Corner Post Cap, Two Beams at 90°, 4x4 to 12x12

When to choose the corner cap

This is the cap for the outside corner of a porch, a pavilion, or a pergola: two beams arrive square to each other, and neither goes past the post. When one of them does keep going, use the cross post cap. With a single beam, or two in one straight line, the plain post cap does the job.

Main beam and secondary beam

The main beam runs through to the outside of the corner. The secondary beam stops against its side. On a porch the main beam is often the one along the front, with the secondary running back to the house, but either beam can be the main one. Each has its own saddle and its own width.

Left hand or right hand

The secondary beam leaves the main beam to one side or the other, so the cap is made in two hands, set with the Orientation switch. They are mirror images, and one can't be flipped over to make the other. The 3D model shows the part exactly as it will be built: turn it, and check it against your corner before you order.

Sizes this corner cap is made in

• Each beam: 3" to 12" wide. The two can differ.
• Post: 3" to 15" wide.
• Each saddle: 6" to 15" long. Both share one height, 5" to 10".
• Straps: 2" to 6" wide, no wider than the main beam, and 7 1/2" to 10" long.
• Bolts: 3/16" to 1".

The secondary saddle's length is measured from the outside of the corner, so it includes the main beam's width. Each pocket is cut 1/16" over its beam, and sizes step by 1/8". The configurator opens on two 5 1/2" beams over a 6" post, left hand. Corners that aren't 90° are a job for the quote form: send a drawing, and we'll design the cap at no charge.

Holes on a corner cap

There are four saddle plates, two for each beam. Each has one bolt hole, 1 1/2" from its open end and 1 1/2" below its top edge. When the saddles are over 6" tall, each plate gets a second hole lower down. The two straps have two holes apiece, 3" apart.

The spacing it holds you to

The secondary beam's end is hidden against the main beam, and its bolts are the ones nearest to end grain. The configurator keeps them at least 3 1/2 bolt diameters from that end. With a 5 1/2" main beam and 5/8" bolts, that makes the secondary saddle at least 9 1/4" long, which is where it opens. Widen the main beam or choose a bigger bolt, and it asks for a longer secondary saddle.

The strap bolts get the same margin below the top of the post, and an 8" strap clears it for any bolt size. Each saddle also has to be at least 3" longer than the other beam is wide. Our guide explains the end distance rule.

Questions

Do the two beams have to be the same size?

No. Set each beam's width and each saddle's length on its own. Only the saddle height and the bolt size are shared.

How do I know which hand I need?

Stand where you can see the main beam run left to right, and look at which end the secondary beam leaves from. Then match that in the 3D model. A main beam with a corner at each end, and both secondary beams running the same way, needs one of each hand.

The basics

• 3/16" A36 steel plate, laser cut and welded in our ISO 9001 shop in Texas.
• Holes are cut 1/16" larger than the fastener you choose. Fasteners aren't included.
• Enter your timber's real size, not its name. How to measure a timber.
• Bare steel, or matte black powder coat added in the cart.
• Ships free in the lower 48 states.
• No published load ratings. Ask your engineer, and see what to give them.