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Under the word “pergola”, strange to our ears, there are various arches for a variety of climbing plants. Initially, they were built in southern countries as a support for grapes. And the word itself has Italian roots ( pergola – canopy, extension), where vines supported hammered bars. The simplicity of the design contributes to their independent production, and in this article we will talk about what it is and how a do-it-yourself pergola will decorate your yard, cottage or garden.
What are the
In ancient times, pergolas were not only in the vineyards. Similar structures, only on a large scale, were made in courtyards to protect from the scorching sun. Under them the hottest midday hours were spent. They were more likely canopies, one part of which rested on the wall. Their design has remained the same, the materials have changed: now the pergola can be not only wooden, but also metal, concrete and even plastic.
In addition to being a useful structure – supporting the vines and providing shade – it is also beautiful. This was appreciated by the architects. Gradually, pergolas migrated to the gardens of the nobility. Only there they had a more refined form, expensive materials were used up to marble columns, beams were made in fanciful forms. Not only and not so much grapes curled along them, but ornamental plants, roses, bindweeds and creepers.
They also make it in the form of a gallery that covers from the sun all the way from one building to another. These arcades serve as a support for perennial vines, climbing types of roses. Where they do not survive due to the harsh climate, annual bindweeds can be used, they are no less decorative, the flowering period can be chosen so that flowering continues throughout the warm season.
In the modern sense, it is rather a canopy or an open summer arbor, which instead of a roof has a network of beams along which plants climb.
A modified pergola is also an arch on which flowers or grapes rest. If we say “arch”, then most often we mean a metal product, moreover, with a rounded top.
Read about the basics and rules of landscape design here.
Main nodes
Despite the fact that the design is simple, it is necessary to correctly assess the load that plants can create. For our country, it is not necessary to drop the pressure of snow from the scales. Especially after the plants braid the structure. Therefore, all connections, fastenings, are made reliable, it is better to play it safe and put corners than to disassemble the blockage from plants and a collapsed arch. In this regard, the supporting columns and beams of the arch must be strong and reliable.
If you plan to build from wood, support posts for a medium-sized pergola use at least 200 * 200 mm. Beams – from a board of at least 40 mm thickness. Be sure to make stops and jibs: they will add rigidity. If you build support pillars from brick or stone, they are placed around a pipe – round or square – your choice, but it should be.
dimensions
A little about the size of pergolas. They must be proportional to the site. If it is small, then the distance between the racks can be one and a half meters. It’s not worth doing less: taking into account the foliage, only one person will pass through such a passage. For larger areas, a larger width is required – too narrow will seem scanty.
The standard height of a garden pergola is 2,2-2,4 meters. Then the whole structure is harmonious, and foliage and flowers will not press.
How to connect the parts at the top
When building an arch, special attention should be paid to the junction nodes. How to make them, see the photo.
For those who are not too strong in carpentry, it can be difficult to cut recesses for installing beams. There is a simple and reliable way to do without this work: connect the posts and main beams with a decorative buttress. This is not only a decoration, but also a way to make the connection more reliable.
A beam is laid on top of the support pole (rack) and nailed through with nails or long self-tapping screws. However, with lateral forces, they can turn out. To eliminate this, after the auxiliary beams are laid and fixed, a decorative buttress is nailed. It holds three elements together. An even greater rigidity of the structure is given by a spacer placed obliquely, which is often called a jib.
In the simplest case, a pergola consists of four posts connected by main and auxiliary beams.
Beam edge trim
You can slightly diversify the appearance due to the different design of the ends of the auxiliary and main beams. Several ways to drink down are shown in the photo below. To make them all the same, make a template from a small piece. Then you apply it to the workpiece, circle it with a finely sharpened pencil as close to the template as possible. Cut along this line.
Reducing the cost of construction
The timber for the columns must be of a large section, and this is not cheap. The main beams should also be no smaller, which further increases the cost of the structure. But you can save money if you nail two thick boards on both sides to the uprights at the top. How it looks from above, see the following figure.
You can connect them with nails-screws, or you can bolts. This is even more reliable: bolted connections can be tightened if necessary. How such a structure looks like “live” look at the photo.
How to build a wooden gazebo read here.
Step by step assembly instructions
First of all, you need to decide how you will fix the support pillars. If your pillars are made of larch, there are no questions, you can simply bury them in the ground. With other wood, everything is more complicated: direct contact with the ground is highly undesirable. You can, of course, treat the ends of the poles buried in the ground with antibacterial impregnation such as SENEG or Senezh Ultra, put them into working off for a couple of hours.
The second option is to make a concrete pile with a built-in stud (or several studs, depending on the size and weight of the structure). Attach the rack to the stud with a gap of 5-8 mm.
Another way is if the site is concreted or a coating is laid on it. Then take metal thrust bearings. Most often they are found in the form of an inverted letter “P”, attach it to the surface of the site. Fix the post with bolts through these plates. This type of fastener is suitable for the garden, where the error will be closed by plants. If construction is taking place in an open area, other thrust bearings are used.
After the method of installing the pillars is chosen, all the wood that will be used in construction is covered with a protective composition – antibacterial and insect repellent. The compositions must be intended for outdoor use (not for indoor use, but only for outdoor use). After processing, you can start building:
- Site marking. With the help of pegs, laces, a tape measure and a building level, a site of the required size is marked. In its corners, a place is marked for the pillars, they are installed in the chosen way.
Site marking and installation of poles - Two main beams are nailed to the exactly aligned pillars. To reduce the price of construction, we use two boards instead, which are attached just below the top – 5-6 cm lower. Beams must be fixed strictly horizontally. As already mentioned, you can use nails, screws or bolts. If you connect to self-tapping screws, take white ones, not black ones: they are much stronger and can withstand heavy loads.
We fix the main beams. We make them composite – from two boards 50 mm thick - Now the auxiliary beams are mounted. If possible, make cuts under the main ones: it will be easier to fix them. Otherwise, you will have to use corners, which will be attached to the lower beam with one part, and the second will hold the transverse one.
Installation of auxiliary beams Beam shape - Actually, the installation of jibs remained. They will give the structure greater stability.
- To make the shadow thicker at first, even thinner strips can be filled on top – 5-7 cm thick. To keep them well, cuts 2-3 cm deep are made under each auxiliary beam.
Everything, the wooden pergola is assembled by hand. You can see the assembly sequence in the next video.
Features of pergolas attached to the house
Pergolas adjoining the house are open summer terraces. One part of the beams rests on the holders installed on the wall of the house, the second part – on the beams lying on the supporting pillars. There are several ways to attach them to the wall. You can see the first one in the photo below: a support beam is nailed to the wall, landing nests are cut out in nm. Additionally, the strength of the connection is provided by the corners, which are fixed on both sides.
The second way – special stops are mounted on the wall: steel plates of the appropriate shape.
The basic construction steps are similar, but have some nuances:
- Mark the installation positions of the poles and install them. The pillars are installed at a certain distance from the house, equal to the width (depth) of the pergola terrace. The second part of the markup is made on the wall of the house – the second ends of the auxiliary beams are installed there. Either a support bar or plates are fixed there.
- Attach two boards or a support beam from above to the exposed pillars.
- Lay auxiliary beams on them, which are attached to the support on the wall with one side.
All. What you should get as a result is shown in the picture below.
You can see the sequence of actions during the construction of a pergola adjacent to the wall in the following video
By the same type, but with a roof, verandas are built. How – read here.
Construction of a metal pergola
The peculiarity of using metal as a building material is that it is more reliable and requires less maintenance. The metal is primed and then painted. With a quality coating with good paint, this will last for several years.
More trouble with wood. In our climate, we have to renew the coating every year. Therefore, it is better not to use varnishes: they crack, turn white, and come off in parts. To update the coating, you need to clean everything off, then cover it again. Therefore, it is better not to use even the best varnishes for outdoor garden or outbuildings. For the treatment of wood that is outdoors all year round, there are oils to which color is added. They do not give shine, but perfectly protect the surface from climatic influences. The worst thing that can happen is that it will fade a little. For re-treatment, the surface must be cleaned of dirt and dried. Can be dyed. Touch dry is usually a couple of hours. Convenient, beautiful, reliable.
The difference between the metal is still in the way of assembly. This is either welding or bolt assembly. Everyone chooses a way for himself. Due to the fact that the corrosion resistance of painted metal is quite high, it can simply be concreted. Therefore, there are fewer difficulties with installing pillars. It is more difficult only to work with him because of the mass. But everywhere has its drawbacks.
And the variety of metal pergolas is, perhaps, even greater than wooden ones: it can be forged, bent forms can be made. Metal is combined with stone, brick, wood. An awning is pulled over a metal frame, wicker mats are laid, roller blinds are fixed. For examples, see the photo gallery (it opens to the full crane, if you need it).
How to make a metal gazebo read here.
Blueprints
It is worth noting that all of the options presented can be made of wood or metal, or columns can be made of stone, concrete or marble. The idea is important, but the implementation may be different.