Pergola Ideas That Will Add Style And Shade To Your Backyard
You don’t need to travel far for a relaxing outdoor retreat.
Creating an outdoor space that’s cool and comfortable can be a bit of a challengeespecially if there aren’t any trees to block out the hot summer sun. Thankfully, it’s easy to install a pergola that provides shade and style. We found free plans for building your own pergola, as well as fun decorating ideas for existing patio and porch covers. Just be sure to look into whether or not you’ll need a permit for your project before you get started, and consider hiring a professional for tough builds.
No wonder the National Association of Landscape Professionals listed pergolas as one of 2019’s top trends. Usually made of wood or composite material, as in this California space designed by Emily Henderson, the structures not only lend sophisticated style to an al fresco sanctuary, but they’re also available with additional features including roll-down windows, space heaters, and lighting and sound systems.
Edison bulbs and potted plants look beautiful hanging from this pergola made of cedar wood, which is “naturally resistant to rot, decay, and insect attacks.”
Conceptual Design And Planning
—-Before starting a pergola project, check your local building code and permitting requirements for such a structure. These vary by jurisdiction, so I can’t provide any advice beyond contacting your local municipality.—-
All good designs start with a sketch.
I first started with a couple rough sketches on some scratch paper, just to get the idea out of my head. After that, I took measurements of my patio to determine the size of the pergola that could physically fit in the space. I have an added constraint in that the second story of my house overhangs the patio slightly , so I had to modify the “typical” pergola layout somewhat.
I find that generating a model in SketchUp is very beneficial to get a sense of the look of a project and its relation to physical space. There are even plugins that automatically generate a bill of material for the required wood pieces, saving having to tally everything manually.
Obviously, you’re not married to your initial design, and you’ll see as the project progresses that I deviated a bit from the initial design.
With your design settled upon, determine the required quantities of material and place the order at your local lumberyard. Fair warning, some boards may be special order and take a while to come in. I think my order ultimately took about a month to be delivered.
Diy Backyard Shade Ideas
2021-3-23·One of the classiest ways to add shade to a patio or deck is with a pergola. DIY Patio Sail Shades. 3 . Keep in mind that adjustable panels are the most useful. Diy backyard shade ideas. Mosquito Netting Side Shade. A Slice of Shade Creating Canopies. Fun and Funky Outdoor Seating Shade.
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How To Attach A Pergola To An Existing Composite Deck
Pergola over existing Deck · Pergola over existing Deck. I have a free-standing deck that butts up against the house but is not attached to it. It is approximately 12 x 15, and is less than 18 off the ground. The main structural support comes from 4×6 beams spaced 6 feet apart, with each supported by four concrete footings.
Adding A Covering To An Existing Patio Is A Great Way To Add Some Shade And Shelter From The Rain
For an updated look, consider covering your wood paneling with upholstery. From the cabinets in your kitchen to a piece of furniture to a fun craft, there are plenty of wood items you can paint. This article will show you how to build your own patio using mostly just wood pallets. Building your own patio using recycled pallets is easy, fun, and looks amazing. We may earn commission on some of th. Fabric patio covers are affordable and easy to install. From pergolas to slatted roofs, discover 14 patio cover ideas that will help you stay cool in the shade and hang outside all day long. If the columns in your home are all function and no style, then dress them up. However, the challenge comes with their maintenance. Explore design ideas and options for patio covers and canopies, and check out some great images from hgtv.com. Learn how to install a simple wood wrap to turn boring. Hgtv shows you how to install a simple wood wrap to turn boring columns into cool architectural features. As seen on carter can show, a patio with a white covering canopy for shade.
Oh, and it’s practically free! As seen on carter can show, a patio with a white covering canopy for shade. Fabric patio covers are affordable and easy to install. However, the challenge comes with their maintenance. From pergolas to slatted roofs, discover 14 patio cover ideas that will help you stay cool in the shade and hang outside all day long.
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Measure Your Soffits To Determine The Diy Pergola Column Centers
If pergola designs include building close to the house, first measure the projection of your eaves. Keep the center of the posts nearest the house at least 7 in. farther from the house than this measurement to accurately position the column centers near but not too close to the house. Drive remote stakes an equal distance from the house, attaching a string to help mark and align the outer post locations.
To keep the posts in alignment, stake your post locations using remote stakes with a string. With the stakes driven beyond the work area, youll be able to undo the string while you dig and then reattach it later to check for alignment. To check for left-to-right placement parallel to the house, just measure the distance from one of the remote stakes and write this measurement on a notepad. To make sure the layout is square, adjust the diagonal measurements of the postholes so theyre equal.
Avoiding Lawsuits In Style
Before installing the joists, we wanted to give the structure more stability, to prevent it from racking. . We cut 2X6s into pieces about 3 long, cutting 45º angles on the ends, and scribing and cutting a gracious Mediterranean curve onto each. . After pre-drilling, to avoid splitting the wood, and double-checking for plumb, we screwed them to the face of the post, holding them all to the same height, then to the headers, using 3 exterior screws.
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Install Joists Across Top Of Pergola Structure
In our case, before we moved onto the joist installation, we had to trim excess length from the top our 6×6 posts. It is safest, and a better procedure, however, not to erect your posts until they are sized correctly. Our joists are 9, so we want the top of the 6×6 post to rise only about 8 above the 2×12 beams so that they are just shy of the height of our joists. This will allow us to bolt the joists into the 6×6 post, but not have the 6×6 post sticking up above the joists.
The first four joists that you will install are those on either end of the pergola that will sandwich the 6×6 posts above the 2×12 beams. Use two carriage bolts to secure the joists around the 6×6 post in all four corners of your pergola.
I then spaced the remaining joist equally between the posts. They ended up about 2 apart. To secure these joists to the beams, I used 2.5 screws and screwed them at an angle into the beams.
How To Build A Diy Wood Pergola
Here are the easy fool-proof steps on how to design a pergola structure for your backyard and how to build a simple pergola for DIY deck builders of any experience level. A DIY shade structure build can be achieved in a weekend and will increase the overall value of your home and outdoor living space.
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How To Build A Pergola: Pergola Kits
If you are planning on building your own patio cover and are not an experienced contractor or handyman, you might want to consider a pergola kit. You can shop online or at a local home improvement center or garden center to find wood or vinyl pergola kits for as little as $300. These kits come with everything you need other than the tools so costs can be kept to a minimum if you are providing the tools and labor. Keep in mind that this price is for a small, entry-level pergola and that prices increase as you look at larger sizes, custom kits, or pergolas with additional options, such as a fabric cover. Higher-end kits can easily cost upwards of $5,000.
Putting together a pergola kit is usually a one-day project if you have someone who can lend a hand.
Depending on the size of your pergola and the type of structure, you may need a permit. If you live in a neighborhood with a homeowners association, you will likely need to get approval before you begin your build.
Adding Onto An Existing Patio
By | Submitted On July 07, 2008
Not everyone starts from scratch when it comes to adding a home patio onto their property. If you have moved into a property which already has a patio in place, it can sometimes be easier to add another section onto it, rather than ripping up what is already there.
But before you do anything you should take some time to work out what you would like to do. Make a start by sketching out a rough plan of your entire garden to scale, and mark in any features that you would like to keep in place, or that are permanent anyway.
Lightly sketch out your existing patio and then work out what you would do if you added a section onto it. Would you need to extend it in a certain direction? Would that affect any features you already have, such as flowerbeds and perhaps part of the lawn?
It’s also a good idea to think about how you will use your garden, mainly because you will have to work out how much bigger the patio will be once the addition is in place. If you need lots of room to entertain people, a barbecue area might be a good idea. Conversely you may not be prepared to lose a lot of your lawn if you have young children, so bear this in mind too.
Once you have an idea of where you want the extension to be, mark it out in your garden using some string to indicate roughly where the edge will be. This will give you a much better idea of the size of your whole patio once it is finished.
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How To Build A Pergola On A Concrete Patio In Two Days
Building a pergola is a quick way to add a touch of class to your outdoor space, and it’s certainly something a homeowner can tackle by him or herself, and can even finish in a couple of days if sufficiently motivated. Additionally, for those who aren’t very experienced in building things with wood, this is a good starter project to develop skills that will readily transfer to other projects.
I’ll note right away that I was able to build this pergola in two days however, I’ve done this sort of thing a few times now, and I have a lot of power tools that make the job easier. If your skills aren’t high and/or you have a limited tool set, it will take longer. Don’t despair though – this still makes a great fair-weather weekend project that can be built over a couple weeks.
In the steps that follow, I link to videos I made for the build. The links go directly to the timestamp in the video pertaining to that particular step, so don’t think I’m just spamming the same video over and over You can also watch the in-depth videos in this playlist. My intent for this Instructable, with the videos to complement, is to be the most comprehensive tutorial online for building a pergola.
Also, check these links if you are looking for premade pergola plans or a custom pergola for your own yard.
Choosing A Site And Design
The patio is concrete, 12 X 24, and in very good condition . After looking at some pergola pics online for inspiration, we came up with a simple design, and after pricing materials, we decided on roof dimensions of 12 X 16. We went with a free-standing design, which, in addition to looking good, requires no permit, since it isnt attached to the house. Building codes vary widely, so check with your local inspector.
While my daughter rinsed the scuzz off the patio, my son-in-law and I went to the local home center, and managed to get everything onto my truck in one trip.
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Prevent The Splash Of The Rain Let The Air Flow
The ultimate goal of installing a patio roof is to protect you from the rain and the glare of the sunlight. Unfortunately, it requires you to block the air flow sometimes.
To prevent the splash of the rain, but let the air flow, you need to place the patio sheeting over the top of the roof about 300 millimeters so that it can perform shield from the rain without blocking the airflow.
It is your best bet especially if you have a fully-covered patio which do not have much airflow.
How To Build A Pergola From Scratch
If you are not opting for professional pergola installation and are not a particularly handy builder, it is best to choose a DIY pergola kit. This will save you from measuring mistakes, cutting mishaps, and multiple trips to the store for forgotten joists or more bolts. But, if you have a strong do-it-yourself spirit and are determined to build your patio cover from scratch, here is some basic information about costs, materials, and project steps to help you get started.
Costs vary greatly depending on the type of materials used and the size of your pergola. For example, pine is about half the price of higher-end woods, such as teak.
The following assumes you are building a wood pergola since that is the most common material for pergolas built without kits.
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Pergola Trends: From The Small Screen To Your Block
The unique twist on the traditional pergola didnt appear out of thin air. Over the past few years, this design trend offering a certain curb appeal flair was featured on Joanna Gaines work in Season 5 of Fixer Upper. Meanwhile her husband Chips 2017 European inspired cottage noticeably featured pergolas hanging over the garage doors.
Another TV designer putting out the good PR for front porch pergolas? John Gidding on HGTVs Curb Appeal. On this show, front-facing pergola additions of all sizes are a frequent accent for the chosen homes. Remodeling Magazine has called pergolas a sophisticated upgrade and an iconic structure for outdoor sanctuaries.
However, pergola traditions go back much further than the history of TV. The term stems from the Latin word pergula meaning projecting eave. In fact pergolas have been in use since ancient Egyptian times, serving as both a structure to display colorful flowering plants and to protect people from the elements.
To see how front porch pergola trends translate to real homeowners, we looked at pergola coverage from experts at Better Homes and Gardens and Architectural Digest who have reviewed pergolas of all shapes, sizes, materials and placements. We also discussed the specifics of front porch pergola building and resale value with Kim Trouten, a top real estate agent in Charlotte, North Carolina who sells homes 32% faster than her peers.
Getting Started On How To Build A Pergola
Heres a summer project designed to keep you cooler on even the hottest of days. The classical columns support an overhead wooden lattice 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 pergola plans project is actually the easiestthe graceful, solid-looking columns. Theyre not wood at all but a hollow-core composite material with amazing structural strength and durability. Weve designed the pergola plans so you simply slip these columns over treated 4×4 posts embedded in concrete. When screwed to the wooden posts, these columns provide a stable, solid base for the overhead lattice framework.
These paintable precast columns are available by special order at home centers. They come in a wide variety of diameters and heights and architectural styles.
Pressure-treated dimensional 2x8s and 2x10s make up the majority of the upper framework, and the decorative end pieces are cut with a jigsaw from our pergola plans. The whole project can be built in a couple of weekends, with another weekend for staining and painting.
We built our pergola over an existing stone patio that saved a lot of patio work. If youre planning to install a patio as part of your overall project, youll need to allow extra time.
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How To Build A Pergola On An Existing Deck That Will Stay Strong And Beautiful For Years
A pergola is a great addition to an existing deck, but youll need to keep a few things in mind so that your pergola stays safe and sturdy.
When I first put in my deck, I couldnt help but feel like it was missing something. I wasnt sure what it was at first, but one sunny Saturday morning, as I was trying to enjoy the outdoors but getting sunburned, it occurred to me: I needed a covering. I decided that the best way to manage this would be to build a pergola over my deck. Turns out, it was actually easier than I thought it would be.
If youre wondering how to build a pergola on an existing deck, weve got some tips. Its a fairly straightforward process, but your focus should be on stability and security, and you can get that with the right materials. As deck hardware has become more advanced, its getting much easier to build on top of existing structures without having to reframe everything. Stronger post bases and more versatile wood ties allow you to essentially clamp two structures together and turn them into one. Here are our picks for the hardware you should be focusing on.
How to Build a Pergola on an Existing Deck: Choose Great Hardware
Tips for Making Your Deck Pergola Safe and Sturdy