a classic pergola - fh02jun

PROJECT PLAN

A classic pergolaThis article originally appeared in The Family Handyman magazine.

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70 JUNE 2002 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN

A Classic

THE FAMILY HANDYMAN JUNE 2002 71

Pergolaby David Radtke

Create this low-maintenanceoutdoor retreat with treatedlumber, composite columnsand simple framing techniques

More PERGOLA

Heres a summer project designedto keep you cooler on even thehottest of days. The classicalcolumns support an overhead woodenlattice that works like a big shade tree,letting only a portion of the suns radiance shine through.

What looks like the toughest part of this project is actually the easiestthe graceful, solid-looking columns.Theyre not wood at all but a hollow-core composite material with amazingstructural strength and durability.Weve designed the project so you simply slip these columns over treated4x4 posts embedded in concrete. Whenscrewed to the wooden posts, thesecolumns provide a stable, solid base forthe overhead lattice framework.

These paintable precast columns are available by special order at homecenters. They come in a wide variety ofdiameters and heights and architecturalstyles. Expect to pay about $200 ormore for each column. See the BuyersGuide on p. 86.

Pressure-treated dimensional 2x8sand 2x10s make up the majority of theupper framework, and the decorativeend pieces are cut with a jigsaw fromour pattern. The whole project can bebuilt in a couple of weekends, withanother weekend for staining andpainting. Youll spend about $2,400,including the cost of the columns.

We built our pergola over an existingstone patio; that saved a lot of patiowork. If youre planning to install apatio as part of your overall project,youll need to allow extra time. For a list of articles about installing yourown paver patio, see For MoreInformation, p. 86.

7-1/4"

145-1/2"OVERALL

139-1/4"

PATIOBLOCK

CONCRETE FOOTING

COLUMNSHAFT

COLUMN SHAFT

COLUMNSHAFT

1/2" x 6" PVC PIPEAND 90 FITTING

1/4" ROUND-OVER (ALL ROOF SLATS)

32"C

3/4"

EACHSQ.=2"

15-1/4"

BASE

BASE

3/4" DIA. HOLE FOR PVC PIPE

ANGLE BRACKET15-1/4"

15-1/4"

188" OVERALL

91-3/4"

6-1/4" DIA. (TOP OFCOLUMN SHAFT)

9 SPACES16" O.C. (144")

SPACE SLATS EVENLY

LCL CL

3" NO. 12 WOOD SCREW

F2

F1

F1

F1 F2

F2

F1

F1

M

M

D

D

BEAM AND RAFTER LAYOUT

A

A

E

E

E

J

J

E

E

G

G

B

B

C

C

P

P

P

K

K

K

H

H

LI

LI

LI

L2

L2

TAIL PATTERN

N

ANGLE BRACKET

90-7/8" BETWEEN POST CENTERS

90-7/8" BETWEEN POST CENTERS

CAPITAL

CAPITAL


A Classic Pergola

FIG. APERGOLA DETAILS


mind any slope youll include in thepatio. Most patios slope about 1/8 in. per foot to drain.

Choosing the right location

Because this project is made tostand independent of the house,you can either locate it right nearyour house as we did or let it standalone in the garden. You can alsoconsider using wood chips or gravelas a floor or even pour a concreteslab underneath. By keeping it unat-tached (about 4 in. from the eaves),you dont have to deal with movingexisting gutters or matching eaves.You also dont have to mess withfrost footings (in colder climates).However, if you have clay soil, itsbest to dig to frost depth (if greaterthan 24 in.) for your footings to pre-vent frost heave.

Our existing patio was built overa sand and compacted gravel base,so we removed only the stones nec-essary to dig the 12-in. diameterholes to secure the posts. Youllmost likely have a different situa-tion. If youll be adding a patio later,be sure to pour all the footings atthe finished patio height. Keep in

A Classic Pergola

Shopping ListITEM QTY.Pressure-treated 4x4 x 10' posts 3

Pressure-treated 1x4 x 8' post wraps 8

Pressure-treated 1x4 x 8' fascia 7

Composite polymer columns with bases and capitals 6

Pressure-treated 2x10 x 16' (E) 2

Pressure-treated 2x10 x 14' (F1) 2

Pressure-treated 2x10 x 12' (F2) 1

Pressure-treated 2x10 x 10' (decorative tails) 4

Pressure-treated 1x6 x 12' ledger strips (G), ripped to width 2

Pressure-treated 2x8 x 8' rafters 16

Pressure-treated 5/4 x 6 x 10' decking ripped to 3" (tail tops) 8

Pressure-treated 5/4 x 6 x 14' decking ripped to 3" (lattice) 9

Pressure-treated 2x4 x 10', ripped to 2-1/4" for subbase 3

60-lb. bags of dry mix concrete 30

Concrete forming tubes (2' lengths) 6

Construction adhesive 2 tubes

3" exterior screws (zinc plated) No. 12 size for posts 48

3" deck screws 5-lb. box

2-1/2" deck screws 5-lb. box

1/2" PVC pipe 6'

90-degree 1/2" PVC elbows 6

Stain and paint of your choice

Auto body filler

Simpson A21 steel angle 6

Cutting ListKEY PCS. SIZE & DESCRIPTION

A 6 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 56" treated posts

B 24 3/4" x 3-1/2" x 32" treated post shims

C 6 7-1/2" x 96" round columns

D 12 1-1/2" x 5-1/2" round discs (column inserts)

E 2 1-1/2" x 9-1/4" x 185" front and back beams

F1 2 1-1/2" x 9-1/4" x 145-1/2" side beams

F2 1 1-1/2" x 9-1/4" x 142-1/2" center beam

G 4 3/4" x 1-1/2" x 142-1/2" ledger strips

H 16 1-1/2" x 7-1/4" x 91-3/4" flat rafters

J 23 1-1/16" x 3" x 33" tail tops

K 23 1-1/2" x 9-1/4" x 17" decorative tails

L1 8 1-1/16" x 3" x 153" lattice strips

L2 1 1-1/16" x 3" x 134" center lattice strips*

M 4 3/4" x 3-1/2" x 91-3/4" fascia strips*

N 18 3/4" x 3-1/2" x 14-1/2" fascia strips

P 24 1-1/2" x 2-1/4" x 12-1/4" sub-base (under molded base)

* Cut to fit

More PERGOLA

1MEASURE the projection of your soffits and add 7 in. to accuratelyposition the column centers near but not too close to the house. Driveremote stakes an equal distance from the house, attaching a string tohelp mark and align the outer post locations. (See text on p. 76 for more layout details.)

2DIG the postholes a mini-mum of 2 ft. deep and 12 in.in diameter. Dig 24-in. tubesinto the holes, add your 60-in. postsand pour concrete around them.Plumb your posts and align themwith your outer string line. Allowthe concrete to harden for a coupleof days, then trim the posts to 32 in.

ALIGNMENTSTRING

4x4 TREATED

POST

12" DIA. CONCRETE FOOTING

FORMING TUBE


Plan the post location to clear the eaves

If you plan to build your pergolaclose to the house, first measure theprojection of your eaves as shown inPhoto 1. Keep the center of the postsnearest the house at least 7 in. fartherfrom the house than this measure-ment. To keep the posts in alignment,stake your post locations usingremote stakes with a string. With thestakes driven beyond the work area(Photo 2), youll be able to undo thestring while you dig and then reattach it later to check for align-ment. To check for left-to-rightplacement parallel to the house, justmeasure the distance from one of theremote stakes and write this measure-ment on a note pad. To make sure thelayout is square, adjust the diagonalmeasurements of the postholes sotheyre equal.

As you dig your holes, put the soil in a wheelbarrow and find a placeto relocate it away from your site.Save any gravel or sand to reinstallpavers. Note: You may need to movea post slightly. We shifted one postnear the house to create an entryalong the steps.

Have your concrete delivered

Before you dig any holes, call yourlocal utilities to mark any buriedcable or gas lines. Once youre surethere are no buried utilities in thearea, dig your holes with a hand-heldposthole digger or rent a powerauger. Youll also need a shovel towiden the hole. Dig until its at least24 in. deep. Reconnect your layoutstring to make sure the holes arealigned. Cut your forming tubes(Photo 2) and insert them into theholes. Level the tops of the formingtubes until theyre flush with the patiosurface. If you mix the concrete on

A Classic Pergola

3LIFT the columns (upsidedown) over the 4x4 posts tomark the bottoms for trim-ming. Attach a story pole to thehouse to establish a reference point.

4ATTACH a level to a straight2x4 and mark the bottom ofeach post level with yourheight mark against the house.Remember, theres still 10-1/4 in.additional height going onto thetops of the posts.

5TRANSFER your mark com-pletely around the post usinga combination square. Cut thepost with a 10-teeth-per-inch woodblade in your jigsaw. Youll need afresh blade for every post you cut.

More PERGOLA

STORYPOLE

COLUMNTOP

HOLLOWCOMPOSITE

COLUMN

COLUMNHEIGHT10-1/2"

COLUMNBOTTOM

STRAIGHTBOARD TO

EXTEND LEVEL

SOFTMULCHBAGS

COMBINATIONSQUARE


A Classic Pergola

6CUT 5-1/2 in. round treated wood plugs to fit the insideof your columns. Glue and screw together a pair for eachcolumn top, then glue the plugs flush into the top of eachcolumn. Secure the plugs to the columns with 2-in. deck screws.Note: Drive a screw into the top of each plug to use as a handleto position the plug.

More PERGOLA

site, youll need about five bags ofQuikrete or Sakrete concrete mix perhole, for a total of 30 bags. (Thatsenough to have your home center orlumberyard deliver it to the site. Ifyou call for a ready-mixed delivery,ask for 1/2 cubic yard.)

As you set your posts, repositionyour string line about 1-3/4 in. toallow for the post thickness and thenalign the posts with your string line(Photo 2) as you pour in the concrete.Note: If you have a post thats 1/2 in.out of whack, dont sweat it. Youll beable to align the tops of the columnslater when you install the overheadbeam. Once the posts are embeddedin concrete, let the concrete hardenfor a minimum of two days.

Cut the columns tolength and fasten them to the posts

We wanted the roof of the pergola toalign with the fascia of the house for acustom, fluid look. To keep the roof

8PREDRILL and countersinkeight screw holes in the sidesof the columns: four 6 in. fromthe bottom and four 30 in. from thebottom. Use 3-in. No. 12 exteriorwood screws to anchor the columnsto the wood posts. Plumb the columnas you screw it to the post. Youllnotice some play between the postand column. Opposing screws willtighten the entire assembly.

of the pergola even and level acrossthe whole topside, youll need to cuteach post exactly. Just clamp or naila board temporarily to the fascia asshown in Photo 4. Measure down

10-1/2 in. from the top of your fasciaboard for the cutoff height of yourcolumns (95 in. for ours).

SCREW 1x4treated pine to

the side of each4x4. This will beef up

the post so it meetsthe inside edge of the

hollow column.

7

PREDRILLED ANDCOUNTERSUNK

PILOT HOLE

2" DECKSCREWS

3"

COLUMNTOP

SCREW ASHANDLE

APPLY ADHESIVEON EDGES

CONSTRUCTIONADHESIVE

4x4 TREATEDPOST

1x4SHIMS

3" NO. 12SCREWS


To make sure we cut the bottomonly (we didnt want to have to waitanother two weeks for a new column),we flipped the columns end for end,slipped them over the posts andmarked the bottoms of each columnand numbered them as well. Note: To make cutting the columnseasier, lay them on sand bags ormulch bags to keep them fromrolling or vibrating as you cut.Transfer your length mark complete-ly around the column base with acombination square thats set fromthe bottom of the post.

I found the jigsaw a lot safer, quieter and less dusty than a circularsaw. This composite polymer is onlyabout 1/2 in. thick but pretty hard, so expect to eat up a new blade oneach column.

Once youve cut each column, fat-ten the posts with 1x4s as shown inPhoto 7. Predrill each column with acombination pilot and countersinkbit (three holes 6 in. from the bottomand another three 30 in. from thebottom). Also drill four evenlyspaced holes 1-1/4 in. from the top of each column to secure the plugs(Photo 6). Now slip each columnover its post. Strap a level near thebase of each column (the columnbegins to taper slightly after 32 in.from the bottom) and screw into thewood beneath. Tighten or loosenopposing pairs to plumb up eachcolumn. Next, slip the molded baseover the top of the column and thenslip the capital on as well. Its best notto fasten these in place until the proj-ect is nearly completed.

Fasten the beams to thetop of the columns

Measure the length of the front andback 2x10 beams (E), making them 3 in. less than the outside of the column tops, and cut them to length.Note: If you have a column thatwont quite straighten up, you can

A Classic Pergola

9SLIDE the column bases andcapitals over the columnshafts. Measure and cut theouter 2x10 beam and walk it up the ladders.

10SCREW the beam (E) tothe wood plug so itsflush with the front out-side edge of the column. Use anglebrackets as shown with 1-1/4 in.Simpson bracket screws. Screw theother beam in place and then theother three intermediate beams, F1 and F2.

11SCREW a treated wood1x2 7-1/4 in. down fromthe top of each of the2x10 beams running out from thehouse. These will act as ledgers forthe 2x8 flat rafters.

CAPITAL

BASESLIPPED

OVER COLUMN

SIMPSON A21STEEL ANGLE

SLIP CAPITALOVER TOP

FIRST

LEDGERSTRIP

E


have someone push it straight up anddown and then fasten it in place withthe steel brackets from above.

Next, measure and cut the sidebeams (F1) and screw them to theends of the front beams. Now cut thecenter beam (F2) 3 in. shorter thanthe side beams and fasten it to theposts and the front and back beams(E) with 3-in. deck screws.

Slip the flat rafters onto ledgers

Once all the 2x10 beams are in place,cut your 1x2 ledgers and screw them1/2 in. up from the bottom of eachbeam F1 and F2 with 2-in. deckscrews every 8 in. Now measure each2x8 flat rafter (referred to as flatbecause they have no pitch) and cutit to length. Ideally these should allbe the same length, but if you hadproblems with your post positioningearlier, you may have to adjust them.

Mark 16-in. centers along thebeams F1 and F2. Rest each rafter onthe ledgers (Photo 12) and screwthem in place one at a time from thebackside of each beam, aligning themwith your marks. Where the raftersmeet the center beam (F2), angle the3-in. deck screws through the beamand into the rafter (Photo 13). Whenyouve finished the rafters, secureeach capital to the underside of thebeams with 2-1/2 in. deck screws(Photo 14). Predrill the capitals.

Preassemble the rafter tails

Cut the decorative rafter tails (J) usingthe grid template shown in Fig. A. Forconsistency, mark your first one as thepattern and trace this piece each time.Sand the gentle curves with a beltsander or portable drum sander.

Now cut the tail tops (K) from 5/4 decking. Round over the cut ends with a hand plane or a router(Photo 17). Ease the edges of the tailsand the tops with 100-grit sandpaper

A Classic Pergola

12SET the 2x8 flat raftersonto the ledgers (holdthem perfectly vertical)and screw each end to the 2x10beams with three 3-in. deck screws.

13DRIVE screws at anangle to fasten opposing2x8 flat rafters. Use three3-in. screws per end.

14PUSH the resin-castcapitals flush with thebottom of the 2x10beams and screw them into placewith 2-1/2 in. deck screws.

15CUT the decorativerafter tails from treated2x10 pine. To avoid cup-ping, choose knot-free boards andkeep them out of the sun until youpaint or stain them.

LEDGER STRIP

K


and then apply a solid-color stain.Make sure the treated wood piecesare dry to the touch before youprestain them. If they feel cool, letthem dry in a shady spot for two daysbefore applying the solid-color stain.Rushing the process could cause thestain to blister or roll off.

Once the stain is dry, screw thetops to the tails with 2-1/2 in. deckscrews (allow the top to overhang 3/4 in.) and fasten them over the topsof each flat rafter and beam end asshown in Photo 16 and Fig. A.Youll need to cut the tail top short on the assemblies that project fromthe corners and screw them in placefrom the backside of the front beam.

The last details

Cut and nail (8d galvanized finishnails) the 1x4 fascia strips (M) flushto the top of the beams and in

A Classic Pergola

16RIP strips of 5/4 treated decking to 3-in. widths to make parts J.Align and screw them to K and to the top of each 2x8 flat rafter.Then screw K in place from the backside of F1.

J

K

F1


between each pair of tails (Photo 20).Next, screw the lattice strips acrossthe rafter tops, letting them project 3 in. past the fascia.

Now cut the subbase pieces fromtreated 2x4. Screw the cornerstogether with 3-in. deck screws. If you havent already done so, fit the patio stones back against thefootings and glue the subbase to thepatio surface. Then screw the moldedbase to the subbase and caulk theseams with acrylic caulk.

Before you paint the columns, mix auto body filler and spread itover the screw holes along the column(Photo 19). Let the filler dry and thensand it flush. Prime the columns, andthen paint them with a good-qualityexterior trim paint. Dont use painton the rest of the pergola; instead rolland brush the wood portions withsolid-color stain.

17RIP 5/4 decking 3 in.wide and rout a 1/4-in.round-over on eachedge to make the lattice strips. 18DRILL 3/4-in. holes and insert 6-in. long 1/2-in. PVC pieces with

90-degree fittings attached. Theselittle pipes act as ventilators to helpslough off any excess moisture thatmay get into the columns.

19FILL the pilot holes and screwheads on each column with auto bodyfiberglass filler. Let the filler harden,then sand the areas flush. Nowyoure ready to paint.

More PERGOLA

VENTHOLE

COLUMNTOP

RAFTER TAILCORNER DETAIL

HARDENERPLASTIC

SQUEEGEE

RESIN

AUTO BODY FILLER

LATTICE STRIPS


A Classic Pergola

Buyers GuideYou can find a supplier in your area for composite polymer columns by calling HB & G at (800) 264-4424 or visiting www.hbgcolumns.com.

For More Informationn Stone Path, March 01, p. 38.

n Brick and Stone Patio, April 00, p. 34.

n Raised Stone Patio, June 99, p. 30.

For information on how to order backissues, copies of articles or the Five-YearIndex, see p. 124.

Art Direction BECKY PFLUGERPhotography BILL ZUEHLKEIllustration GENE THOMPSONProject Design DAVID RADTKE

20SCREW the 5/4 latticestrips to the tops ofthe rafters. Evenlyspace them across each section.Add more if youd like to increasethe shade below.

1x4 FASCIASTRIPS (M)

LATTICE STRIPS

a classic pergola - fh02jun

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