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How to build a pergola with ease?

How to build a pergola with ease?

A Pergola is the shade built in the backyard or over the patio of your house. A Pergola is an excellent way to bring good attention to the backyard of your house. The good news is that you can build a pergola by yourself instead of purchasing it.

Pergola adds beauty to any landscape. Besides, it also provides shades and shelter. Thus, it becomes a perfect place for you to relax in the evening after work. It can also be the perfect place for outdoor dining.

A vine-covered pergola in your backyard can be a good excellent place to sit outside, even on summer days. If you decide to build the Pergola yourself, see the below instructions.

Tools required for building pergola

  • Screwdriver
  • Cordless drill
  • Jigsaw
  • Galvanized nails
  • Putty knife
  • Router
  • Measure tape
  • Posthole digger
  • Lumbar boards

First, let's see the things you need to do before building a pergola. Then we will move on to steps you need to follow for building a pergola for yourself.

Choosing the right place for building the Pergola

It's the crucial part of pergola building. It would help decide whether you want the Pergola to stand independently of your house or in the front yard or backyard.

Wherever you decide to build the Pergola yourself, you need to ensure no cables in the underground building Pergola. You can get this task of checking the wires and gas lines by contacting local utilities.

Building a pergola over the patio area can be the best. If you already have a patio area built, then consider building the Pergola over there. This way, you can save the cost and the time required to build a patio.

Choosing the right lumber

After deciding the place, the good thing that comes in is choosing the lumbar for your Pergola. The lumbar is the deciding factor for the life of your Pergola. The 2 treated lumber are usually the most lasting ones. It is the most economical and affordable Pergola. Cedarwood is also used, but its costs can be very high.

Let's see the steps for building a pergola.

1) Cutting the wood according to the Structure of the Pergola 

Now we come into the actual pergola building. The Pergola is made up of 4 distinct parts: Posts (the pillars), header boards(front top), Purlins(the central shade part), and top stringer boards ( above purlins in the opposite direction). A number of the purlins and top stringer boards vary according to the size of Pergola you want and the shade you want.

According to the mentioned parts. First, cut the lumbar according to the size and then assemble all the parts.

2) Posts

You can either get the posts ready-made or build them yourself by cutting lumber. 6*6 treated posts are considered best. This is the average height of the Pergola. If you want more or less size, you can get the Pergola. Alternatively, you can get the posts from the lumbar yard. You have to get the 6*6 very straight posts.

3) Header Boards

These are attached to both sides of the posts. Take the size of the header boards as 2*8" or 2*10". You can cut the ends of the header boards with the jigsaw and give them an excellent shape. In all, cut the 4 header boards. The (2)10 bolts are used to secure the header boards to the posts. In all, it will take 8 bolts to secure the header boards.

4) Purlins

These are the main cross boards of the Pergola. For purlins, the lumbar boards of size 2*6" are used. Using perfect measurements, do two notches near the ends of the purlins to fix them into the header boards. You can give an excellent design to the ends of the purlins using the jigsaw. You can cut about desired design, draw it on the end of the boards with a pencil and then cut it in that shape.

5) Stringer boards

The boards that are added to the purlins are the stringer boards. Use the 2*4" lumbar boards for this purpose. You need to screw them into the purlins securely.

6) Assembling the Pergola

Now, as you have all the pieces of the Pergola ready, you need to assemble them. For easy-going, you can first screw the two header boards on the posts. After that, the next task is to attach purlins over the header boards. You can use screws as required for this task. After that, you need to attach the top stringer boards using three screws per stringer board.

7) Securing Pergola

Now you need to secure the Pergola onto the ground. This task is done by using the plate anchors for the concrete patio. You can get these anchor plates from the market and attach them to the four posts. You can non-create method also. In that, you need to use longer posts and bury the posts in the ground.

Create A pergola with ease

Without spending much, you can follow the steps given above and easily make the Pergola yourself. It's going to be a good activity for yourself, and you can get a lovely shade to relax in the evenings.

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