Timber Frame in Colts Neck, NJ

FOUR-POST OPEN GABLE PAVILION

Wide, unobstructed openings are the defining feature of this custom 24′ x 16′ White Vinyl Open Gable Pavilion, delivered and professionally installed in Colts Neck, New Jersey, in 2026. Despite its substantial 384-square-foot footprint, the pavilion was engineered as a four-post structure, using upgraded glulam headers to eliminate the need for additional supports and create a remarkably open outdoor living area.

The 24′ x 16′ layout provides enough covered space for a large outdoor kitchen, dining area, lounge furniture, or multiple entertaining zones beneath one roof. More importantly, the four-post configuration keeps the perimeter largely unobstructed, preserving views and allowing people to move freely between the pavilion and the surrounding patio or landscape.

Making those wide openings possible required a significant structural upgrade. Instead of conventional built-up headers, the pavilion incorporates 5×11 glulam headers engineered to carry the larger spans while maintaining the desired four-post layout. This allows the pavilion to achieve a cleaner appearance without sacrificing the structural support required for a roof of this size.

Four 6×6 structural posts approximately 10 feet tall anchor the pavilion. Each is finished with an upgraded 8×8 white vinyl sleeve, giving the supports a more substantial visual presence that better matches the scale of the 24-foot structure. 16-inch decorative post bases complete the lower portion of each column.

The structural wood components are wrapped in white vinyl, creating a crisp exterior that offers the traditional appearance of a painted pavilion without leaving the primary framework exposed. The bright finish also provides a dramatic contrast against the darker roof selected for this project.

At each end, the open gable design exposes the shape and height of the roof rather than closing the triangular gable areas. This makes the pavilion feel larger from underneath and allows the roof structure to become part of the architecture, particularly when viewed from the 24-foot sides.

A 6/12 roof pitch creates comfortable height through the center while maintaining balanced proportions across the unusually wide span. Beneath the roof, 2× rafters and 1×6 tongue-and-groove decking form a finished wood ceiling that remains visible throughout the covered space.

Rather than leaving the roof interior natural, a semi-transparent stain was applied to the exposed tongue-and-groove decking and woodwork. The resulting natural wood tones introduce warmth overhead and provide a striking contrast against the white vinyl posts, beams, and exterior trim.

Above the wood ceiling, the pavilion was upgraded with a standing seam metal roof. Its clean seams and streamlined appearance complement the large open-gable design while providing a durable roofing system suited to a permanent outdoor structure.

The pavilion includes galvanized fasteners and hardware, along with post anchor brackets and the necessary installation fasteners for securing the structure at the prepared site.

Atlantic Outdoors handled both delivery and professional installation at the Colts Neck property. Bringing together the oversized glulam headers, four-post layout, taller columns, open gables, and metal roofing required a structure designed specifically around the customer’s desire for maximum usable space with minimal visual obstruction.

The finished pavilion demonstrates how structural upgrades can have just as much impact on a project as decorative options. By using 5×11 glulam headers to span the 24-foot structure with only four posts, the design creates an exceptionally open 384-square-foot outdoor room, while the stained ceiling, oversized white columns, and standing seam roof give the pavilion a clean and substantial finished appearance.