Vigas are routinely installed in modern Southwestern homes. Some are genuine structural roof beams. Far more often they are decorative exterior tails added to stucco-over-frame walls. Volterra Products and Barron Designs both manufacture faux vigas in fiber-reinforced polyurethane. The synthetic versions resist rot, insects, and weathering — solving the maintenance burden that real wood imposes. New Pueblo Revival construction in Santa Fe is permitted and often required to display visible viga ends under the Historic Districts ordinance. For full structural use, modern code requires species selection, sizing calculations, and engineered connections to the bond beam. Decorative viga tails install with construction adhesive and exterior-grade deck screws.
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