# Forum Home Renovation Pergolas, Gazebos, Strombellas & Rotundas  timber walkway

## Kippara

A requirement for a dual occupancy in a rural area (ballina) is that the 2 buildings need to be connected by a covered walkway. So could I have some ideas on timber type ( hardwood vs treated pine). Also would 8x2 at 2.7m centres be reasonable for rafter beam size. I was planning on 4x4 square posts attached to 450mm buttress footings. I was also planning on compacted granite for the walkway surface. 
 One issue I am vacillating over is whether to place stirrups in footings and try and align to a string line or whether to pour the footings first  and later attach the stirrups by masonry anchors. The walkway will be almost 20 meters so I want to keep it pretty straight. My wife wants to leave the roof off the walsway and get some vines covering it but I think council will insist on it being covered. 
Any comments would be appreciated.

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## SilentButDeadly

Personally, I'd go for portal style frames linked with rafters over the top to carry the roofing material. If you set the rafters in the same plane as the portal beam then the walkway roof doesn't end up too high. 
You could use long legged stirrups sitting on a base plate in the bottom of the footing attached to a timber frame which you stand as one unit, square them and then concrete in afterwards.

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## Kippara

Thanks for that. I had not thought along those lines. Makes it easier to keep it all straight.

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