{"id":840,"date":"2021-09-21T05:58:04","date_gmt":"2021-09-21T05:58:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/?p=840"},"modified":"2022-01-18T23:33:40","modified_gmt":"2022-01-18T23:33:40","slug":"learn-pergola-basics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/learn-pergola-basics\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn pergola basics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The first step in building a pergola: marking the territory with 2 tape measures, string, and yard stakes. Ultimately 4 posts will need to be aligned (or rather squared up). In other words, each post shall be positioned near 90 degrees perpendicular to the surface. The <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Use-the-3-4-5-Rule-to-Build-Square-Corners\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Use-the-3-4-5-Rule-to-Build-Square-Corners\" target=\"_blank\">3-4-5 method<\/a> is a low-tech way to mark dimensions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Digging<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the posts are marked, start digging holes to the circumference and depth of your concrete pier (unless you already have a slab to attach the posts). The circumference and depth will depend on your geography and weather conditions &#8211; typically provided with your pergola plans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-background wp-block-list\" style=\"background-color:#d8e4ed\"><li>Before digging, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/call811.com\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/call811.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">call 811<\/a> to mark any underground utilities<\/li><li>If you have thick grass, mow or use a trimmer to shave down the grass. Water the night before to moisten the ground.<\/li><li>If there&#8217;s still grass, use a spade to carve out the grass and then use a round mouth shovel to start digging. Keep a wheelbarrow nearby to dump dirt and offload to a preferred nearby site (we were fortunate enough to dump the soil into a future bedding area).<\/li><li>Depending on location, the first foot might be the easiest. Digging will become difficult with clay. Renting an auger considerably eases the job. Be careful using a single-man auger.  Maintain balance by resting the handles against your thigh and performing quick, short bursts while remembering to let go of the throttle. A two-man auger is preferable.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Main parts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Most, if not all, of the beams are joined using exterior grade screws made from Spax for pressure treated lumber. These screws have a unique head that prevents stripping compared to a conventional screw or lag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-background\"><strong>Posts: <\/strong>Most recommended posts will be 6&#8243; x 6&#8243; x 10&#8242;. A basic pergola will require 4 vertical posts &#8211; each can weigh at least 80-100lbs which will carry the load of the entire structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-background\"><strong>Post Brackets:<\/strong> Each post will be secured to a post bracket (manufactured by Simpson Strong-Tie) that is anchored to the concrete using stainless screws. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-background\"><strong>Secondary Beam: <\/strong>Typically 4 horizontal beams that rest on top of the posts in pairs to carry the weight of the primary beams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-background\"><strong>Primary Beams<\/strong>: Typically 4 horizontal beams that stretch across our secondary beams in pairs to carry the weight of the rafters. Our primary beams are 20&#8242; in length.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-background\"><strong>Rafters: <\/strong>Horizontal beams that sit on top of primary beams. These beams will start providing shade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-background\"><strong>Purlins:<\/strong> Horizontal beams that stretch across rafters. Our purlins will 20&#8242; in length.  These beams provide additional shade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Design work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Pergolas can be designed and styled multiple ways from edging to end cap millwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-background wp-block-list\" style=\"background-color:#d8e4ed\"><li><strong>Chamfer<\/strong>: a 45 degree angle chamfer can be attached to trim router to soften each edge of a post.<\/li><li><strong>Jigsaw<\/strong>: beam endcaps can be designed by tracing a pattern and using a jigsaw. Tip: slow down through the curves and then speed up for consistent results.<\/li><li><strong>Round-over:<\/strong> a small round-over bit can be attached to a trim router to clean each edge of a jigsaw-ed beam<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Joinery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Typical pergolas are screwed, but can be strengthened by using supplemental joining techniques that require cutting notches or half-lap notches. These notches have some room for error, but the goal will always be to ensure a tight fit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A regular notch can be cut by making multiple passes with a circular saw and hammering out the remaining pieces &#8211; then using a chisel to clean up. A half lap notch can be cut with a circular saw and reciprocating saw.  Be sure to cut in an open area, wear a mask, and clamp down the pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background\"><strong>As always, send us any questions and don\u2019t forget to follow our\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/buildtomade\/\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram stories<\/a>. Check out our most recent yard progress.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The first step in building a pergola: marking the territory with 2 tape measures, string, and yard stakes. Ultimately 4 posts will need to be aligned (or rather squared up). In other words, each post shall be positioned near 90 degrees perpendicular to the surface. The 3-4-5 method is a low-tech way to mark dimensions. &#8230; <a title=\"Learn pergola basics\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/learn-pergola-basics\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Learn pergola basics\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-how-to"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=840"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":848,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840\/revisions\/848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}