How to Install Columns on a Pergola
A pergola is used to define spaces and provide a focal point in the garden. When covered with cloth or used to support climbing plants, a pergola can provide a cool, shady place to retreat. It can also be used along paths, between gates and on decks or patios to provide a transition point between areas of the garden. Installing columns is the key to successfully building a pergola. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Rubber mallet
- 6 wooden stakes
- Mason's string
- Carpenter's triangle
- Measuring tape
- Flour
- Bottomless bucket
- Post-hole digger
- Carpenter's level
- Drill
- 6 4-by-4-inch posts
- Wheelbarrow
- Trowel
- Quikrete
- Crushed rock
- 12 pieces 2-by-4-inch scrap lumber
- Carpenter's clamps
Instructions
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Mark Your Column Locations
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1
Mark the position of your first column by pounding a wooden stake in place with a mallet.
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2
Lay a carpenter's triangle so the corner is touching the stake and both arms are in line with the pergola's sides.
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3
Place a second stake roughly in the last column's position on the side of the pergola.
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4
Tie a string to the first stake. Run the string to the second stake and line up the string with the carpenter's triangle. Move the stake if necessary.
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5
Measure the halfway point along the string and place a stake there. These are the points for the columns along one side of the pergola.
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6
Place a stake roughly in the position of the column across from your initial stake. Move the string to this stake and position it so that it is in line with the triangle.
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7
Select the locations for the last two columns following Steps 3 through 5. All of your stakes should be in alignment.
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8
Place the bottomless bucket over a stake so that it is in the center of the bucket. Mark around the outside of the bucket with flour. This is where you will dig your post hole.
Setting Your Posts
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9
Dig the post holes to a sufficient depth to support your structure. Most cities have building codes that determine this depth. Typically, it will be 1/4 of your column's total height above ground. A column that extends 8 feet should have an additional 2 feet below ground.
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10
Pour 2 inches of crushed rock into the hole, then place the post in it.
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11
Use a carpenter's level to ensure that the post is plumb. Hold the post upright by clamping scrap lumber on it.
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12
Mix Quikrete with water in a wheelbarrow using a trowel. Pour the concrete into the hole and allow it to cure and dry.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Affixing your posts to your beams is easier if you drill the holes for the carriage bolts before erecting the columns.
Wear a hard hat, protective clothing and safety goggles when working overhead with wood. Wear a mask when mixing concrete to avoid breathing concrete dust.
