Pergolas are airy, open pavilions, and most, if not all, sides are unobstructed. Additionally, they are square or rectangular. They have their own floor and use a surface, such as your terrace or deck, as a base.
One of the really great benefits of pergolas is that they can be used as a frame for climbing plants. Anything from grape vines to Ivy could be trained to climb the pergola. The foliage of your chosen flora will provide extra protection from the sun as well the joy of being surrounded by nature.
One thing to be mindful of if you do go down the nature route with your pergola, is your choice of plants. It’s recommended by Merlin pest control to avoid choosing plants that attract lots of bees. There’s nothing worse than being harassed by bees when you’re trying to dine al fresco. Merlin recommends you avoid Climbing Hydrangea, Clematis and Honeysuckle to name just a few. You should always check with your gardening store in advance to find out whether the plant you have in mind will be a bee magnet.
Ok, let’s get started.
It’s easy to build a pergola on your deck. With just a few pieces of timber, you can get the length you need. To do this you can just lay them across the deck and fasten them with pieces of timber on each end. You don’t need to be a carpenter to do it, and you could be left with a gorgeous addition to your deck.
The first big decision that needs to be made is whether your pergola should be attached to your home or detached, and both options are great. The freestanding model gives you complete freedom to build it in any number of places on your deck. On the other hand, an attached gazebo gives the feeling of being an extension of the house. Both options make for great pergolas on the deck.
Once you know how to use your pergola and what type of pergola you are building, you will want to determine its size. Pergolas are typically sold in 2-foot increments, but the most common sizes sold are 8 x 12 and 10 x 12. First, you need to measure the area you are going to build.
A pergola consists of 4 different parts: the post, the headboard, the arrow (the main cross-board), and the top clamping board. The number of purlins and stringer boards depends on the size of the structure you want to build and how much shadow you want to have on the structure. The 4 parts of the pergolas are the jambs, headboards, purlins, main crossing plates, and upper stringer boards.
It contributes significantly to making the pergola easier to level and install. The headboards are a double set of boards that are attached to the sides of the posts. A total of 8 screws are required to attach the head plates, a simple jigsaw with decorative cuts cut out the ends. Once we have secured everything, we have 2 to 10 screws per post.
Many store-bought kits and commercial units skimp on small boards. A 2″ x 6″ board gives the pieces great strength. To make the pergola stronger, we cut two notches at two ends with a Purlin jigsaw.
Turn the corners of the pergola and add a 4-foot bay to stiffen things up. Attach the post to the edge of the beam blocking the post and transfer the load to two more beams. The center post can withstand up to 260 lbs. The block bolts and belts are located at the top and bottom.
There are a few additional considerations when screwing the posts into the deck, which you should consider to ensure that you get the greatest possible strength with more effort. Pergola piles are anchored to the wooden surface at a 90-degree angle with belts or brackets. Make sure you screw into the cover beams, not the cover boards.
Most deck builders screw the pergola support posts to the frame of the deck with 2 1 / 2 – 6 lag screws and a washer. This is the same as attaching the rails to the posts. It is important to attach the pergola to the pillar before installing it on the deck. The main concern is how the deck will react to strong winds.
For installation on the deck, pergola posts are attached to the frame structure with back-hanging bolts (sold separately). For concrete assembly, the posts use a metal base plate (such as Linx, UniFit, Titanium, or Post Anchor) and attach it to solid, cracked concrete, or concrete structure screw. The piles are then fastened to the ground.
Once the concrete foundations are set, the pergola piles can be erected. Simply dig a hole for each pile and pour concrete foundations into the bottom of the hole to set it.
Use two-car bolts to attach the beams to the 6 x 6 posts at the four corners of your pergola. Secure the beam with 25 screws on each beam and screw it into the angle of each beam. Make sure to distribute the remaining beams between each post.
The first four beams that you install at the end of the pergola are wedged between a 6 x 6 post and a 2 x 12 beam. Since most beams are 9″ long, you will want the top of the pillar to protrude about 8″ above the beam, as the beam is only slightly above the height of the beams. This will allow you to screw the beam to the post, but not to let it protrude from under them.
After measuring the height of the screw holes on the HD10 using a reference line as a guide, drill holes for the screws that secure the tree trunks that hold everything together. The holes in the screws are recessed so that they do not protrude from the sides of the trunks.
The material for the pergola should be wood coated with polyethylene (Woodguard, 800-521-3633, woodguard.com). Hollow columns should be anchored in the deck frame with thread lengths. Fiberglass Arbor pergola kits are available to create a classic Tuscan look.
When using a treated wood, make sure you select fasteners that are designed to work with ACQ or pressure-treated wood. When creating the top frame for the roof of your pergola, you will need wooden bolts to connect wood to wood.
Overall, pergolas can be an excellent addition to your deck. When I set up my deck for the first time, I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing. I don’t know why, but on a sunny Saturday morning, when I was trying to enjoy nature without getting sunburn, it occurred to me that I needed a blanket. I decided that the best way to do this would be to build a pergola above my deck. It turned out to be easier than I thought.