Pergola construction plans provide the blueprint for a do it yourself pergola, helping you save few thousands over comparable ready made pergolas. They usually include graphics and measures for you to cut and shape all the main posts, beams and joists according to your chosen size and style. Being a relatively simple structure to build, a pergola plan is an essential tool in the hands of a novice or an expert woodworker alike.
Pergola construction plans can help you to cut down building times, providing you with graphs and measures that otherwise you would have to design yourself before setting off to work. You only need to choose the right size for your home or garden and the style. An average start to finish time for this kind of project is three to four working days, working full time and with the help of a friend for safety reasons.
Beams and posts can be heavy to handle, so you must have someone around for this and you should also borrow or rent basic woodworking tools like circular saw, angle grinder and drill. You should not be saving on quality of wood because top construction woods like cedar are incredibly tough and durable to sun rays, rain, decay and termites, outlasting their owners and passing on to the next generations.
You may want your pergola free standing or over a patio or a deck, attached to the house or in a backyard. Wherever the location, check out for underground water mains and electric cables. You should have the spot inspected by your local authority for underground utilities before you start construction.
Though pergolas are light structures, you should have the foundation holes paved with a pour of cement to give a solid foot for the posts to rest on, avoiding sinking or moving. Once the foundation bases are solid, you can start the building phase, adhering to all measures and details for cutting and shaping the parts. The assembly part of the construction is straightforward, as you only need to find the right height for the top beams with a bucket of water and a clear hose (water method), mark it and bolt the beams to join the posts.
For alignment and positioning you can use weight lines and horizontal lines, prop up the posts temporarily with nailed sticks and remove them only when the top beams are assembled. Then you can fill in the foundation holes and finally nail all the joists on top at the required span. If your pergola is free standing, you may add a tile floor over a cement pour, choosing an earthy, terracotta like color to match the wood.
The pergola itself can be finished with a couple of coats of wood stain based on resin for further durability. The treatment will also enhance the wood natural texture, bringing out all patterns in a beautiful gloss. Once you have covered all these steps, you can lay down your pergola construction plans and think how to beautify and make more usable your pergola.
Traditionally, pergolas were meant for training Grape Vines in the homes of the wealthy, both to provide shade and a supply of berries. Today, you have a vast choice of climbing vines for your pergola: Morning Glory, Ivy, Bougainvillea or Honeysuckle to name a few. They will all add coolness and coziness with a splash of color, spreading over the top and protecting from the sun.
Check out these easy but stylish pergola construction plans, they will save you time and money over ready made kits.
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