pergola

What is the minimun size of red cedar for a 14 foot span on a pergola. It will only be 64 inches wide and connected to the house. The span will be supported on treated pine 4 x 6's.

Thanks

Sounds like a nice little project you are doing. A 2" x 10" makes a good strong support for that amount of span. Remember that the ends of the pergola will hang over and beyond the vertical supports at least a foot. Does this make a difference in the distance you have to span? One member is alright if it is not supporting weight on the top. If you are putting another layer of horizontal members, you may need 2, 2x10's. You can also contact your local lumber yard that caters to the building trade and have them double check me on this detail. It's hard not having a detail of exactly what you want to do. Another nice detail you may want to consider is a decorative post instead of salt-treated lumber for the vertical support. You can box the salt treated post in cedar and add trim at the top and bottom or use a composite decorative post. Just a suggestion. Hope this has been helpful to you. Nancy