Critical Requirements For Digging Pergola Footings
Minimum Diameter
Dig a hole twelve to twenty-four inches in diameter. The diameter will be determined by how large the footing or pier size is.
Use a clam shell digger and a pry bar to help loosen stubborn rocks or cut roots if required. Alternatively rent a two-man twelve inch gas powered auger.
Large 24″ diameter bell formed footings usually require a front or back end loader with a hydraulic auger to get the job done. This is what was done for the job shown in this photo.
FROST CONSIDERATIONS FOR TRADITIONAL FOOTINGS
If you experience seasonal freezing temperatures, make sure you dig your holes about twelve inches deeper than the average frost depth.
This might mean 48″ or deeper depending on your climate.
This ensures that the pergola posts never heave and displace the structure unevenly. The hole in the photo shown here was 60″ deep.
Back fill holes or around forms
As soon as the hole is properly dug, set your post or the footing. If you are just dropping a pergola post into the hole, back fill soil around it after having made sure it is plumb.
If you plan on having a cement footing under the post, you will need a day for the cement to set up before you can place the pergola post on top. But as soon as you have your post in place, back fill around it while plumbing it vertical.
Lastly, if you are using forms for a concrete pier, be sure to back fill soil around the forms as soon as you have them set in place.
cover the tube forms from rain or debris
Why Is The Frost Line Important In Construction
When you build any structure, your goal is to ensure the foundation of the structure doesnt move over time. Just as you dont want to build on poor soil where the weight of the building will cause unequal downward settling which can destroy the structure, you dont want the structure or your deck to lift up into the air unequally. Frost heaving can and does lift things up, things that weigh thousands of pounds. Should the soil beneath the footing freeze, the uplift force created by the expanding freezing water can lift the footing and anything on it up into the air. The uplift force is tremendous and can do significant structural damage to your deck.
The White House Or Camp David Next
That was the Titan Wood Post Anchor’s first job ever. Not a bad start.
Maybe the President might call next. Wouldn’t that be something!
Since then its been used on thousands of decks, pergolas, even fences onconcrete and more – all over the great United States and now Canada,the United Kingdom and Australia.
Pergola 6×6 Posts
More than just a good looking solution for railing posts, DIYers and Builders are finding it to be a perfect solution for pergola posts.
Whether on composite or wood surfaces or concrete or stone columns, the 6×6 anchor has a clean low profile look and the stiffness and performance you need.
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Attach Pergola Posts To The Footings
Take your post and set it into the saddle. Use a 48″ long level and set the post plumb to the soil.
Secure the post to the saddle by driving ¼” x 3″ lag screws through the vertically aligned and embossed holes. The post will now be set in place on the footing.
Just remember the post will not be fully secure while standing freely. If the post is wobbly use a stake and a scrap 2×4 to brace the post in position until you connect it to the other posts.
Install the other posts for your pergola the same way.
You are now ready to begin building your pergola. This will involve attaching beams to opposing pairs of posts and then securing rafters across the beams. The posts will begin to stiffen up as the structure becomes unified.
Pergola Footings That Install With An Impact Wrench & Support 19000 Lbs
This footing system drives into the soil using a common lightweight, hand held electric impact wrench.
And it’s been load tested to support a minimum of 19,000 lbs per footing! Now that is far more than your soil will ever support. So it can surely support a common pergola structure.
The only thing that is going to prevent this from working for you is if your backyard is full of rocks. In that case, get out your shovel and pick axe and start sweating.
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Let’s Review Your Traditional Footing Options
1. Post set in hole on flat concrete footing. Back filled with soil or cement.
2. Post set in hole with pyramid concrete footing. Back filled with soil or cement.
3. Flat footing with concrete pier and concealed post base.
4. Flat footing with concrete pier and common post base.
5. Bell form footing with concrete pier and concealed post base.
Frost Line Depth By Zip Code
There are online tools that allow you to enter a zip code to discover what the frost depth might be where youre building. Once again, dont take this information as gospel. Reach out to the local building inspector for the best guidance. You never want to hope frost wont hurt your new deck or structure. You should only hope for things you cant control. You can control the depth of your new deck footings.
Keep in mind its not a bad idea to dig three or four inches lower than the frost depth. Deeper is always better because there are rare weather events where extreme cold can happen over a winter and your deck or structure will survive where many others might have to have repairs when the ground thaws.
To find a professional builder in your area, Decks.com also offers a Find a Builder tool.
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How Wide Does A 6×6 Concrete Post Footing Need To Be Using An Elevated Post Base Anchor
I’m building a pergola over a paver patio. The pergola will dimension 11’x 11.5′ on center of post with 6×6 posts , tied together with sandwiched 2×12 beams. I’ve laid out footer locations and am about to dig for 8″ sonotube forms. The footings will be set 2.5″ below finished grade and I’ll use Simpson Strong Tie Elevated Post Base anchors so that I can lay pavers on top of the footing, with the pergola post resting on the anchor base at the finished grade of the patio. My question is weather or not an 8″ dia. footing is truly sufficient. The Strong Tie spec notes a minimum 4″ offset from center of anchor pin to edge of concrete, so it would seem that 8″ diameter footings would meet the spec. The footings will be close to the edge of a surrounding retaining wall, so I’d like to avoid a larger diameter that would require augering closer to the wall.
Note: There was a similar question addressed on this forum a year or so ago and an answer suggested using 12″ footers, but my situation may be slightly different due to use of the elevated anchor. How wide does a 6×6 concrete post footing needs to be?
- Drill holes and add rebar to give a stronger structure and better bonding! Also use a A bonding agent needs to be painted onto the existing concrete first to ensure that the fresh concrete will successfully adhere.
The Titan Post Anchor 6×6 Is Doing Some Heavy Lifting
Titan’s latest post anchor takes the internal anchoring concept to its next logical level.If you thought the 4×4 anchor worked well, you are going to be more impressed with the 6×6 anchor.
The Titan 6×6 anchor has been used all over North America and on some pretty high profile jobs that were specified by engineers and architects.
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What Happens When The Soil Freezes
When below-freezing weather begins, the soil thats in contact with the air starts to freeze. If the air temperature is well below 32 F, then that soil temperature can easily start to mimic the air temperature. This causes the soil just below the frozen layer at the surface to also freeze.
Liquid water expands by nine percent when it freezes solid. This extra volume is pushed up into the air, not down into the compacted soil.
The liquid water in the soil often is in layers much like a sandwich has layers of meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. These different areas of water transform into ice lenses within the soil. As each ice lens forms, it pushes the lenses above it higher up into the air. Frost can easily push the soil up 6, or more, inches.
Benefits Of Installing Pergola Footings With The Deck Foot Anchor
Pergolas require a minimum of three and usually four or more footings. Digging three or four holes will take you at least two or three hours depending on the soil type.
digging and back-filling
If you choose set posts directly into the ground and just back-fill the post into the hole, you must ensure the post is treated specifically for ground contact. And even then, you should expect the pergola posts will never last as long as those secured above the grade by metal post anchoring hardware.
digging, mixing & pouring cement
If you choose to use cement footings you will have to dig holes large enough to accommodate the diameter of the pier or the footing as well which can be significantly larger than the pier.
Then the next big step will be to mix and pour all the cement and then let it set for a day or two. Some post anchoring hardware will have to be set into the wet cement accurately. If done right, you should have very strong and stable pergola footings.
or IF YOU WANT TO BUILD YOUR PERGOLA WITH … LESS TIME, LESS LABOR, LESS MONEY, LESS MESS
If you decide to use the Deck Foot Anchor to support your pergola, you can usually have four footings installed in thirty to forty minutes and begin building right away. You will avoid the cost of cement and separate hardware. The only hardware required is the Deck Foot Anchor. And of course you will avoid the labor and time required for digging.
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Here Is How To Install A Footing And Start Building A Pergola The Same Day
The beauty of installing pergola footings this way is that you can literally have the footings and posts in place in as little as 30 to 45 minutes if your locations are already set. Best of all is you can start building the pergola right away.
You can see from the illustration that this footing assembly is ready to be installed into the ground. The auger will turn freely and the load plate will stay still as you drive the auger into the ground.
Wear work gloves and hold the auger vertically with one hand while the other hand holds the impact wrench. The wrench will not exert any continuous torque so it will be very easy to manage. Just let the tool and the auger do the work.
drive the auger down into the soil
Drive the auger into the ground until the load plate makes good solid contact with the stone dust soil and the upper surface of the plate contacts the nut above it.
You will feel the auger continue to try and pull into the ground. Once you feel that tension in the auger stop driving it down.
Do not continue driving the auger or you may just churn up the soil around the helical blade. During the next step, the load plate will be set into place.
compress the footing load plate against the soil
Using a socket or a wrench, tighten the upper nut against the load plate so the plate is compressed against the soil and so the underside of the footing load plate makes contact with the stop washer welded to the auger.
Attach 6×6 post saddle to footing
Now Let’s Install Pergola Footings The Faster Easier And Less Expensive Way
We are going to build this pergola without having to dig footings or pouring cement. This method will use a footing system called the .
It is a hybrid helical pier and surface resting load plate. It will distribute the weight of the pergola to the footing’s load plate and the soil but it will also be securely anchored and embedded in the soil.
This means you will enjoy some of the load bearing and stabilizing properties of a ground anchored footing without the cost, time and effort associated with digging holes and pouring cement.
Get The Tools you need
We are going to build this pergola much faster and easier.
These pergola footings are going to be set on the Deck Foot Anchor which is a combination of a helical blade for anchoring to the soil and a large load plate that will distribute the weight of the pergola to the ground.
First, get the tools you need such as a spade for removing the sod, an impact wrench , a 12mm six point socket or an adjustable wrench. With these tools at hand, you will ready to go.
Remove Sod and organic material at locations of pergola footings
Find the exact locations for each pergola post and use triangulation to do so.
Using string and batter boards to layout a right angle triangle to get started. If you use the Rule of Thumb and make a 6′ by 8′ triangle with a 10′ diagonal you will have a right angle to measure each footing location.
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Once your order has been received, we’ll confirm your delivery date by email or phone.
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We offer curbside delivery, meaning all products are delivered right to your driveway. We cannot bring materials into the garage or to the backyard.
Additional Resources
Common Characteristics For Digging Pergola Footings
When most people think of pergola footings, the dreaded thought of digging deep holes, setting a post in it and back filling with cement fills their mind.
Options one and two depict this concept with subtle variations. In both these scenarios, the posts are buried in the ground and therefore must be treated for ground contact.
Others, get a bit more sophisticated and build a wide footing, then use tubular forms to pour cement and finally attach post anchoring hardware to the concrete footing.
Options three to five depict this concept. The pergola posts are secured to the pier by various connecting hardware.
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Go Build Your Pergola The Easy Way
Forget digging pergola footings and use the as a solid alternative to common residential backyard pergolas.
This pergola is a bit of a twist on the traditional style you are used to seeing. It incorporates the horizontal linear look of so many of Franklin Lloyd Wright’s timeless designs.
And yet it retains the common elements of most traditional pergolas.
If your soil is compatible with an auger style footing then this style of pergola footing may by perfect for your next project.
What Is The Frost Line
The frost line is the deepest depth at which the moisture present in the soil is expected to freeze. Once the bottom of your footings is buried below the frost line, the residual heat in the ground below the footing will ensure the soil below the footing will not freeze in the winter.
The depth you are required to set your frost footings will vary from region to region across the country. If you live in a warm climate, like South Florida, where frost rarely ever occurs, you may be allowed to place your footings on grade, but in very cold regions, like Minnesota and Canada, you will need to dig down 96 inches or more. Always check with your local building inspector to see what is required in your area. Furthermore, you must install footings at least 12 below unsettled soil. If you are building into the side of a steep hill or beside a retaining wall you will have to maintain the minimum distance to grade not only vertically but also laterally. In order to achieve a suitable lateral barrier, you may need to dig your foundation much deeper than on a flat surface.
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