020 to try it out and send in their deck designs. 

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