What is the difference between corner and eaves brackets?

When you ask for a timber bracket, the first question is where it will go. A corner bracket usually sits between a verandah post and the beam above it. An eaves bracket sits under the roof overhang or fascia. The two can be similar in a close-up, particularly once they are painted. A wider photo that shows the roof and posts is often enough to tell them apart.

Look at the whole corner of the verandah

For a corner bracket, stand square to the front of the house and photograph the post where it meets the beam. Take a second photo from the side if the bracket has depth. Show whether it sits beside a panel of external fretwork. When two pieces share the opening, measure where the bracket stops and where the fretwork starts. That is easier to see in a wide photo than in a close-up of the curve.

Compare the proportions of the CB1 corner bracket and CB6 corner bracket. When you look at the drawings, check the distance across the beam and down the post, as well as the thickness. If you have one original bracket left, photograph it in the same position as the bracket that needs replacing. Note which face you photographed and whether you need its mirror image for the other side of the opening.

Follow the line under the eaves

Eaves brackets are often seen in a row along the edge of the roof. Look at how they project and how much of their profile shows from the street. Take a side-on photo that includes the underside of the eaves. Record the height, projection and thickness, then show how each piece meets the adjoining timber. The EB2 eaves bracket and EB5 eaves bracket are examples you can compare with a surviving piece.

If one bracket has failed in the middle of a row, choose a sound neighbour to measure. Include a photo of the spacing between brackets. That shows how the replacement fits the repeating pattern. Use What’s What if you are unsure what to call the nearby trim or roof details in your enquiry.

Send enough detail for a match

Use a ruler or tape in the close-ups and take the photo square to the face of the bracket. If a loose sample is safe to bring in, include any broken piece that shows the missing outline. Say how many you need, whether both sides are the same and which measurements your installer has confirmed. If there is any question about whether the existing piece supports part of the building, have your builder assess it before it is removed or ordered as a decorative replacement.

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