Sensible Advice When Building A Pergola
Building a pergola is a great way to provide shade in the summer and linking different sections of your garden together. The right pergola design can also be a perfect structure for smaller gardens where walls and fences would make the limited space feel cramped and closed in. Providing you keep your pergola plan relatively simple, there is no reason why you couldn't build it yourself without hiring professionals to do the job for you.
Pergolas are more often than not made from wood, and if this is your intention it is important to ensure that it has been pressure treated and preserved. This way your structure will provide you with many years of happiness. This is not your only option however. Pergolas can be made from metal, brick or stone. This method is likely to be more expensive but it will be able to carry a great deal more weight. In the end it comes down to personal taste.
Once you have carefully selected your site and drawn up your pergola building plans, your next job will be to level off the ground the ground where your pergola will be situated. If it is being constructed on a paved or patio'd area you will need to remove any slabs or paving where your uprights are to be positioned. When putting constructing your pergola design you will need to place upright supports every six feet (this length should be reduced if your structure is carrying a heavy weight). When digging holes for your supports they will need to be around one foot squared in width and around 2 feet deep, this will ensure your structure is safe and will withstand daily wear and tear, including windy weather. At all stages when building a pergola it is essential that you continuously check your work with a spirit level and make corrections where necessary. After securing your posts with a stiff concrete mixture you will need to leave them for a couple of days to set firm.
Providing you have built your uprights straight and level, then the hardest work is already done. The framework itself should be less tricky. First join the sides of your pergola using halving joints at the end of your cross members. Now you can fasten your roof beams using mortice joints screwed to an upright at each end. At this stage most of the hard work of building a pergola is virtually finished. Simply paint or stain to the color of your choice and treat with a water protective coating. Now you are ready to attach your plants but remember, unless all of your selected plant life is of the clinging variety you will need to add something for them to cling to. Trellis is probably the easiest option here. Or you could attach wire to the sides of your framework. So many plants work well for any pergola design including Dutchman's pipe, clematus, ivy, and Hydrangea. This is only a very small selection and you can feel free to use your imagination here, but you will need to take into consideration the situation of your pergola and the climate you live in. Some of these plants will prefer shade some prefer sun. Others may not survive a harsh winter. Speak to your local garden center for advice on the best choice of plants for your area. So as you can see, building a pergola is not particularly difficult as long as you have a friend or two to give you a hand. Just stick to your plan, and your pergola design will give you many years of happiness and will get better with age as your plants develop.
| 