DIY Patio Pergola
Installing a pergola over your patio is an example of creating both form and function. These four-sided structures consist of four wood posts that hold a trellis-style roof. Add a table and chairs under the pergola and you have a designated space where guests can sit and get some shade. Also, if you plant creeping vines at the base of the pergola, they will travel up the posts and wrap around the roof. Build a pergola that's 8 feet on each side, allowing 1 foot of overhang on each side for the roof. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Wood stakes
- Hammer
- Twine
- Wood braces
- Shovel
- Gravel
- Concrete
- Trowel
- 4 10-foot long 4-by-4 wood posts
- 8 10-foot long 2-by-8 wood beams
- Ladder
- Tape measure
- Marker
- Nails
- Drill
- Carriage bolts
- 10-foot long wood joists (2 by 6 inches)
Instructions
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1
Mark each corner of the existing patio with a wood stake. Drive the stakes in the ground with a hammer and connect them with twine. The placement of the stakes should create equal dimensions around the patio. The posts will then go where the stakes are located.
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2
Dig a 2-foot deep hole at the location of each wood stake, using a shovel. Add 6 inches of gravel to each of these holes. Next, drop a 10-foot-high 2-by-4 post in each of the holes. With 2 feet of the post underground, the height of the columns will be 8 feet. Make sure that the posts are even and standing upright. If needed, nail a thin piece of wood at an angle to serve as a brace for each post, using a hammer. One end will be nailed to the post while the other end is driven into the ground.
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3
Mix a batch of concrete. Pour the wet concrete into each hole until it reaches the soil line. Smooth out the concrete with a trowel. Let the concrete dry overnight.
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4
Mark the placement for the beams that will hold the roof. To do this, set up a ladder at one of the posts. While on the ladder, use a tape measure and measure down 7 1/4 inches from the top of the post. Mark the spot with a pencil or marker. Do this on the interior and exterior side of all four posts.
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5
Lift one of the 10-foot-long beams up to the spot on the top of the post that has been marked. You may need an assistant on another ladder to help you lift this beam into place. The beam should hang over the post by 1 foot on each side.
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6
Drill two holes through the beam and into the post. Secure the beam into the post by using carriage bolts. Repeat this process on the other side of the beam where your assistant is holding it in place. After you are finished with this first beam, add another beam in the exact same spot, but on the other side of the post. The end result will be two posts sandwiched between two beams.
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7
Repeat steps 5 and 6 on the opposite two posts. Once you are finished, you'll see four beams running in the same direction. All four beams should be sandwiched between the posts.
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8
Install four crossbeams above the main beams. These beams will run perpendicular to the main beams and will also hang over by 1 foot. Again, you may need an assistant to help you lift the crossbeams in place. Lift the crossbeam and place it above the main beams. While the main beams were drilled below the 7 1/4-inch line, these crossbeams will be installed above that line. Drill two holes through the crossbeam and into the post. Secure the crossbeam with carriage bolts. Do this on the front and back of each post. When you are finished, it will look like the posts are holding up a square.
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Add wood slats to the top of the crossbeams. Nail a 10-foot-long slat at an angle into each end of the crossbeam. Allow 1 foot of overhang. These slats will run perpendicular to the crossbeams and parallel to the main beams. You can install as many slats as you want. The more slats you install, the more shade the pergola will have. As an example, if you leave a 6-inch distance between each slat, you will be able to install eight roof slats.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit pergola image by rebekah gonzalez from Fotolia.com
