I. Wood
Preservative-treated Wood
This is one of the most commonly used woods for making pavilions. It has undergone special preservative treatment and can effectively resist the invasion of fungi, insects and so on, thus prolonging its service life. Commonly used is preservative-treated Scots pine wood. It has straight grain, is relatively light and soft in texture, with moderate strength and good processing performance. It can be easily cut, drilled, carved and so on, and is used to make parts such as the columns, beams and railings of pavilions. For pavilions in the pursuit of the new Chinese classical style that will be exposed to the wind and the sun, preservative-treated wood should be used because it is necessary to prevent the invasion of rainwater, as well as to prevent insects from biting the wood. These are the bases for maintaining the pavilion well.
For example, for a small four-cornered pavilion in an outdoor garden, the columns can be made of preservative-treated Scots pine wood with a diameter of 10 – 15 centimeters, which is both beautiful and able to bear a certain weight. Pavilions are made according to customers’ personal preferences, as there are various styles and designs of pavilions. Based on customers’ economic conditions, pavilions that customers like are manufactured. Since there are many kinds of wood materials, they can be used as alternative materials according to customers’ preferences.
II. Metal Materials
1、Steel
Steel has high strength and good toughness and can bear relatively large weights and external forces. Generally, galvanized steel is used. The zinc coating on its surface can prevent the steel from rusting and improve its corrosion resistance. For example, in some large landscape pavilions that need to bear heavy loads, the framework is made of steel, and then combined with other materials such as glass or wood as decorative and enclosure structures.
There is also stainless steel material, which has good corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance and aesthetics. It is often used to make components such as pillars and handrails of modern-style pavilions. Its surface can have different treatment effects such as mirror or wire drawing, making the pavilion look simple and stylish. Most customers will choose steel as an alternative material for pavilions because this material is corrosion-resistant. For example, if wood is used as the material for pavilions, it is easy to decay. Wood is prone to decay after being exposed to rainwater. This steel is hard in texture. Stainless steel is not afraid of rusting when encountering rainwater, so its service life will be relatively long.
Aluminum Alloy
The aluminum alloy material is light in weight, has relatively high strength and is easy to be processed and formed. It also has good corrosion resistance and can obtain different colors through anodizing and other treatment methods. In the production of modern minimalist-style pavilions, aluminum alloy can be made into various shapes of frameworks, such as arcs, squares, etc., which are used to build the top and peripheral frameworks of the pavilions, and then matched with materials such as sunshade cloth or PC boards as parts for sunshade and rain protection. Aluminum alloy has a relatively high density and a wide range of applications. Thus, it can be seen that aluminum alloy is also a high-quality material for making pavilions. The advantages of this aluminum alloy are that it has a relatively long service life, is light in material, and is convenient for workers to install. It is not as heavy as some huge wood or metal materials, which brings a lot of inconvenience to the workers who install it.
III. Stone Materials
Granite
1、Granite is hard in texture, wear-resistant and has high compressive strength. Moreover, it has a variety of colors, such as grayish-white, pink, black and so on. It can be used to make the foundation parts of pavilions, such as cornerstones and steps. For example, in an octagonal pavilion in a Chinese-style courtyard, the steps and cornerstones at the bottom are made of granite, which is not only solid and durable but also can be coordinated with the surrounding garden landscape.
2、Marble has fine and beautiful texture and relatively high glossiness. However, its hardness and wear resistance are slightly worse than those of granite. Marble can be used to make decorative parts of pavilions, such as tabletops and plinths. For example, in a European-style pavilion, the tabletop made of white marble is matched with the surrounding metal or wooden structures to create an elegant atmosphere.Marble。
IV. Composite Materials
Plastic-wood Composite Material
This is a material made by mixing plastics, wood flour and so on. It has both the appearance and texture of wood and the advantages of plastics such as water resistance and corrosion resistance. Plastic-wood composite materials can be used to make parts such as the floors and seats of pavilions and can maintain good performance in the outdoor environment for a long time, reducing maintenance costs. This material is made by pressing straw, rice husks, wood flour and so on together and bonding them with some adhesive materials. For example, it is bonded together with resin adhesives, which has a good bonding effect. The produced boards are very solid, and this kind of wood has the characteristics of water resistance, corrosion resistance and a long service life. This kind of wood has good ultraviolet light stability and coloring properties. If you want a deeper color to make the decoration look antique, you can use this kind of wood for installation to make your decoration style more tasteful and upscale.
2、PC Board (Polycarbonate Board)
The PC board has good light transmittance, impact resistance and weather resistance. It can be used for the top of the pavilion to play the role of sunshade and rain protection. For example, in some modern-style sunroom-like pavilions, transparent or colored PC boards are used as the top materials, which can not only let sunlight in but also avoid the harm of rainwater and ultraviolet rays.