Tried a half-lap joint on a pergola beam and it split clean down the middle

Built a 12-foot pergola for a client in Denver last month and thought I'd get fancy with half-lap joints at the crossbeam connections. Used a circular saw and chisel like I always do, but the wood was some cheap pressure-treated pine that must have had internal stress. It cracked right down the grain after I set the beam in place. Learned that not every joint works with every lumber grade - should have went with a metal bracket or a beefier mortise. Any of you guys had a joint fail from bad wood choice?

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anthony42620d ago

Did you check the moisture content on that pine before you cut? That's usually what gets you with the big box store treated lumber, it's still wet inside when they sell it.