Looking for the Perfect
Pergola Plans?
Have you begun a search for a set of
pergola plans to match the picture you have in your
mind of the “perfect” pergola? You know just the
kind you want!
You spent some time at a friend's
house over the weekend, and his backyard was graced
with a beautiful pergola. You fell in love with the
idea, and now you just have to have one for your own
yard!
Your pal built his pergola with the help of a
good set of plans that also listed exactly what
tools and materials would be needed. He claimed that
building it himself saved quite a bit of money, and
that the pergola was very easy to build. You're
pretty sure you are just as good an amateur
carpenter as he is, and saving money is always good!
So, you are ready to grab the first set of plans you
run across, so that you can build a pergola.
Wait a minute! Not so fast! Didn't you say that
your friend made use of a “good” set of plans? Well,
if you want to emulate him, you won't be so quick to
make that purchase. You want to be sure that you are
buying a set of plans that you can not only read and
follow, but will give you a structure that looks
like a pergola when you build by them! You would be
surprised to find out how often this does NOT
happen!
So, how do you know whether or not a set of these
plans should be considered good or bad? Take a look
at the instructions. They should be well written,
and give you step-by-step instructions that are easy
to understand – so easy that someone who has never
even built anything before could read and follow
them. The materials list should give details for
different sizes of pergolas, some small and some
large. Different sizes will take different amounts
of materials!
Do the plans you are interested in specify that
you should construct your pergola only on the proper
sized area of level ground? If you build a structure
like this on ground that is not level, you will
never be satisfied with the final results. You need
to choose a place in your yard before you start to
build, and make sure that it is cleared and level.
Remember, you are building a structure that is going
to be in your yard for a while, so make sure it is
in an easily accessible area. You'll find that there
are some people like to attach a pergola to the back
of their house or to their deck, while others like
to have it as a stand-alone outdoor room located a
little further away from their home.
The main differences that you will find in these
plans have to do with the type of roof, and what is
used for posts to hold the pergola up. Other than
that, all pergolas are just about the same... six
posts holding up a roof of wooden beams and
sometimes latticework, which comes in several
designs. Some people prefer not to use any lattice,
but you do get more shade when you do.
You can add louvers or battens to your pergola to
dress it up, or opt to leave it plain and let the
hanging and creeping flowers and plants you will add
dress it up. You can also trim the outside edges of
the roof beams in different ways to change up the
looks of your pergola. Your own personal preferences
go a long way toward how your creation ends up
looking.
Whatever plans you choose, you may find
that you are going to have to adapt them to suit any
local building codes that might be enforced in your
area. You are also going to need to remember to go
and get a building permit before construction
starts, if required by the city or town where you
live.
It is not at all difficult to build a pergola.
You and a friend could probably build it in about a
day's time. If you are new to this kind of project,
you may be a little nervous when you first get
started. All you need to remember to do is follow
the instructions carefully, and in no time, you will
have a brand new pergola that you can be very proud
of.
To read more about designing and building garden
structures, please click on these articles:
Pergola Designs
and Plans
Choosing Pergola
Plans
[more articles]
